What's New?
- Nature Refuge Grants: New grants are now available to help Queensland nature refuge landholders to undertake projects to protect and enhance the conservation values of their properties. Eligible landholders can apply for grants between $2500-$20,000 to improve the natural and cultural values of their nature refuge. Projects may include weeding and revegetation activities, pest animal and plant management or the installation of fencing to protect ecologically significant areas. Applications for this round of funding close on Monday 6 December 2021. For more details click here.
- Carbon Farming Advice Rebate: Up to $10,000 per person is available to assist eligible landholders with carbon farming advice specific to their property. You do not need to have started your carbon farming project, or have applied to the Land Restoration Fund (LRF) to be eligible for the rebate. Advice must be sought from LRF Approved Advisors who can provide advice tailored to your business. Please see all details on the QRIDA website. Applications close in March 2022.
- Threatened Species Strategy 2021 - 2031: This is the Australian Government's forward plan for action to protect and recover Australia's threatened plants, animals and ecological communities. The new Strategy will be underpinned by consecutive 5-year Action Plans. These will be published as addendums to the Strategy. The first is to be released in the second half of 2021. Each plan will identify the priority species and places, specific actions and targets to measure progress. Click here to download the strategy and to find out more.
Climate risk
- The Long Paddock is a Queensland Government initiative providing climate, pasture, rainfall and decision support tools to support land management decision making and planning.
- The Department of Environment and Sciences (DES) developed a comprehensive set of high resolution climate change projections for Queensland to underpin the Queensland Climate Adaptation Strategy
- Access to the data to support climate adaptation plans is available through the online platform Queensland Future Climate Dashboard which summarises information of 11 state-of-the-art climate models with regional scale simulations until the end of the current century.
- The top 4 podcasts explaining ag and climate as recommended by the National Farmers Federation can be found here.
Biodiversity
The Queensland Fire and Biodiversity Consortium (QBFC) is devoted to providing a coordinated response and best-practice recommendations for fire management, fire ecology and the conservation of biodiversity in the state of Queensland through education, community engagement and applied research.
Pest species
- A new national biosecurity website provides a first stop for all biosecurity information. It brings together biosecurity resources from government, industries and non-government agencies. Use the website to access advice, information for reporting, managing biosecurity risks and educational resources.
- PestSmart provides best practice information on how to plan, manage and improve pest animal control programs in Australia. Popular toolkits include management options for wild dogs, feral pigs, european rabbits and foxes.
- The Centre for Invasive Species Solutions has launched a new podcast series talking all things 'feral animal and weeds' innovation. Towards a Feral Free Future is hosted by former ABC Landline journalist Prue Adams and has 11 episodes filled with interviews with more than 20 expert researchers and personalities from across the country. Available in most streaming apps.
- Detect & Protect - Australian biosecurity podcast series. Listeners will hear from leaders in biosecurity and get an insight behind the scenes, from frontline border security officers to researchers. You can listen to episodes on YouTube or your favourite podcast app.
- The Australian biosecurity webinar series covers a broad range of biosecurity topics such as Australia's priority biosecurity risks, including how they are being managed, preparedness and response activities, innovation, and collaboration, and challenges for biosecurity.