Corporate Services Manager

The primary functions of the Corporate Services Manager position are as follows:

• Manage Corporate Services activities
• Manage Human Resource duties
• Manage financial aspects of South West NRM contracts
• Provide high level support to other South West NRM staff and programs.
• Provide strategic support to Board and Senior Management team

Applicants must possess the following:

• Appropriate tertiary qualifications and minimum five years’ experience
• High level knowledge of Microsoft Office specifically word, excel and outlook.
• High level experience of MYOB or similar and experience in payment of wages and creditors.

This is a full time position. Occasional out of hours work and travel will be required.

  If interested in the position, obtain an application package by calling (07) 4656 8500 or on-line at www.southwestnrm.org.au

For position information phone Neil Judd on

(07) 4656 8500 or mobile 0427 220 139. 

To apply for this position please submit a resume addressing the selection criteria to:    

“Vacancy – Corporate Services Manager”

South West NRM Ltd

            PO Box 630

            CHARLEVILLE  QLD  4470

Or by email to ceo@swnrm.org.au

Closing Date: 5:00pm, 5^th June 2012

Senior Project Officer

The primary functions of the Senior Project Officer are as follows:

• Reporting to CEO manage regionally important projects
• Provide strategic project support and guidance to staff
• Reporting to CEO manage SWNRM publishing and promotional functions
• Carry out other duties as required

Applicants must possess the following:

• Appropriate tertiary qualifications
• Minimum five years relevant experience
• High level knowledge of Microsoft Office suite and publishing software.
• Strong networking and communication skills/aptitude

This is a full time position. Occasional out of hours work and travel will be required.

  If interested in the position, obtain an application package by calling (07) 4656 8500 or on-line at www.southwestnrm.org.au

For position information phone Neil Judd on

(07) 4656 8500 or mobile 0427 220 139. 

To apply for this position please submit a resume addressing the selection criteria to:    

“Vacancy –Senior Project Officer”

South West NRM Ltd

            PO Box 630

            CHARLEVILLE  QLD  4470

Or by email to ceo@swnrm.org.au

Closing Date: 5:00pm, 5th June 2012

The additional weeds are:

    * African boxthorn,
    * asparagus weeds,
    * bellyache bush,
    * brooms,
    * cat's claw creeper,
    * fireweed,
    * gamba grass,
    * Madeira vine,
    * opuntioid cacti,
    * sagittaria,
    * silver nightshade and
    * water hyacinth.

It is pleasing to see gamba grass on the list. Wildlife Queensland played a leading role in the successful campaign to have that species listed in Queensland several years ago.

In spite of this grass being listed in Queensland as Category 2, this highly invasive weed has major infestations in Cape York and parts of coastal north Queensland and continues to spread. It is estimated that total extent is in excess of 60000ha. It is freely acknowledged that infestations of this pasture grass increase fire intensity up to eight-fold and cause a decline in the diversity and abundance of our wildlife.

Serious impacts occur to rainforest areas and vegetation along creeks and river systems by the cat’s claw creeper and Madeira vine. Introduced as garden plants these plants have spread devastating the natural habitat and leading to soil and bank erosion resulting in water quality issues.

The sources of these invasive plants are varied. Wildlife Queensland is a member of the Stop Invasive Species Alliance (SISA). One of the prime aims is to support the prime advocacy target - the establishment of an expert national body to collaborate on solutions to invasive species threats. With looming major reforms to our national biosecurity system, there are excellent opportunities to impact on the way the nation addresses this major threat to our biodiversity. It is well established that invasive plants and feral animals are second only to habitat loss as a threat to our biodiversity.

However it is not only listed species that are a concern to Wildlife Queensland. There are really aggressive weeds not making the WoNS list or Queensland’s Categories 1-3 weed lists that are having major environmental impacts. Such plants include Grader grass (Themeda quadrivalvis) and Thatch grass (Hyparrhenia rufa).

At least Governments at all levels recognise this threat from invasive weeds and some positive steps are being taken by listing the very aggressive species. Listing is only step one and nothing will be achieved unless management guidelines are drafted and implemented.

Queensland will lead the national strategy development for gamba grass, cat’s claw creeper and Madeira vine. It is our understanding that the draft strategies for these species will be out in mid to late May for public comment. For more information visit the website.

