Southern Gulf Catchments Limited Annual Report 2012-2013 VISION STATEMENT Leaders in Regional Natural Resource Management
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Southern Gulf Catchments Limited Annual Report 2012-2013 VISION STATEMENT Leaders in regional natural resource management MISSION STATEMENT Enabling and engaging the community to manage and enhance, through best practice, the region’s natural assets for current and future generations. Contents SOUTHERN GULF CATCHMENTS LIMITED ANNUAL REPORT 2012-2013 CHAIRMAN'S REPORT . 2 Brian Atherinos CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER'S REPORT . 3 Robert Wilson PROGRAMS UPDATE . 4 Simone Parker, Operations Manager CASE STUDIES . 7 Southern Gulf Catchments Limited key activities 2013 Date Event Location 3 March Clean up Australia Day Mount Isa 11 March Prickly Acacia Task Force Meeting Julia Creek 5 May Gregory River Canoe Race Gregory 30 April – 2 May Xstrata Mining Expo Mount Isa 20 – 21 May North West Graziers Forum Cloncurry 31 May – 2 June Hughenden Show Hughenden 14-15 June Cloncurry Show Cloncurry 14-15 June Richmond Field Days Richmond 21-23 June Mount Isa Show Mount Isa 7 - 14 July NAIDOC Week Mount Isa 15-17 July 12th QLD Weed Symposium Hervey Bay 24 July Calotrope Field Day Nardoo Station 26 July National Tree Day – School Planting Mount Isa 28 July National Tree Day – Community Planting Mount Isa 9-11 August Mount Isa Rotary Rodeo Mount Isa 3-5 September National Landcare Conference Sydney 5-6 October Richmond Fishing Classic Richmond 25-27 October Lake Moondarra Fishing Classic Mount Isa 7 November SGC 10th Anniversary/ Mount Isa Chamber of Commerce event 8 November Annual General Meeting Mount Isa Page 1 Chairman's Report BRIAN ATHERINOS 2013 has seen the Board of Southern Gulf Catchments has again seen us successfully through the Audit Limited (SGC) concentrate on the consolidation of process. I am proud to say our Auditor’s report was Board operations and the ongoing development of favourable with only one low risk recommendation profi cient governance practices. We have continued noted. This is a credit to all involved and in particular to strive to build a strong Board foundation that Maree Berlin our Business Manager who has completed allows us to grow a healthy association between all fi nance requirements in a most accurate, thorough stakeholders, management and the staff of Southern and professional manner. Gulf Catchments Limited. I would like to give special thanks to our CEO, Bob It has been both a pleasure and privilege for myself Wilson, as he has fulfi lled his duties in a most admirable to have been given the opportunity to form part of manner whilst keeping the Board abreast of all relevant the SGC team. I was fortunate to follow on from the information required. Bob has completed works on great work of Alison Bohannan who dedicated much behalf of the Board with great effi ciency and expertise. time and eff ort to the Chairman’s role. There were It is with these comments I show appreciation to the further changes to the Board in the past year with the work of all staff at SGC and commend them on their departure of several Board members. Ken Isaacson, enthusiasm and dedication. These qualities and traits Julie Boyer and Tonya Murray all moved on to pursue which they have shown are something you cannot their own personal goals. I thank them for their time learn, but own. Well done. and dedication while they were with Southern Gulf Catchments Limited. Key Board focuses this year have been: • Reviewing, adopting and documenting Board Due to the reductions in core funding allocated to member responsibilities Natural Resource Management Groups throughout • Annual Board member work plans Queensland in 2013, it became apparent the • Full revision of the Strategic Plan (including importance for SGC to re-examine Board costs, workshops) effi ciencies and structure. The review conducted • Reviewing the current Natural Resource highlighted opportunities for the Board to continue Management Plan (including Water Management maintaining strong working relationships with our policy) sector and regions whilst remaining within new • Risk management identifi cation training and budgeted allowances. This was made possible by a implementation restructure of the Board and delegation of duties. Our • FAC Protocols, and Board members John Taylor, Megan Munchenberg, • Undergoing an organisational performance Shane McCarthy, Sophie Keily and Charlie Hawkins are excellence review. to be congratulated for their eff orts this year. These The above few points are by no means the limit to the Board members have not only fi lled the void from Board Board’s work this year but are the main agenda items vacancies but also contributed towards maintaining a which have been under the microscope. high level of professionalism and continued focus on core principles. Going forward, the year ahead will see the Board exercise fully the policies and planning documents Charlie Hawkins is also Chairman of the Finance and developed which will ensure the SGC Board