Cradle to Coastlines – June 2021

Page 18

Protecting and enhancing our region’s natural resources

Coconut found on Three Hummock Island!

June 2021

cradle to coastlines

cradle to coastlines in this issue Page 3 TassieCat at Agfest Page 4 NRM Strategy update Page 5 Anna Wind - 25 years

Giant Freshwater Page 6 Crayfish Field Tour

5

Cropping farmers Page 8 covering up

6

Page 9 Beach Clean-ups Coastal Saltmarsh Page 10 Field Day Page 12 Remote NRM Page 13 Small reserves Page 14 Rice Grass

10

8

Page 16 Three Hummock Island

13

Travellers on ocean Page 18 currents Page 19 Red Map Page 20 Favolaschia calocera

General Biodiversity Page 22 Duty Page 23 Weed Action Fund

20

16 Front cover: Coconut found on Three Hummock Island. (Image: Iona Flett)

1-3 Spring St, Burnie Tasmania 7320 03 6433 8400 www.cradlecoast.com www.facebook.com/CradleCoastNRM/

TassieCat at Agfest 2021 Agfest was back in the paddock this year! Because of

COVID-restrictions,

visitor

numbers

the were

capped at 10,000 a day and Agfest was turned into a

four-day

might

have

event.

There

been

fewer

visitors, but everybody was excited

the

event

was

back.

TassieCat had a display in the tent of the Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water

and

Environment.

TassieCat display at Agfest.

Our taxidermy cat drew a

Throughout the four days

lot of attention and turned

we

Margot Oorebeek, the Cat

out

Management

conversation

Coordinator

for the Cradle Coast region,

to

be

a

great starter.

Mandatory

desexing

of

had

some

conversations

about

great cat

management with farmers

cats and thereby reducing

and cat owners alike and

managed the display on

the number of abandoned

were encouraged by the

Wednesday and Thursday

cats was the topic of the

positive responses to the

and was extremely lucky to have two clear and sunny days, something unheard of in Agfest history!

day, while many farmers were

also

interested

know

how

they

better

manage

their property.

to

could

cats

on

amendments to the Cat Management Act 2009 that were

introduced

last

March.

If you would like to know more about the changes to the Cat Management Act 2009 visit:

www.tassiecat.com/legislation

p. 3

New Cradle Coast Natural Resource Management Strategy Every five years, Cradle Coast Authority reviews and develops a new strategy to guide our NRM work in the region and a new one is under development now. There are a few differences in our approach to this process.

For the first time all three NRM bodies in Tasmania (NRM North, NRM South and Cradle Coast Authority) are working together to revise our plans using a common state-wide framework; a first in Australia we are told.

The draft strategies are being written now with

We have agreed to use an “asset-based” approach across the state, where Land, Water and Biodiversity provide the main themes. The strategy is also being developed with some additional key considerations in mind (see infographic) including sustainable use and benefit, addressing key risks and developing resilience, encouraging partnerships and participation and including self-determined priorities from the Aboriginal community across Land, Sea and Sky Country in our region.

forward to sharing the draft strategy with you

State

Government,

Australian

Government and key state-wide and regional stakeholders.

When drafted, the new strategies will be circulated

for

wider

comment

from

community groups and the public. We look in the spring of 2021 and making plans for how we can work together with partners to achieve the best NRM outcomes for our region from 2022.

Aboriginal Land, Sea and Sky Country

Risk management + resilience building

Partnering + collaboration

p. 4

B I O D I V E R S I T Y

Sustainable use + benefit

W A T E R

Another feature is that the new strategy will be focused on outcomes that can be delivered by the NRM organisations and where we can have an influence, rather than including all possible NRM work across the region that others may be better placed to deliver.

experts,

L A N D

Our work will be framed around a group of state-wide asset classes covering areas such as rivers, floodplains and estuaries; wetlands and other water bodies; coastal and marine areas; soils and vegetation; resilient landscapes; threatened and important species and ecological communities and important biodiversity areas.

inputs from recognised state-wide technical

Anna Wind - 25 years of caring for our coasts Our coastal and community stalwart of 25 years and great friend Anna Wind is retiring from Cradle Coast Authority (CCA) at the end of June this year.

