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E-letter No 73
Murray-Darling Basin Commission – December 2007- January 2008 Welcome to the Murray-Darling Basin Commission monthly e-letter with reports of happenings across the Basin. Contributions are welcome. Please send items (no more than 250 words) to the editor at sam.leone@mdbc.gov.au An online html version is available at: www.mdbc.gov.au/communications/s-scribe/eletter_menu Please feel free to pass this e-letter along to anybody who might be interested. To subscribe online go to http://mdbc.gov.au/communications/s-scribe To be removed from the mailing list, please reply to this message with “unsubscribe” in the subject heading. This newsletter currently has 1485 subscribers.
The MDBC Weekly Report of river operations for the last week of November reported thunderstorm activity had resulted in good falls of rain across most of the Murray-Darling Basin, particularly in southern Queensland and New South Wales. In Queensland, some towns in the upper catchments of the Warrego and Paroo Rivers received up to 150 mm of rain in one week, with some localised minor and moderate flooding. Good falls were also recorded across the central and south-west slopes of NSW, with Burrinjuck Dam receiving 85mm, Condobolin 86 mm and Narrandera 66 mm. In contrast, western Victoria and South Australia only received up to 10 mm. During November water was transferred from Dartmouth Reservoir to Hume Reservoir, with the release from Dartmouth being steadily reduced. The pattern and volume of future releases will depend on continual reassessment of system inflows, storage levels and water requirements along the River Murray. Following the announcement by the New South Wales Government, water was being diverted into the Wakool River and Merran Creek for essential stock and domestic purposes and to benefit the environment. For more information and the read the latest weekly report go to www.mdbc.gov.au/subs/river-info/weekly-report/current_wr.pdf Another
successful MDBC International River Conference
The conference, held every two years, kickstarted National Water Week. The Murray-Darling Basin Commission has been the major sponsor for the RiverHealth Conference since it began in 1999. It forms part of the MDBC's wide range of environmental education activities in the Basin. This is the first time the conference, based on the highly successful ‘kids teaching kids’ concept was held in the national capital. Registrations for the event sold out months before the event got under way. Organiser Arron Wood, who this year was awarded the Banksia Foundation Prime Minister's Environmentalist of the Year Award, said this year’s event was less about a conference and more about a lasting commitment to our youth, the environment and the sustainable use of our natural resources. “The MDBC International River Health Conference is the culmination of a process which involves students working with expert mentors many months prior to the event,” he said. “It results in children with
strong motivation, high self esteem, respect for others and a belief in
a bright and compelling future – they realize they can have an impact.”
“Most importantly, the process is about promoting ‘kids teaching kids’ as the highest form of learning and aiming for a cultural change in the way we view, use and perceive our natural environment,” he said. For more information go to www.onelifeoneworldourfuture.com Unlocking
the mysteries of climate and weather
The centre is an equal partnership between the Bureau of Meteorology Research Centre and CSIRO CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research. Staff are located mainly in Melbourne, Canberra and Hobart, as well as Perth, Brisbane and Darwin. “The Centre for Australian Weather and Climate Research will combine the vast climate expertise of the Bureau and CSIRO to become an important centre of research excellence,” said Foundation Director, Dr Chris Mitchell. “Australia has been at the forefront of climate and weather research and the evolving science of Earth systems for many years. The new joint approach provides a strong focus for climate research that will be absolutely critical for the future of Australia and the world,” Dr Mitchell said. “The Centre for Australian Weather and Climate Research will combine the vast climate expertise of the Bureau and CSIRO to become an important centre of research excellence,” said Foundation Director, Dr Chris Mitchell. The science undertaken within the Centre will be applied across a wide variety of areas beyond climate change such as ocean prediction, seasonal climate prediction, air quality, severe weather and water management. Researchers from the Centre will have access to new super-computing facilities and are developing the Australian Community Climate and Earth-System Simulator. “These new facilities will provide weather and climate researchers with the opportunity to take an holistic approach to their research to better capture climate processes involving the ocean, carbon cycle, sea-ice, and cloud chemistry,” Dr Mitchell said. The Centre’s researchers
will also work with the UK Met Office’s high-powered computer-based weather
and climate prediction program and adapt it to Australian conditions.