adhere Audit Committee (FAC). This committee along with key to all obligations in a legal and ethical manner whilst members of the operations team are to be commended looking to ensure any opportunities to further assist for their eff orts ensuring fi nancial protocols have been Southern Gulf Catchments Limited and its stakeholders maintained. The committee’s active monitoring and are fully pursued. governance of our fi nancial and reporting processes Page 2 Chief Executive Officer's Report ROBERT WILSON Southern Gulf Catchments Limited (SGC) has continued The unfavourable dry year has made it hard for many to work hard over the past year to maintain and expand of our members and those we work with. I would like the regional partnerships created in the past few years. to thank them and indeed all our members for the Our partnership activities continue to make a signifi cant continued support and participation in our activities diff erence to the management of the 225,000 square over a year in which we all have faced a number of kilometres which makes up the Southern Gulf challenges. Catchments region. Lastly I would like to personally thank the passionate We are proud to have facilitated a broad range SGC staff , for all the hard work, extra hours, out of work of regional project achievements in 2012/2013, hours and focus over this past year. At times this places highlighted throughout this report. As an organisation strain on families and work/life balance. I recognise the we continue to demonstrate through our projects, commitment made. They are a pleasure to work with. that simultaneous regional and environmental I am sure many of you who have had dealings with improvements are possible by closely working with our them would agree they are dedicated to the continued Pastoral, Community, Conservation, Local Government, management of our region’s natural resources. I look Mining, Indigenous, Tourism and Other Industries forward to working with them over the coming year. sectors. I am confi dent that with the activities planned for Community involvement remains at the forefront of 2013/2014 we will see another successful year for how SGC delivers natural resource management in Southern Gulf Catchments Limited. the Southern Gulf region. Over the past year, we have been involved with our community through capacity building workshops, property visits, information/ fi eld days, on-ground works, cultural clearances, environmental awareness student schooling, shows and trade exhibits, tree planting, clean up days, as well as numerous discussion meetings with Local Government and regional community/industry groups. “Caring for our Country” (Australian Government Program) competitive grants funding for 2013 to 2018 has been confi rmed and a number of joint projects are underway within the revised funding model. Queensland State funding programs should be confi rmed shortly. I also would like to acknowledge and thank Charlie Hawkins, Chairman of our Finance and Audit Committee, for the work the committee has continued over 2012/2013. Thank you to Charlie and the team. Our move in mid-December 2012 to our new premises has proved benefi cial for the general business operations, completion of projects and for member’s enquiries. It has also increased our visibility being in a prime position on the Barkly Highway in Mount Isa. Page 3 Programs update SIMONE PARKER, OPERATIONS MANAGER Southern Gulf Catchments Limited spoke about how they are implementing many best practice strategies in their commercial enterprise. (SGC) has continued to deliver National Tree Day and Clean up Australia Day: Once programs across the region with a again SGC were involved in these community events strong focus on projects with on- to gather volunteers together to improve and clean up their town. Both activities took place along the ground benefi ts. Tharrapatha-Way walking trail with great success on both days cleaning up the area and planting native This year has seen the end of funding programs trees. It was great to see so many families get involved including; ‘Caring for Our Country’, ‘Weeds of National and inspire the next generation to care about natural Signifi cance’ and Queensland Regional Natural resource management. Resource Management (NRM) Investment. Signifi cant eff ort has been spent fi nalising these successful projects and seeking ongoing funding for future works. Here is a summary of some of our key achievements: Events & workshops North West Graziers’ Forum – May 2013: The North West Graziers’ Forum was held in Cloncurry over two days as a direct result from landholder feedback about what the region’s key issues are and the best method to deliver relevant information. Presenters discussed herd, business and land management issues including grazing strategies, recovery of degraded pastures and emerging weed issues. The forum closed with a very well received presentation from a landholder who Page 4 Five Catchment Management Groups have been set up in the Flinders Shire to enable more local ownership of the various weed issues being encountered.