Anna currently works part-time helping to deliver our coastal saltmarsh protection and Rice Grass control projects and coordinates and drives the production of this quarterly Cradle to Coastlines newsletter, among many other things!

She has a long and valued legacy of putting community groups, schools and coastal issues on the agenda in our region from supporting community NRM training and grants, to delivering Kids Teaching Kids Conferences, and coordinating Little Penguin education and protection activities across the region.

Anna first joined Tasmania’s West North West Councils in 1996, which later became the CCA, as a Coastcare Facilitator, establishing Coastcare Groups. She has worked as an NRM Facilitator, NRM Facilitator Team Leader, Coastal and Marine Facilitator, a Coastal Coordinator and an Environment Project Coordinator and has always been a conduit for the community to raise their local concerns, share their good news stories and provide input into CCA future focus.

Anna will be sorely missed within our organisation as chief social club organiser, an enthusiastic and encouraging colleague and for her candid critique of bad process. But most importantly as a good friend.

Anna celebrated 15 years of continuous employment at Cradle Coast Authority in May this year, our longest serving employee!

Best wishes for your retirement Anna and thank you from all of us at CCA. If you would like to wish Anna well or share any memories of your experience with Anna please send them via hsadler@cradlecoast.com.

Anna has been a mentor and great font of knowledge for so many past and present natural resource management staff. As a straight-talking yet generous and passionate coastal advocate she has delivered some great projects and raised the profile of our coastal values across the Cradle Coast region.

CCA Environment Project Coordinator, Anna Wind.

p. 5

Giant Freshwater Crayfish Field Tour

Fiona Marshall, Project Coordinator with Cradle Coast Authority discussing riverbank vegetation and buffer zones on the Inglis River.

It was great weather for the Giant Freshwater

We heard from the landholder about the

Crayfish,

challenges and benefits.

but

not

so

pleasant

for

the

participants that braved the storms on 24 There were also presentations including live

March to look at a couple of properties that

animals from crayfish expert, Todd Walsh and

have undertaken or are about to start river

we heard of the benefits of conservation

rehabilitation works in our priority crayfish

covenants from Dr Helen Morgan from

project catchments.

Tasmanian Land Conservancy. It was great to see such good recovery with a change in

The first property we visited had undertaken

land management and the presence of

fencing and revegetation back in 2007,

dead logs and timber in the River, protecting

creating a great vegetated buffer between

the toe of banks and providing food and

the Inglis River and their cattle enterprise.

habitat for the Giant Freshwater Crayfish.

p. 6

Todd Walsh discussing habitat requirements for the Giant Freshwater Crayfish on site at Lapoinya.

Todd Walsh discussing the life cycle of a mature crayfish at Moorleah Hall.

At the second site at Lapoinya, we discussed

A further Giant Freshwater Crayfish Field Day

the proposed fencing and revegetation

is planned for 2022.

works planned for the site. We looked at the importance of the right sort of bed material in

This project is supported by CCA through

the stream and the need to limit erosion and

funding from the Australian Government’s

sedimentation

to

protect

the

National Landcare Program.

Giant

Freshwater Crayfish.

You can find out more about the Giant The morning finished up at the Moorleah Hall

Freshwater Crayfish project here:

with lunch and discussion about crayfish and

www.cradlecoast.com/giant_freshwater_cray

their environmental needs.

fish_recovery/

p. 7

Central Coast cropping farmers covering up It’s best to establish the cover by Easter (April), and remove it to prepare for the next cash crop soon after tax time (July). This allows plenty of lead time for the cropping rotation, and allows for unexpected weather, breakdowns, or a much-needed holiday. It is wise to not let your cover crop grow above knee height, and remove before flowering.

