AS SOCIATION REPORTS
STA ACT
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n behalf of the ACT Sports Turf Association I would like to start by wishing all of Sports Turf Australia and beyond a Happy New Year and best wishes for the year to come. Let’s hope Hughie has a fair bit more for us this year! It has been a far from quality end to 2019 and start to 2020 here in the nation’s capital and surrounding region. With the devastating fires on our South Coast and the continuing trend of less than average rainfall totals, it really has been a less than ideal beginning to the year. Up until the last week of January, we were fortunate to have had no fire activity within our borders, but did have easterly and south westerly winds blow thick smoke into the region. This resulted in Canberra having the poorest air quality around the world for consecutive days, which led to the closure of sports turf facilities and cancellation of some sporting events. This has made it extremely difficult for turf managers and curators to maintain their surfaces. From my personal experience here at Federal Golf Club, we unfortunately had to cancel an annual Jack Newton Junior Week
of Golf event due to the poor air quality and forced course closures for up to a week from 1 January. Down the road at Manuka Oval, they were forced to abandon play of the Big Bash League game between the Sydney Thunder and Adelaide Strikers. Fires did, however, flare up in late January with outbreaks near Queanbeyan and to the south in Orroral Valley, with ash and soot being deposited across most of the capital. And the week before the fires, parts of Canberra were smashed by a hailstorm which caused surface damage at the likes of Manuka Oval and Royal Canberra Golf Club. Water is certainly still a huge issue in the region. We have been lucky enough to have had a little bit of rain during January, but like everywhere could do with a whole lot more. The usual afternoon storms we are used to here in Canberra haven’t eventuated this year keeping courses and surfaces quite dry over the summer period. Our turf counterparts on the South Coast have had a very tough end to 2019 and horrible start to the New Year with the devastating fires wreaking havoc across the coastline. No major damage has been
recorded to any sports turf facilities throughout the region and thankfully all staff members are safe. During this tough time it’s hard to see the good, but golf clubs and recreational sporting grounds have opened their doors for makeshift evacuation centres. These facilities have dug into their own pockets to provide food, shelter and entertainment to families evacuated from their homes along the coast. Hats off to the Hanging Rock Sports Complex for providing their sporting fields for evacuees to camp and set up caravans as a home away from home. Further down the coast, Bermagui Country Club and Narooma Golf Club both opened their doors and fairways for families to camp, eat and try take their minds off the devastation happening around them. No doubt smaller sports turf facilities would have offered their services to the community also. We commend these people for helping anyway they can. Finally, I’d just like to wish everyone a safe and happy 2020. Enjoy!
units of competency in Certificate II in Sports Turf Management (AHC20919), Certificate III in Sports Turf Management (AHC31319) and Diploma of Sports Turf Management (AHC51019) qualifications. Following review of the training package, there was overwhelming support nationally from the large contingent with all units being put forward and validated by our industry partners. The result is a consistent delivery of assessments across Australia. Once quality assurance has been concluded, Delivery and Assessment Guidelines will be posted shortly on industry websites and provides employers and students the opportunity to gain an understanding of the minimum assessment standards undertaken in every unit of each qualification. Day two started with an informative presentation from sponsor Jyri Kaapro on the industry’s biggest pest problem (sting nematodes) highlighting the importance of monitoring populations from spring through summer which was emphasised using statistics from recent field work conducted in Sydney. This was followed by an update from Skills Impact industry engagement manager
Kate Vanson who advised of the processes involved in the recent curriculum review and the Joyce Review of the VET Sector, which was well received by industry partners. The NTEWG meeting saw excellent attendance from both the state and national industry associations, as well as TAFE institutes. The meeting aimed to strengthen industry ties with TAFE colleges, with the aim to focus on increased funding for training across Australia and the endorsement of assessment strategies following institute review. It was particularly pleasing to have Daimon Jones representing the Sports Turf Association in South Australia. Our next meeting is planned as part of the Asia Pacific Turfgrass Conference in Melbourne on Monday 22 June, 2020. For more information regarding training, please contact your local TAFE college or either NTEWG co-chairs Albert Sherry (albert. sherry@tafensw.edu.au or 02 4936 0215) or Hugh Gardner (hughg@hume.vic.gov.au or 0418 245 557)
JIMMY CORRELL COMMITTEE, STA ACT
NTEWG
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ports turf management educators from across the country converged on the Canberra Institute of Technology for the 16th National Sports Turf Validation Meeting in early December. Congratulations to Bruce Davies, John Ellis and Gary Dawson who did a marvellous job hosting the event. Our industry is fortunate to have a truly national organisation which meets biannually to discuss all matters relating to turf education – the National Turf Education Working Group (NTEWG). This group is made up of representatives of TAFE institutes delivering sports turf qualifications and industry representatives from state and national associations. The December meeting saw 40 delegates attending over two days, with all sectors represented. The latest meeting was a particularly important event due to the recent endorsement of the new Sports Turf Management Training Package. Discussions on delivery and timing of the new package will ensure a smooth transition and that training continues to meet the needs of the industry. Over the two-day event, institutes provided assessment and delivery strategies for 25 80
AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 22.1
ALBERT SHERRY CO-CHAIR, NTEWG