Welcome to a summary of news in July relevant to Northern Australia (NN#4). These clips aim to facilitate cross-sector knowledge sharing across Northern Australia and touch on local to national topics relevant to Kimberley to Cape’s goals including sustainable development, land and water management and conservation. They’re a ‘’round up’’ rather than hot off the press, and what comes across my desk rather than a systematic collection,so sincere apologies for any major omissions- pls do send these in, and any other relevant items!Please let me know what you think and what you’d like more/less of. Cheers Clare, Coordinator, Kimberley to Cape

Northern Australian NewsRoundup -July 2015

Pan Northern

  • Agricultural competitiveness white papercommits to developing and safeguarding the North from biosecurity risks,via $100M for biosecurity surveys (of $200M total) and $12.4M for Indigenous ranger groups to assist with surveys, as well as via drought and tax concessions. It adds to the water infrastructure/dams emphasis in the NA white paper bringing this fund to $500M total($200M of which was announced in the NA white paper for investigation of Mitchell Rv(Qld), WKimberley and Darwin region + ec feasibility studies for Nullinga and Ord Stage 3). More on Qld producer benefits and NT media
  • Developing the North WP - NLC head calls for re-think of Northern Development(morehere and here), Chinese business leader suggests the North is a land of treasure and we need to make the most of it... ‘’full exploitation and development can bring benefits to Australia and China”,mining moves to dining, JCU head says north is key to economic security across the worlds tropics, ABC Counterpoint discussion,Crikey essayand WPvision in a picture
  • New paper on the demography of developing the North suggests unlikely to achieve WPpopulation aspirations, and highlights increasing dependence on externally sourced labour and need to attract women
  • Survey of >2000 N Aust employersJul14-Apr15 shows strong recruitment in Darwin but deteriorating labour markets in Townsville, Cairns, Mackay and Rockhampton. Also strong recruitment Outback NT, Outback Qld and Kimberley due mainly to staff turnover
  • $142M Natn Enviro Science Program’s research priorities inc Northern Australian priorities -$23.8M over 6yrs science to underpin development - available here or see end of email.
  • International perspective on developing rangelands
  • Arnhem Land’sGarma Festival theme is Build your Future and Strengthen your Lives more here
  • Key presentations at recent Developing Northern Australia conference available online in 2-3 weeks (comment fromAssoc for Sustainability in Business,Townsville Enterprise CEO andDefence)
  • New live cattle export agreement with China (positive commentary from eg Kimberley manager , Qld industry, NTCA, live export forum ,tho caution from major exporter)
  • Indonesian export quotas down (commentary from Beefcentral, , 2) and NT breaks records for cattle exports
  • Good background piece on beef boom here
  • New rpt on benefits of Indigenous Cultural and Natural Resource Management based on northeast Arnhem Land case study. More here
  • Lonely planet article on best Northern Aust Indigenous tourism experiences and new Tourism Australia 3min promo video on Indigenous tourism experiences
  • Aug-Oct weather outlook predicts less rainfall across the Northand hot build-up

State/Territory/Regional General News

  • Qld budget commits more than $400 million in funding to tourism, events and small business,and $180 in innovation, industry/research collaborations (commentary here)
  • Outback Qld enjoys high tourist numbers and outback small towns have the happiest people
  • Windlab scoping a 600MW wind and 600MW solar PV farm near Hughenden in the Gulfand Lyon a 26MW solar PV farm plus 5MWh battery system near Cook Town
  • Qld gov restores landholder and community rights to object to mining proposals, Mt Isa local tells of satisfaction of mining job, Cape York coal mine uncertain
  • Qld aquaculture enterprise wins award
  • Beef company to invest $200M in developing 15000ha of cotton using 150GL of water from Flinders
  • Deal signed between 2 beef giants to merge the back end of the industry with the front end
  • Grazing/agric camp for young people from Gulf and Cape York
  • Study finds collaborative governance (who decides what is done, and who is accountable for decisions) key to managing natural cultural values in the wet tropics,and governance features in Girrigun IPA story here
  • New JCU Innovation Centre planned for Cairns to turbo charge jobs innovation & development
  • 99yr township lease to be held byArnhem Land community entity (more here)

Chinese billionaire buys NT cattle stations for $47m

  • Mega prawn aquaculture project on NT/WA border awarded major project status
  • NT call to become seventh state by 2018 commentary from Garma leaders here
  • TOs ask gov to fix stand-off over future of Ranger uranium mine
  • Bush plum creating jobs in Wadeye and Katherine to produce food in town
  • Iconic natural NT landmarks to be captured by google streeview and in Chinese safari park
  • NT Gov puts up $1M prize for catching a barra
  • Nominations for NT NRM awards open until 28 Aug
  • Rhinehart buys iconic Fossil Downs station in the Kimberley, adding to her purchases of 50% stake in 2 other Fitzroy Rv properties earlier this year . Gina plans to give to northern charities
  • Rangelands NRM investing in Kimberley grazing management
  • 2012 report obtained by foi shows 60 viable and 32 unviable Kimberley pastoral properties
  • APT opens new pavilion at Mitchell Falls with all proceeds from its Indigenous art gallery going to the local Kandiwal community
  • Kimberley Indigenous rangers forum held and KLC opens new office
  • Social enterprise creating jobs in broome
  • Goldmining restarting in Halls Crk