Following on from recent “Across the Paddock” sessions, a team of Central Coast cropping farmers have jumped on board to road test a “keep it simple” program that fits nicely between cash crops, to reduce the risk of soil erosion during Autumn.

Through the Protecting our Productive Soils program, a variety of commercial-scale paddock demonstration trails have been established to fine-tune a four species cover crop mix, providing fast root development that penetrates and spreads within days of germination. These root systems not only hold the topsoil but some produce nodules that fix nitrogen, one of the many positive outcomes gained that improve soil health.

Discussions with contractors who are on the front line confirm that soil structure has notably improved where cover crops have been used. Also, there is more even moisture infiltration, which is ideal should a major rainfall event occur. Working the soil is also easier, so machinery does not have to work so hard - a fuel saving. And there is more… contact Ali on adugand@cradlecost.com for the latest, and to get involved.

Timing is everything! Working with contractors, agronomists and farmers, we have developed a guide explaining the best times for different activities.

This project is supported by CCA through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program.

Timing is everything!

p. 8

Beach clean-ups around our region

Some of the plastics found on Burnie Main Beach.

Above (top): Potatoes at Camdale Beach.

Above (below): Volunteers at Buttons Beach, Ulverstone.

Throughout April and May, Conservation Volunteers Australia (CVA) ran 15 community clean-ups on Tasmania’s north coast between Devonport and Somerset.

Nearly 50% of the plastics pieces are cigarette butts. There is some good news, of the beaches surveyed for microplastics, they found them present on only one – Burnie Main Beach. The strangest find had to be the hundreds of potatoes washed up on Camdale Beach.

37 wonderful volunteers and some CCA staff helped them to collect over 240 kgs of rubbish from our stunning beaches, preventing it from reaching the ocean and Great Southern Reef beyond. They picked up thousands of pieces of rubbish, and found that 79% is plastic.

CVA would like to thank everyone who came out to help, rain or shine. They couldn’t have done it without you!

p. 9

Conservation of Coastal Saltmarsh Field Day Anna Wind from CCA and Sue Jennings from the Circular Head Landcare Group gave a lively session on managing Rice Grass.

Eric Woehler from Birdlife Tasmania spoke about the importance of a healthy saltmarsh on the lives of migratory and local shorebirds and warned that the overall bird count across a number of species is in decline.

John Thompson and John Dennett finished with an update on CLT’s activities concerning the current roll out of the new Tasmanian Planning Scheme, which through the new Landscape Conservation Zone (LCZ) can now offer full and complete protection against mining and extractive industries – a first for Tasmania. Those activities include making submissions on behalf of covenanted landholders, attending each Commission hearing and making representations as well as meeting with the Minister.

Left to Right: Helen Morgan (TLC), Mike Thomson, Regional NRM Manager, Anna Wind, Environment Project Coordinator, Sue Jennings, (CHLC), Gail Dennett (CLT), Fiona Marshall, Agriculture Project Coordinator.

Forty participants attended this full and enlightening event organised by Conservation Landholders Tasmania, in collaboration with CCA in March.

The participants included landholders with existing covenants as well as local landholders with conservation properties.

Various professionals working in and amongst the extensive north-west saltmarshes attended, as did interested members of the public.

CCA’s Mike and Fiona both spoke on the day about our projects and about the current threats to saltmarsh. Helen Morgan, ecologist from Tasmanian Land Conservancy, followed with an informative session on conservation covenants and the important part they play in bringing about perpetual conservation on private land.

A very successful day finished with a drive to the saltmarshes where Sue Jennings donned her gumboots and stood in the mud to lead a spirited discussion and demonstration of her Landcare group’s great work over the years.

Article provided by John Dennett, Co-Chair Conservation Landholders Tasmania.

