From: Qld Mini Spini - http://www.qccqld.org.au/minispini/110106.htm
Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee
Inquiry into Water Policy Initiatives
The Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee is conducting an inquiry into the impact on rural water usage of recent water policy initiatives and the possible role for Commonwealth agencies. The terms of reference are:
the development of water property titles;
methods of protection for rivers and aquifers;
farming innovation;
monitoring drought and predicting farm water demand; and
the implications for agriculture of predicted changes in patterns of precipitation and temperature.
The Committee is interested in exploring the state and territories policies underpinning the National Water Initiative, any assistance that can be provided by Commonwealth government agencies to develop and roll out these policies and the implications for rural land use of these policies. In this context it will also examine the potential for farming innovation. The Committee will also consider work being conducted on monitoring drought and the state of aquifers, the development of farm water assessment systems and any implications for agriculture of predicted changes in rainfall patterns and temperature.
The Committee invites you to make a submission addressing all or some of these matters, and would appreciate submissions to be sent by 1 February 2006. If you know of someone else who maybe interested in making a submission to the committee, please pass this letter on.
Information on this inquiry can be found at http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/rrat_ctte/rural_water/index.htm
Thursday, January 12, 2006
Friday, January 06, 2006
Bushland-friendly gardens
From Weedwatch, Vol 2 November 2005
Newsletter of the Cooperative Research Centre for Australian Weed Management
"Bushland-friendly gardens: weed-free wonderlands
The Weeds CRC has developed a new website area, named Bushland-friendly gardens, that suggests which plants should be avoided in our gardens.While there are many organisations that currently present weed information in a myriad of formats, we felt that it was just too difficult for many gardeners and landscapers to find out this information on a regional basis. Our website provides a 'one-stop shop' in the form of a 'clickable' map that will generate two lists of commonly available garden plants that should be avoided in your chosen region.We have started at a relatively broad scale by subdividing the states into a total of 22 regions based on a classification of climatic zones already widely used in the horticultural industry. Reviewing more than 100 lists of problem plants prepared by a range of groups and bodies around Australia, we made the assumption that the more lists on which a plant appears, the more it is likely to cause impact within any region. Therefore, when clicking on a particular region of the map provided, two prioritised lists are generated. Where a plant species appeared three or more times in lists for a region, it was placed into the 'serious environmental weeds' list. We recommend that plants on this list are removed as soon as possible. If a plant species appeared twice, it was placed on the 'environmental weeds to avoid' list, in which case it should not be planted, or at least should be managed with great care.We believe that the final weeds lists for each region are a fair representation of the potential and actual impacts for each species.While the site does not suggets alternative species to plant, it will point (again on a regional basis) to reference documents and web information that includes such advice.To give your feedback please use the facility provided on the website.
Jackie Watts"
http://www.weeds.crc.org.au/bushlandfriendlygardens
Newsletter of the Cooperative Research Centre for Australian Weed Management
"Bushland-friendly gardens: weed-free wonderlands
The Weeds CRC has developed a new website area, named Bushland-friendly gardens, that suggests which plants should be avoided in our gardens.While there are many organisations that currently present weed information in a myriad of formats, we felt that it was just too difficult for many gardeners and landscapers to find out this information on a regional basis. Our website provides a 'one-stop shop' in the form of a 'clickable' map that will generate two lists of commonly available garden plants that should be avoided in your chosen region.We have started at a relatively broad scale by subdividing the states into a total of 22 regions based on a classification of climatic zones already widely used in the horticultural industry. Reviewing more than 100 lists of problem plants prepared by a range of groups and bodies around Australia, we made the assumption that the more lists on which a plant appears, the more it is likely to cause impact within any region. Therefore, when clicking on a particular region of the map provided, two prioritised lists are generated. Where a plant species appeared three or more times in lists for a region, it was placed into the 'serious environmental weeds' list. We recommend that plants on this list are removed as soon as possible. If a plant species appeared twice, it was placed on the 'environmental weeds to avoid' list, in which case it should not be planted, or at least should be managed with great care.We believe that the final weeds lists for each region are a fair representation of the potential and actual impacts for each species.While the site does not suggets alternative species to plant, it will point (again on a regional basis) to reference documents and web information that includes such advice.To give your feedback please use the facility provided on the website.
Jackie Watts"
http://www.weeds.crc.org.au/bushlandfriendlygardens
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