For more information go to http://www.csiro.au/news/mediacentre.html Early
bird offer for Outlook 2008
They will hear commodity forecasts and industry assessments for agriculture, economic insights into international trade negotiations, natural resource management, climate change issues and the outlook for many resource commodities. Organised by The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARE), presentations will be made by expert analysts, industry leaders and international speakers at key sessions, including:
For more information contact Angela Ellerman on 02 6272 2303 or aellerman@abare.gov.au Scholarship
helps students go ‘far west’
2008 will be the third year that the scholarship has been awarded. Mr Rory Treweeke, Chair of the Western CMA, says applications will be accepted until 31 January, 2008. “The scholarship is awarded annually to a university student from NSW doing their first degree, who displays strong personal, community and educational commitment to rural or regional areas, with particular reference to the Western Catchment of NSW,” Mr Treweeke said. “Students returning for their second year of university study in the areas of agriculture, natural resources, Aboriginal or cultural heritage studies, communication or business are strongly encouraged to apply. “The scholarship assists students in advancing their educational qualifications and personal skills, so that they can contribute to improved natural resource management in the future and build upon the expertise within the Western Catchment community. “The Western CMA has been established to invest in the future of the Catchment and its people and this is just one, very practical, way in which we can achieve that goal,” Mr Treweeke said. The Russel Harland Memorial Scholarship provides $5,000 a year for up to three years to the successful applicant. The scholarship recipient will be expected to complete at least four weeks paid work with the Western CMA for each year of their scholarship. Following the successful completion of their studies, scholarship recipients will be contracted to work with the Western CMA for at least one year. Applicants must meet certain criteria including being a full-time internal student entering the second year of an undergraduate course in an area of study relevant to the skills required within the WCMA. These include agricultural science, natural resources, earth sciences, aboriginal/cultural heritage or communication. The scholarship is named in memory of Mr Russel Harland, a stalwart of natural resource management in the Western Catchment, who passed away suddenly at the age of 44 in November 2002. For more information
call 1800 032 101 or visit the Western CMA website
Drought
management workshops offered
The workshops are funded by the Australian and NSW Governments through the “Building Landholder Capacity to Manage Drought and Climate Change” project and other Murray CMA investment programs. Organisers say more than 160 people from across the Murray Catchment have already nominated. To allow planning expressions of interest are sought by 14 December 2007. The one day workshops offered are:
Direct
seeding revegetation show promising results
NSW’s Murray Catchment Management Authority says good news is surfacing from the biggest ever and most recently completed direct seeding season in the catchment. Direct seeding establishes trees, shrubs, and ground layer plants by sowing seed directly into areas requiring revegetation. The CMA embarked on an ambitious direct seeding program over winter, planting out up to 2500 hectares. According to Martin Driver, the Murray CMA Revegetation Officer, direct seeded trees and shrubs have germinated despite the less favourable conditions. “In a season like we have just experienced tree planting is very risky and the most important thing that landholders need to be aware of is that success of revegetation is directly linked to site selection, weed control and stock/vermin exclusion.“ Mr Driver said. “Furthermore any seed that
hasn’t germinated thus far will remain in the ground until conditions are
more suitable,” he said.
“This large scale program would not be feasible without direct seeding technology- the extent to which landholders take advantage of the Murray CMA’s revegetation service, clearly demonstrates willingness to and support for revegetation and value adding of their land. “The Murray CMA Vegetation team are now preparing for their 2008 program, assessing land holdings and arranging for the collection suitable seed over summer,” he said. For more information call Katrina Grundy on 0428 215 779 Gunbower
DVD tells a community story
The CMA works with many partners in delivering MDBC’s The Living Murray “Flooding Enhancement of Gunbower Forest” project, which aims to protect and restore the environmental values of Gunbower through improved management of water. The Gunbower–Koondrook–Perricoota Forest is one of The Living Murray’s six so called “icon sites” chosen for their high ecological value. The DVD “Gunbower Forest - Flooding For Life” aims to celebrate the forest and community members who use the forest and live it. CMA Project Officer Heidi Magner said the DVD showed why Gunbower was such a special place. "The DVD also explains the use of environmental water and its importance to protect the internationally significant wetlands, waterbirds and the iconic river red gums. “The DVD showcased many threatened species in the forest and the results achieved to date by watering the forest," said Heidi. For more infromation and to obtain a copy of the DVD call 03 5448 7124. Creek
restoration helps Murrumbidgee River
The restoration works are part of the Murrumbidgee Catchment Management Authority’s (CMA) River Restoration Project and is being funded by the NSW and Australian Government’s National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality. The extreme gully erosion site is estimated to be about 70 years old. The soils in the Jugiong area are typically granite, coarse textured and are high risk for severe soil erosion, Murrumbidgee CMA Chair Mr Lee O’Brien said. “Earth movers will use approximately 1200 tonnes of rock to build ‘rock bars’ to slow down the flow of water. Rocks will be placed on the outer bends to stop scouring of banks,” Mr O’Brien said. “The Murrumbidgee CMA has identified Sawpit Creek as a ‘high priority’ for targeted restoration works to reduce the amount of sediment entering the Murrumbidgee River. “As we remain in a dry period, the works are timely as the next intense rainfall event will move large quantities of sand, silt and clay into the creek making the water muddy and reducing water quality for stock as well as downstream users. “There are more than 20 sites in the Murrumbidgee catchment that are being managed by this project to rehabilitate them from there degraded state and restore the area to improve biodiversity and water quality,” Mr O’Brien said. For more information about the project contact the Murrumbidgee Catchment Management Authority on P: 02 6932 3232 or visit their website www.murrumbidgee.cma.nsw.gov.au Powerful
new software evaluates carp control strategies
The invasive pest, described as the “rabbit of the river”, was introduced into Australia more than 100 years ago and today is the dominant fish in many of our inland waterways. Controlling exotic fish, including Carp, is an important aspect of the Murray-Darling Basin Commission's Native Fish Strategy, which aims to recover the Basin's native fish populations to 60 per cent of pre-European settlement values. Victorian Department of Primary
Industries scientists, with funding from the MDBC via the Invasive Animals
Cooperative Research Centre, have dubbed their software CARPSIM.
Scientists say CARPSIM allows researchers and managers to simulate the application of any of these management activities at virtually any intensity and in any combination. CARPSIM does this by predicting the changes each control activity will have on:
As environmental factors such as floods and droughts are also known to influence Carp populations, the effects of environmental variability are incorporated into simulations. CARPSIM will predict the number of years it will take for a control strategy to reduce Carp numbers to such low levels that populations are no longer viable. It also provides an estimate of the probability that a control strategy will succeed. While CARPSIM has been designed specifically for the Australian experience, its functionality and power has also generated interest from the United States and New Zealand, where it is will soon be evaluated. For more information
call 03 5774 2208 or go to www.dpi.vic.gov.au/
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