The Circular Head coastal area is special because Robbins Passage – Boullanger Bay has the largest wetland complex in Tasmania (28,000 ha) and is the shorebird capital of Tasmania. More than 20 species of transcontinental

migratory

waders

fly

to

this

significant feeding habitat every year. Coastal Saltmarsh,

a

threatened

ecological

community, covers 1300 ha of this coastal area.

It

also

provides

habitat

for

our

threatened resident shorebird, the Hooded Plover.

p. 10

Cradle Coast Authority's NRM team are working on a Regional Landcare Partnerships project to protect coastal

saltmarsh

partnership

with

by

controlling

Circular

Rice

Head

Grass,

Landcare

in and

establishing Conservation Covenants, in partnership with Tasmanian Land Conservancy. You can learn more about the Coastal Saltmarsh Recovery in Robbins Passage

and

Surrounds

project

here:

www.cradlecoast.com/cca/natural-resourcemanagement/our-projects/

2021 Rice Grass statistics Circular Head Circular Head Landcare successfully coordinated Rice Grass control at Circular Head this season and treated 833 ha.

Volunteers walked 77 kms of coastline to search for and spray isolated Rice Grass plants and tallied 254 volunteer hours.

Contractors sprayed large Rice Grass clumps and meadows.

Rubicon This season, Rice Grass follow-up treatment was

done

treatment

at

Narawntapu

began

at

North

NP.

Initial

East

Arm,

Squeaking Point, Thompson’s Creek and Panatana Rivulet. The total area treated was 424 ha.

p. 11

Sue Jennings of Circular Head Landcare discussing the Rice Grass removal in the Duck Estuary.

Remote NRM Two wild projects happen every year on lutruwita/Tasmania’s remote south-west coast. Both projects are remarkable for the complicated logistics and commitment required, and noteworthy because of the difference they are making to the environment in one of the most inaccessible parts of our region.

SPRATS (Sea sPurge Remote Area TeamS) is a group of Wildcare volunteers that have been working with PWS for the last 15 years. Their aim has been to remove Sea Spurge, Marram Grass and Blackberry from the coastline of the Tasmanian Wilderness Word Heritage Area (TWWHA) and adjacent areas of the west coast.

Since 2007, with an input of $325 000 of state and federal funds, SPRATS have contributed $2.19 m worth of volunteer labour, walking and kayaking along around 425 km of remote coastline and mapping strategic sections between Macquarie Harbour and Cockle Creek.

In the last year, volunteers removed an incredible 53 772 Sea Spurge plants, which highlights both the scale of the problem, and the impressive power of volunteer action.

To find out more about SPRATS and get involved visit: www.wildcaretas.org.au/branches/wildcaresprats/

Broken plastic pieces collected from remote coastline of south-west Tasmania. (Image: Ula Majewski)

In other news involving HUGE numbers, Team Clean is another volunteer group focused on the remote south-west World Heritage Area coastline of Tasmania, partly within the Cradle Coast NRM region, and partly in NRM South’s domain. During their recent South West Marine Debris Cleanup, they collected, counted and classified 95,006 pieces of marine debris.

This is the second-highest number of plastic pieces collected in the project's 21 year history.

To find out more visit: www.whamarinedebris.blogspot.com/ and Team Clean on Facebook, www.facebook.com/teamcleantas

Aerial image of Team Clean volunteers, SW Tasmania. (Image: Matt Dell)

p. 12

The Importance of Small Reserves Small natural reserves may be well-valued by local neighbours for their shady greenery or quiet walking trails, but they offer a lot more than that to our local native biodiversity.

Dr Sarah Lloyd from the Central North Field Naturalists (www.disjunctnaturalists.com/i ndex.htm) has recently produced a beautiful and compact booklet on the importance of small reserves in northern Tasmania, highlighting the diverse, colourful and strange creatures which inhabit our local reserves and how they interrelate.

Although large reserves may have more ecological benefits, small reserves are also very important.