For more information on Wildlife Queensland's activities, call us on +61 7 3221 0194 or send us an email.

South West NRM Workshops to be held at:

Morven - June 12th Town Hall

Augathella - June 13th Town Hall

Charleville June 14th RSL, Watson Street

Quilpie - June 15th Bulloo Park (Showgrounds)

Thargomindah - June 16th Town Hall

Eulo - June 17th Town Hall

Cunnamulla - June 18th Shire Hall, Supper Room

Bollon - June 19th Tennis Club

-Preparation for Bushfires
-Fire Permits
-History of Fire
-Healthy Waters Management Plan
-Fire in the Rangeland Ecosystem
-Fire and Property Management
-Fuel Dynamics
-Meteorological Conditions

RSVP  - 07 4656 8500

admin@swnrm.org.au

Or contact your local SWNRM office for more information.

This project aspires to create an innovative & holistic natural resource management consortium initially across 7 properties (339,882 ha's) conserving a range of Threatened Ecological Communities (TEC's), whilst cognisant of developing properties under diverse agricultural, cultural heritage & conservation enterprise outcomes. TEC areas mapped under the Federal Government's TEC program, form a catalyst for on-ground projects, creating nodes of biodiversity, linking TEC's through corridors where vegetative communities allow. The project aspires to protect & strategically manage 17,500 ha's of TEC over 6 years costing of $109.00 / ha (inclusive of GST), promoting project outcomes through case study development & promotion.

The Biodiversity Fund is a key component of the Gillard Government’s strategy to enhance biodiverse carbon stores and secure a clean energy future for Australia.

Announcing the first round of Biodiversity Fund grants, Minister for the Environment, Tony Burke and Minister for Climate Change, Greg Combet said the 317 projects would help to revegetate, rehabilitate and restore around 18 million hectares of the Australian landscape over the next six years.

Collectively these projects have real potential to advance the reversal of biodiversity decline and establish significant areas of carbon storage. They are an important first step in connecting our landscapes and making them more resilient to climate change.

Minister Burke said the Biodiversity Fund would provide much needed long-term commitment to biodiversity conservation and restoration with almost half the projects announced today running over a six year period.

“Providing long-term support to land managers leads to enduring results for our environment and for the community,” Mr Burke said.

“Across Australia, farmers and other land managers already do a great job through Landcare work and the Biodiversity Fund will build on this work.

“A number of projects announced in this first round also align with the intent of the draft National Wildlife Corridors Plan helping to improve connectivity in the landscape through the establishment of landscape scale wildlife corridors.

“This program has received overwhelming support from land managers right across the country with the Biodiversity Fund encouraging an additional $207 million in in-kind or financial contributions.”

In Queensland the Biodiversity Fund will support a project to restore the Condamine catchment landscape in collaboration with the local community.

In South Australia, the Fund will provide $2.6 million to rehabilitate South Australia’s remnant coastal corridor, the Samphire Coast, over the next six years.

The Fund will also support a project to protect Victoria’s iconic River Red Gums and restore native vegetation along the Hopkins River.

Minister Combet said just over a third of the Biodiversity Fund projects indicated that they may go on to participate in the Carbon Farming Initiative.

“These policies will help to protect biodiversity on the land, boost carbon storage opportunities and improve the resilience of unique species against the impacts of climate change,” Mr Combet said.

“The Biodiversity Fund is an important part of the Government’s Clean Energy Future plan and is supported by revenue from the carbon price. It focuses directly on taking action on-ground to maintain the productive capacity of our landscape and natural ecosystem.”

For more information about Biodiversity Fund, and for a list of successful projects, go to http://www.environment.gov.au/cleanenergyfuture/biodiversity-fund/index.html

The main theme is making the most of good seasons by: increasing stock numbers in some paddocks; spelling other paddocks to improve condition; being ready for the inevitable drought de-stocking.

Please feel free to circulate this link around to your contacts, especially those with Mitchell grass country. We are trying to make our information available to as many graziers as possible and overcome the issue of not everyone being able to get along to every field day or workshop that is held. Having the information summarised on YouTube should make it more accessible to a wider audience.

http://www.youtube.com/user/DesertChannels

For more information contact

Dr David Phelps
P.O. Box 519, Longreach Qld 4730
Telephone 07 46501244

Mob 0427270259
Email david.phelps@deedi.qld.gov.au