FOREWORD THINKING WITH MARK UNWIN, CEO
Resilience and recovery on display as floods hit hard
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CONFERENCE AND EDUCATION Looking ahead, the Australian Sports Turf Management Conference and Trade Exhibition in Melbourne (20-24 June) is well and truly
taking shape. This year promises to be a leading event, with the ASTMA co-hosting in conjunction with Golf Management Australia (GMA). Early indications of the prominence of the event and approach to combine education and trade exhibitions is proving to be very popular. We have already seen a record number of Early Bird registrations for both sports turf managers and general managers, while the trade show has virtually sold out some four months ahead of the event. The conference program this year features a range of local turf managers, industry experts, turf practitioners, updates and workshops relating to research and keynote speakers covering topics such as business management and health and wellbeing. Just recently we announced the first major keynote presenters including NRL supercoach Craig Bellamy, Paralympian Dr Jessica Gallagher, leadership and communication expert Dr Louise Mahler and social researcher and trend forecaster Michael McQueen. Conference week kicks off on the Monday with the hosting of the Toro-sponsored ASTMA Golf Championship. We are delighted to be holding our premier golf event at Huntingdale Golf Club this year and wish to thank the club and long-serving superintendent Michael Freeman for their hospitality. The golf championship dovetails into that evening’s Syngenta President’s Dinner which
Recovering from major flood events is a mammoth undertaking. It is important that sports turf managers reach out for advice and assistance relating to the available support measures that are in place
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AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 24.2
PHOTO: DEAN HARDMAN/INDOOROOPILLY GC
s this issue of Australian Turfgrass Management Journal goes to print, many turf managers continue to experience a devastating start to 2022. Extreme rainfall events have led to repeated widespread flooding across large parts of south east Queensland and northern New South Wales, while those on the coast further south haven’t been spared the impacts either. Our thoughts go out to the crews dealing with these events, especially those who are having to deal with multiple flood events in as many months. ASTMA editor Brett Robinson visited a number of clubs in Brisbane and the Gold Coast in early March to get an understanding of the impact and widespread nature of the challenges facing superintendents and turf managers. The images and stories from those visits, which are featured prominently in this edition, tell a tremendous story – the challenges faced in the wake of the flood waters receding, the incredible resilience of turf management teams when faced with such adversity and the generous support of the industry to assist colleagues in a time of need. AGCSATech agronomists Bruce Macphee and Tim Fankhauser have also been working through assistance calls and advice for members who have been impacted. They have also published information to assist flood-affected facilities get their turf surfaces back into play as soon as possible in addition to highlighting some of the likely long-term implications floods can have agronomically. Recovering from such events is a mammoth undertaking and I encourage clubs and sports turf managers in need of assistance or advice relating to available support measures to contact the association. We are here to help.
includes the National Turf Industry Awards. Nominations for the various award categories are currently open and I encourage all members to nominate those in the industry who they feel are worthy of recognition for their achievements. Working through the awards, in particular the ASTMA Graduate of the Year nominations, consistently encourages me about the future of our industry, with a host of strong graduates regularly nominated by the state associations. These discussions, though, continue to highlight an area of concern in relation to the volume of apprentices being skilled and the challenges our industry faces in continuing to support, deliver and provide quality education. Education remains a key priority for the association and supporting the requirement for training and access to developing skills in all areas of Australia. While there are some common issues nationally, there are localised issues and challenges that are prevalent within some states. We continue to work through supporting members and the industry and it is a priority we remain committed to advocate for. The recent federal Budget announcements, specifically relating to the continued support for apprentices, was another piece of good news for the industry. The government announcing billions in funding to help tradies complete their apprenticeships and to reward employers for hiring them, will assist greatly in addressing the need to continue developing and filling apprenticeship positions across the industry. We continue to be challenged in workforce attrition and staff retention and an increase in the volume of apprenticeships remains a critical component to the long-term viability of the industry. The association has engaged with the Department of Education, Skills and Employment over the past 18 months to ensure that sports turf management qualifications remain on the Australian Apprenticeship Priority List. Supported by our work on various state and federal apprenticeship advisory panels, we will continue this work to advocate for the retention of the sports turf management apprenticeship on this list as it is revised in the months ahead. We’re hoping to have further announcements and updates in relation to this, and on support for education, at the conference in June. Finally, it has been great to see the return of a number of state association events in recent months. I was fortunate to attend and present at the NSW assistant superintendent day as well as head across to the GCSAWA’s Margaret River Conference. It was great to see members of the industry continuing their education and reconnecting with colleagues at these events which are so vital to the health of the industry.