However, to keep small reserves viable and maintain species diversity, it’s important to protect or restore connections in the landscape. The 40 hectare wet forest reserve at French's Road near Wynyard, the 2.6 hectare eucalypt remnant at Reid Street Reserve in Ulverstone and the 70 hectare grassy eucalypt forest at Brushy Rivulet near

A Scarlet Robin. (Image: Dr Sarah Lloyd)

p.13

Westbury are all crucial to the

survival

of

many

different species. Copies of the booklet are available free to pick-up from Cradle Coast

Authority

during

business hours or contact hsadler@cradlecoast.com for

alternative

arrangements. electronic

For

version

of

an the

booklet please email the Central Naturalists

North

Field at

disjunctnaturalists@googlegr oups.com

Rice Grass projects in the Cradle Coast Region There are two Rice Grass removal projects to protect Coastal Saltmarsh currently underway in the region.

Circular Head Coastal Saltmarsh Project Rice Grass (Spartina anglica) was purposely planted in the Duck River in the 1950’s to stabilise the banks and improve the visual amenity

of

mudflats.

Rice

Grass

is

an

aggressive aquatic weed that clogs up waterways and displaces native Coastal Saltmarsh. It prevents resident and migratory shorebirds from feeding and reduces access to boat ramps and oyster leases.

Spraying is scheduled during low tide events and is dependent on favourable weather conditions, and this summer was wet and windy.

With access to Rice Grass across mudflats also an

issue,

challenge.

spraying

certainly

presents

a

A one-week harvest closure needs to be negotiated with Oyster farmers before spraying takes place. This year, March was the big spray week with weed contractors using 4WD trucks with long hoses, quad bikes and knapsacks.

The dedicated Circular Head Landcare Group found early morning low tides often had low winds. They walked 77 kms of coastline, totalling 364 hours of volunteer time, looking for and spraying small Rice Grass outliers.

In total, 123 kms of coast, covering 833 hectares was treated between December to March during the 2020/2021 Rice Grass spraying season, an incredible effort.

This project is supported by Cradle Coast Authority, through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program.

p. 14

Rubicon Rice Grass Project Rice Grass has invaded more than 660 ha of

Initial weed treatment commenced at North

intertidal mudflats in the Rubicon – Port Sorell

East Arm, Brown’s Creek, Squeaking Point,

Estuary.

Thompsons

This

is

now

the

second

largest

infestation in Australia. Rice Grass control has been underway since 1996. The objective of the Rice Grass Management Plan is to reduce and contain the Rice Grass infestation and create a Rice Grass free zone (north of Squeaking Point to Eagle Point).

Even

though

wet

and

windy

weather

hampered the Rice Grass program this season from February to April, the total area treated was more than 424 ha, exceeding our annual target of 405 ha.

Weed

contractors

completed

follow-up

Creek

and

Panatana

Rivulet

(Muddy Creek). Rice Grass control was slow and difficult due to large infestations in creeks and access required through private property.

A trial weed treatment of 0.8 ha of a Rice Grass meadow has commenced at Finger Point in the Rubicon Estuary to monitor sediment movement.

Rice Grass interpretation signs have now been installed at Bakers Beach, Squeaking Point and Port Sorell boat ramps to explain why Rice Grass is a threat to the estuary and the values of saltmarsh, mudflats and seagrass.

treatment at Narawntapu National Park and reported a high kill rate of 90% plus from last season spraying.

This project received Australian Government.

funding

from

the

Iona Flett measuring Rice Grass meadow, Rubicon Estuary, for weed treatment.

p. 15

What’s happening on Three Hummock Island?

In early April, a group of eight people descended on beautiful Three Hummock Island. Some were there to work on CCA’s Creating a Hooded Plover Stronghold project, some to sample sediment, and some to work on planning cultural burns and check out the island’s yula (mutton bird, or Short-tailed Shearwater) population.

