2016-17 FUNDING FOR THE CENTRAL TABLELANDS TO BE REVEALED AT THE MUDGEE SMALL FARM FIELD DAYS

Central Tablelands Local Land Services will unveil a host of exciting and innovative funding initiatives at the Mudgee Small Farm Field Days to support resilient and productive landholders, landscapes and communities.

The 2016-2017 Funding and Grants Program will be launched at Mudgee this year on Friday the 15th of July, offering funding to farmers, landholders, and community groups such as Local Councils, Landcare Groups and Indigenous groups across the Central Tablelands.

Funding will be targeted towards remnant woodland conservation, native grasslands and revegetation activities, property planning, groundcover management, the protection of threatened species, and the restoration and protection of creeks and rivers.

"We know that farmers place a high importance on improving the health and productivity of their land, so it’s very pleasing to be able to offer help with funding for projects that we know many farmers have been considering," said Ian Rogan, Acting Chairman of Central Tablelands Local Land Services Board.

Assistance will be available to help restore and protect riparian areas, and to protect remnant bushland and targeted native grasslands that will link and enhance habitat for threatened species.

Direct support for agriculture will include property planning courses for landholders, land managers and rural employees, and assistance with the establishment of confined stock feeding areas to protect groundcover during declining seasonal conditions. 

Incentives will also be available for Landcare, Aboriginal Communities and Local Government groups for environmental and sustainable agriculture projects.

Local Land Services will also fund community events to provide information about the diversity of intriguing threatened species that can be found in the Central Tablelands region.

These projects are provided by Central Tablelands Local Land Services through funding from the Australian Governments National Landcare Programme and Catchment Action NSW.

Landholders are encouraged to visit the Local Land Services stand at site 548 and find out more about the wide array of services available to landholders and community groups.

For more information about the 2016-2017 Funding and Grants Program to be launched at the Mudgee Small Farm Field Days, contact Clayton Miller at Central Tablelands Local Land Services on phone: 02 6333 2314 or email: clayton.miller@lls.nsw.gov.au

Farmers Warned to Watch Out for Herbicide Resistant Serrated Tussock

Landholders have been warned to watch out for herbicide resistance in serrated tussock, and seek advice on alternative control strategies as soon as possible to avoid an explosion in this expensive, noxious weed across the Central Tablelands.

Serrated tussock (Nassella trichotoma) is an invasive perennial grass weed that can have devastating consequences for both agriculture and the natural environment. Making the situation even worse is the growing problem of herbicide resistance.  

Resistance to the chemical, flupropanate, in serrated tussock plants was first identified in Victoria in 2002 and has now spread to NSW with confirmed infestations in several locations from Goulburn to as far north as Armidale.

“We need farmers and other land managers to be alert for signs of resistance and to implement alternative control strategies before that resistance becomes widespread in the plant population,” said Phil Cranney, Senior Land Services Officer - Pastures with Central Tablelands Local Land Services.

“If the whole community works together, we have a chance of reducing the impact on farm income and the environment,” explained Phil.

Research from Tony Cook, Technical Specialist Weeds with NSW DPI, has demonstrated that a small range of herbicides are showing potential as alternatives to flupropanate for the control of serrated tussock. The new treatments are likely to become legal for use on farm with the introduction of a ‘minor use permit’ later this year.

“There’s a lot of work to be done now in testing new combinations of herbicides. Even when we find new solutions selection pressure will inevitably develop on the remaining herbicides we have available, so we will have to be more vigilant in detecting new types of resistance, and responding quickly before problems spread,” said Mr Cook.

Serrated tussock is very similar in appearance to many Australian native grasses but has very little nutritional value for livestock. Animals will eventually starve to death if only grazed on serrated tussock.

The weed can infest both native and improved pastures resulting in a dramatic loss in carrying capacity and reduced land values. It can also transform diverse native ecosystems into a serrated tussock monoculture. The reduction in biodiversity is a serious threat to native fauna and flora that inhabit infested areas.

All landholders have a legal obligation to control serrated tussock on their property. Landholders should always use the proscribed label rate when applying chemical for the control of serrated tussock.

For more information about serrated tussock and herbicide resistance contact your local weeds officer:

• Mid-western Regional Council - Sean Richardson:  02 6378 2935
• Cabonne Council – Norm Townsend:  02 6392 3202
• Upper Macquarie County Council – Laurie Waddell:  02 6338 2875
• Cowra regional council – Kevin Nelligan:  0427 629 237
• Orange City Council – Roger Smith:  02 6393 8025

For information about reducing the spread of noxious weeds by promoting a healthy and competitive perennial pasture, please contact Clare Edwards in Mudgee on 02 6378 1700 or Phil Cranney in Orange on 02 6363 7888

If you would like help differentiating Serrated Tussock from native grasses that are similar in appearance, contact your local weeds officer or your nearest Local Land Services office on: 1300 795 299. 

Project to Improve Stormwater Quality

Bathurst Regional Council is continuing its work on improving the quality
of stormwater that is captured in the CBD and makes its way into the
Macquarie River.

Council has installed two gross pollutant traps within the stormwater pits
in the CBD, one in Howick Street, the other in William Street.

Mayor of Bathurst Cr Gary Rush said the infrastructure, which is hidden
below ground, might not be visible, but plays an important role in
improving stormwater quality.

“The traps are designed to capture litter and silt from the footpath, road
and gutter before they can enter the stormwater network. Litter and other
items can easily end up in our local creeks, many of which feed into the
Macquarie River via stormwater drains.  Baskets or traps such as these can
minimise the quantity of litter in the network but it is important to
remember that every piece of litter including cigarette butts, can do damage
to our local environment."

The project builds on previous work undertaken by Council through the Hey
Tosser! Campaign which raises awareness of litter related issues and
improved infrastructure to minimise littering.

“The pollutant traps are designed to be emptied on a regular basis and the
contents sent to landfill.  This project is a pilot study and the results
will be monitored to determine the effectiveness of the traps with the view
to potentially expanding their use throughout the CBD,” Cr Rush said.

Stormwater from the CBD makes its way through a series of urban creeks that
ultimately flow into the Macquarie River.

Signage will be installed to raise awareness of the pollutant traps and to
encourage residents to dispose of rubbish responsibly to prevent damage to
the environment.

The project was provided by the Environment & Waterways Alliance and Central Tablelands Local Land Services through funding from the Australian Government's National Landcare Programme and NSW Catchment Action and Bathurst Regional Council.