Water

  • Northern prawn fishers warn against overallocation in Gulf Water plan
  • Ord debates continues with both struggles and expansion
  • Forrest with 30 unis explores upside down weirs to drought proof Australia starting with increasing irrigated fodder to 120ha on his Minderoo station. Details difficult to find (only general editorial here and info on Cloudbreak mine aquifer recharge here)
  • Push for Qld Fitzroy dams , concerns here and hope for dam west of Proserpine

Ferals, weeds& pests

Myrtle rust detected on Tiwi Islandsthreatening Eucalyptus, Callistemon &Melaleucaspp. & assoc eco services, biodiversity, forestry & nursery industriesetcin the NT+. Spores are dispersed by wind, water, people, animals, vehicles, equipment and impossible to eradicate.

  • New IUCN ‘Indigenous people and invasive species’ publication features several articles from Northern Australia
  • Revised feral cat threat abatement plan released which includes an action for a new Curiosity bait for northern australia
  • New app to record feral cat sightings and damage and cane toads and feral cats could be on the menu
  • Controlling feral pigs on CY isn’t a numbers game and baiting programs helping marine turtles
  • Kangaroo populations explode in western Qld
  • Qld landholders meet to tackle giant rat’s tail grass thats moving west, impacting cattle production and ‘worse than parthenium’
  • NT Neem management plan finalised
  • Parkinsonia biocontrol moth establishing in NT
  • WA mango industry at risk from fruit fly and radish flea beetle also recently found in Knx
  • New pineapple problem solver guide
  • NT biosecurity strategy 2015-2025 released for public commentuntil 7 sept

Biodiversity and Protected Areas

  • Synthesis article on Northern Australia’s vanishing mammals
  • Grantiella picta(painted honeyeater)and Mirafra javanica melvillensis(Horsfield’s bushlark (Tiwi Islands))listed as vulnerable under theEPBCAct effective 08/07/2015
  • CYNRM newsletter on CY peninsula’s Threatened species and 13 new species of spider found on CYP and more from Olkola bushblitz
  • Stones in crocs stomachs linked to dinosaurs and article on crocodile farming and fashion
  • Cassowary rehab centre closes

Bush Heritage offers 4x$500 awards to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander grade10–12 students interested conservation management careers

ARC grant to forecast the resilience of northern Australia’s freshwater fish

‘’Salt water Tales’’ app connects visitors to the Kimberley’s rich marine environment.

Fire and carbon

  • New book Carbon Accounting and Savanna Fire Managementbrings decade of work together more here
  • Kimberley pastoralist tired of arson after 5000ha fire
  • Remote sensing measuring carbon abatement in WA
  • Fire management helping mammals at Pungalina SanctuaryNT Gulf
  • Average but long fire season forecast for NT and fires affecting NT honey industry

July Focus

NESP $23.8M Northern Australian research priorities (note original wording here, below is my paraphrasing & categories)

Topic specific research: Better incorporate Indigenous knowledge in fire management and national carbon abatement planning; Develop cost effective methods to estimate changes in soil carbon; Identify high-priority areas for threatened species and ecosystems to better target investments and develop practical techniques to help threatened species; Identify actions to better manage waste and debris in remote locations; Demonstrate the benefits and constraints of landscape and river connectivity to better manage biodiversity; Determine the economic contribution of environmental resources across northern Australia to support policy and planning decisions.

Impact assessment: Determine the environmental impacts of natural stressors and current management practices to improve management; Identify biodiversity impacts of changed land and water use to improve management.

Supporting research: Identify critical knowledge gaps in our understanding of environmental resources to better prioritise investment; Demonstrate how to better measure environmental drivers, pressures, stressors and responses, accounting for remoteness and limited specialist skills. Include environmental accounting approaches; Identify evidence-based methods for assessing development impact; Develop spatially explicit tools to guide planning and management; (Promote?) participation of Indigenous people in environmental management, including Indigenous Protected Areas; Develop better capacityto predict ecosystem failure to improve planning and management.

Events

4-5 Aug Cape York Beef Cattle Producers Roundtable, Laura

19 Aug - 9 SepScience on the Broome Coast covers Kimberley stingers, film festival and

25-27 AugNT Resources Week, Darwin

21–23 Sept WA State NRM Conference, Mandurah

29-30 Sept 'Funding Northern Australia Infrastructure Development' conference, Brisbane

6-7 Oct NT Major Projects Conference, Darwin

18-20 Oct 7thIndigenous Economic Development Forum, Alice Springs

19-22 Oct Australian Regional Tourism Network Convention, South Australia

20-22 OctSustainable Economic Growth for Regional Australia SEGRA, Bathurst

8-10 Nov Andrew Robb’s Northern Investment Forum, Darwin (invite only)

10-12 Nov TNRM Annual Conference, Darwin

16-18Nov Tropical Agriculture Conference , Brisbane

11-13 April 2016Northern Australian Food Futures Conference, Darwin

Please note

1. the views expressed above dont necessarily represent those of the Kimberley to Cape initiative

2. previous news roundups are available here

3.any support for Kimberley to Cape is truly appreciated 