Our Hooded Plover Stronghold project is progressing well, with an array of wildlife cameras now monitoring cat activity over the shearwater fledging season. We’re all set for the next stages of the project: feral cat The field trip team with the island managers (Left to right: Simon, Colin, Jarrod, Iona, Matt, Jesse, Ray, Roy and Taylor)

control and Sea Spurge removal, planned for this winter.

East Telegraph Beach

p. 16

Ray Turnbull in Rendezvous Swamp (Image: Simon Haberle)

Researchers from Australian National University and UTas have been looking at sediment cores from several Bass Strait Islands over the past few years. Contained within these sediments are fragments of charcoal that allow the scientists to reconstruct the fire history of the local environment, and also pollen grains, that show the changes to the vegetation over time. The Three Hummock Island work will hopefully tell us how frequently the vegetation was burnt in the past. This information can be used to give us a better understanding of past fire regimes, and may also help to inform fire management practices in the future.

Three PWS Aboriginal employees also joined the field trip. They were there to work on a plan for burning the island in a culturally appropriate way, to maintain access to the Island’s resources, and protect the shearwater colonies from the risk of a highintensity unplanned bushfire. There are lots of important Aboriginal cultural sites around the coast of Three Hummock Island, including living places and rock engravings, demonstrating that Aboriginal people have been visiting and living on the island for thousands of years. Aboriginal Rangers from PWS and community are continuing this connection here on Three Hummock Island.

p. 17

Travellers on ocean currents The Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) and the State Government are investigating ways to control the invasive pest including by;

Thanks to a certain kids’ movie a few years ago, most of us have heard about the East Australian Current, that moves warm tropical water down the east coast of Australia.

Travellers on the current include tropical and subtropical fish and invertebrates, which can sometimes become established in a new home further south.

a biological approach such as the rebuilding and translocation of lobster stocks; market-based strategies such as subsidies and the development of new domestic and overseas markets; and

Iona recently made an interesting find on a beach on Three Hummock Island off northwest Tasmania – a coconut! It would be fascinating to know which current took this tropical seed to a Tasmanian coastline.

a physical approach that includes divers smashing and harvesting the pest.

It’s estimated that Tasmania’s east coast seas are warming at rates 3 to 4 times the global average.

Warm currents move down both sides of Tasmania (Image: CSIRO)

As our oceans heat up due to the effects of global warming, species that would not previously have been able to survive Tasmania's cold winter temperatures are now able to establish themselves in Tasmania's waters and compete with our temperate species.

The Long Spined Sea Urchin (Centrostephanus rodgersii) is a nasty example of the impact of such incursions. Over the last 40 years, as waters off Tasmania have warmed, the urchins have travelled southwards from their native habitat in New South Wales and become established on Tasmania’s east coast. Once established on a reef, the urchins graze on kelp and other marine plants, forming bare patches called 'barrens'.

Overgrazing can completely denude the reef of all seaweed, and impact all the other species that live within and rely upon it.

Coconut on Three Hummock Island.

p. 18

Red map - help monitor changes in marine distribution There is a citizen science project which invites Australians to share sightings of marine species that are ‘uncommon’ to their local seas. ‘Redmap’ stands for Range Extension Database and Mapping project.

Over time, Redmap will use this ‘citizen science’ data to map which Australian marine species may be extending their range – a.k.a moving house - in response to changes in the marine environment, such as ocean warming.

Fishers, snorkelers and beach dwellers are asked to spot, log and map interesting and unusual marine species and help identify changes in the distribution of species.

To find out more about this great project, how you can get involved in logging your own sightings and what to look out for, visit: www.redmap.org.au/region/tas/

p. 19

Introduced fungi, Favolaschia calocera, spreads across the region If you’ve been out looking for fungi this autumn, you may have come across a very distinctive, bright orange species with big obvious pores on the undersides of its caps.

This is an introduced species called Favolaschia calocera, the Orange Pore Fungus, or Orange Ping Pong Bats.

Ecologists in Tasmania are worried about the spread of Orange Pore Fungus around the state, since it is very easily spread, is appearing more and more often, and it may out-compete native species of fungi.

F. calocera is native to Asia and Madagascar, but it is now widespread in Europe and New Zealand, with records from Queensland and around Melbourne too. It’s easily spread because of a quirk in its biology that allows individual reproductive spores to grow into fertile fruiting bodies on their own (whereas most fungal spores need to grow into a primary mycelium that meets another mycelium of the same species before combining to form a fruiting body). This means that any human or wallaby that ambles close to a colony can pick up and transfer spores on their clothes, boots or fur. It may even be wind-spread.

If you see Orange Pore Fungus in the Cradle Coast, or elsewhere in Tasmania, you can help map its spread by reporting your sighting in iNaturalist, and by letting the administrators of the Tasmanian Fungi Facebook Group know. The map below shows the locations that have been reported to the group over the past few years.

If you see Orange Pore Fungus in the Cradle Coast, or elsewhere in Tasmania, you can help map its spread by reporting your sighting in iNaturalist, and by letting the administrators of the Tasmanian Fungi Facebook Group know. The map below shows the locations that have been reported to the group over the past few years.

Non-native species are one of the biggest threats to natural systems and biodiversity.

Fungal diseases like Chytrid, Phytophthera and Mucor (platypus fungal disease) are recognised as extremely serious threats to the values of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. Orange Pore Fungus spreads in a similar way, and our response to all these diseases can be the same: better bush hygiene!

Favolaschia calcoera sites recorded across the Cradle Coast by members of the Tasmanian Fungi Facebook Group.

p. 20

To help slow the spread of F. calocera and other fungal and plant invaders, we can all follow some important biosecurity steps:

Check. Clean. Disinfect. Dry. Usually, cleaning and drying your clothes and boots carefully after visiting an infected area will be enough. But if you travel between sites in one day, you can use a disinfectant like F10 or methylated spirits to treat your equipment.

See NRM South’s information sheet for more details.

Thank you to Dave James, Dydee Mann, Charlie

Price,

Genevieve

Elaine

Gates

McDonald for

and

compiling

Dr this

information and contributing to this article.

FOUR STEPS TO FRESHWATER HYGIENE CHECK Thoroughly CHECK your waders, footwear, equipment, boats and vehicles for mud, soil, algae and plant material before you arrive at or leave each location.

Any footwear, equipment or vehicles that have been exposed to water, soil and vegetation from contaminated sites pose a risk.

CLEAN CLEAN your waders, footwear, equipment, boats and vehicles by scrubbing in local or town water before you leave each location.

Ensure that all mud, soil and debris is removed and left on site.

DISINFECT In remote areas, where completely drying footwear and equipment is not possible, DISINFECT by spraying with F10 solution (or for absorbent materials, soaking and scrubbing for at least one minute).

DRY Before use at another location, completely DRY all waders, footwear, equipment, boats and vehicles.

p. 21

Background images; Pg. 20 - Elaine McDonald, Pg 21. Dydee Mann

Introducing the General Biosecurity Duty You may have heard that the General Biosecurity Duty (also known as the GBD) recently came into effect here in Tasmania. What are the important things you need to know about the GBD? We asked Biosecurity Tasmania’s Industry Collaboration Manager – Ryan Wilkinson, to explain…

The What?

The How?

Tasmania’s Biosecurity Act 2019 (the Act) places an emphasis on shared responsibilities and the need for all levels of government, industry and the community to work together to help protect Tasmania’s primary industries, economy, environment and our way of life from the harmful impacts of pests, weeds and diseases

For many people, their knowledge and understanding of biosecurity risks, and their preparedness to manage those risks, is already an integral and important part of their routine activities. The GBD formalises those related practices and actions.

If individuals are following and complying with existing biosecurity legislation, regulations, guidelines, codes, policies and processes then they are likely to be meeting their GBD obligations in most cases, but not always.

A key element of the Act is the GBD which means that everyone now officially has a role to play in protecting primary industries and our unique environment from biosecurity risks.

The Who?

The GBD provides an extra level of biosecurity protection to ensure that all foreseeable biosecurity risks, whether or not they are covered by specific requirements or guidelines, are appropriately managed.

The GBD applies to everyone!

Industry, government, and members of the public (including visitors to Tasmania) now have a duty to take all reasonable and practicable measures to manage biosecurity risks when dealing with any biosecurity matter or carrier (see definitions at the web link below).

The current focus for BT is making sure the Tasmanian community is well informed about the GBD, what it means for them and how they can meet their obligations.

This is the start of a long journey and BT will be talking about the GBD for the months and years to come.

This doesn’t mean that everyone has to be a biosecurity expert, however it is important to understand and manage, or minimise, to the best of our ability, the biosecurity risks that apply to our industries, businesses, workplaces and outdoor leisure activities.

p. 22

Where to go for more information?

The Biosecurity Tasmania website (www.dpipwe.tas.gov.au/GBD) provides overview information about the GBD and examples of how simple and practical everyday actions can help everyone meet their GBD obligations.

Staying connected is another important way to keep up to date on important biosecurity developments in Tasmania. You can do that by following BT on Facebook and/or by subscribing to the Biosecurity Advisory service. www.biosecurityadvisory.dpipwe.tas.gov.au/Pages /Subscribe.aspx.

Weed Action Fund The Large Grant Round of Weed Action Fund Display planter box at 14 days post seeding.

CCA have partnered with NRM North and

is now closed but please continue to let our

NRM South to deliver Stage Two of the fund

team know if you have any strategic weed

over the next three years, the fund will be

control project in mind which would deliver

available state-wide. Please contact Hannah

exceptional

Sadler

productive

or

environmental

outcomes.

for five years from 2018/19. The funds provided by the WAF will be invested with farmers and community that

information

via

Nominated weed, African love grass (Eragrostis curvula) is generally unpalatable, produces copious seed, and can rapidly spread over and dominate degraded pastures.

$5 million State Government initiative, funded

weeds

more

hsadler@cradlecoast.com.

The Tasmanian Weeds Action Fund (WAF) is a

other

for

are

organisations impacting

to

tackle

valuable

agricultural and environmental assets.

p. 23

Events and activities what

Who and more info

when

Reconciliation Week 2021-

We all have a role to play when it comes to reconciliation, and in playing our part we collectively build relationships and communities that value Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, histories, cultures, and futures.

Friday 27 May to Sunday 3 June 2021

More than a word, reconciliation takes action

Visit www.nrw.reconciliation.org.au/ to find out more.

World Environment Day

Reimagine. Recreate. Restore.

Saturday, 5 June 2021

www.worldenvironmentday.global/

World Oceans Day

One Ocean, One Climate, One Future – Together

Tuesday, 8 June 2021

www.worldoceanday.org/

Plastic Free July

Join millions of people reducing their plastic waste.

July 2021

www.plasticfreejuly.org/

Central Coast Region - Vegetable Industry Network Event

New technologies, trial result updates, education and awareness, extension opportunities, reduced till inter-row weeding technology and more…

Friday, 6 August 2021

Contact Ali Dugand for more information: adgand@cradlecoast.com

Understanding Soils: Road to Net Zero webinar series

Farmers for Climate Action, 4 part webinar series.

Online - anytime!

Each webinar is recorded so can be viewed anytime. More information can be found here: www.farmersforclimateaction.org.au/portfolio/und erstandings-soils-pt-4/

1-3 Spring St, Burnie, Tasmania, 7320 03 6433 8400 www.cradlecoast.com www.facebook.com/CradleCoastNRM/