Archived Newsletters

Archived Newsletters - 2000

Issue 15 December, 2000

"Welcome all you people to my land, welcome."

This is how Birdsville elder, Linda Crombie greeted more than 100 people who made the trek to the tiny outback town to witness and participate in the launch of the community strategic plans for economic, social and ecological sustainability within the Lake Eyre Basin. In the four years since the inception of the Lake Eyre Basin process, the people of the Basin have been working hard. They firstly designed and established a framework for catchment management in the Lake Eyre Basin and then formulated these management plans.

It was therefore with a great sense of achievement that the Coordinating Group and Catchment Committee members received their copies of 'A Future For All - Strategic Plans for the Lake Eyre Basin'.

But as outgoing Lake Eyre Basin Coordinating Group Chief Executive, Kate Andrews remarked, "This is not the end, this is only the beginning. We've done the planning, we know what needs to be done, it's time to get our hands dirty."

"And there is an enthusiasm on the part of everyone to do that. We are all eager to move further into the implementation phase of our work, to build on programs such as the Cross-Catchments Weeds Initiative.

"From our Birdsville meeting has come working groups on heritage tourism, information management and salinity, along with an endorsement of the work already being done on weeds.

"This is an exciting time for the people of the Lake Eyre Basin."

From the Chair

Our Launch at Birdsville in mid October was highly successful - the tight schedule ran as smooth as silk. Ministers Brindal and Welford flew in to sign the Lake Eyre Basin Agreement and MHR Barry Wakelin represented Minister Hill. They also participated in the launch of the Strategic Plans. Press from Adelaide, Brisbane, Longreach, Sydney and Canberra interviewed key community people during the day, with considerable coverage across the nation over the next week. The Birdsville community catered for us in rain and mud with great food and good humour.

The priority setting in groups on the morning of the launch was impressive. The purpose was to identify priority actions from the strategic plan that could be achieved by or facilitated by the LEBCG. The style was inclusive, the Cooper's Creek and Georgina/Diamantina Catchment Committees encouraged all visitors to be involved in identifying the four most important issues for the future of the Basin. Information systems and communications, heritage tourism, weed control and salinity were identified, along with a series of specific actions for each issue. I look forward to working alongside the people of the Basin and outside stakeholders in achieving these priority actions.

My role includes reminding people across the nation of the important things we are doing, and what we are achieving. Therefore I greatly value those conversations, phone calls and emails that tell me of the actions undertaken, the exact location and the gains made toward a more sustainable Lake Eyre Basin.

People From All Over

People came from Alice Springs, Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide and all points in between for the Launch and the signing of the Intergovernmental Agreement.

In what can only be described as an auspicious sign, while people gathered for the ceremonies, the life-blood of the Lake Eyre Basin, water, was humming on the tin roof of the Birdsville hall.

A special Lake Eyre Basin banner was made for the weekend and after each Coordinating Group and Catchment Committee member received their copy of the strategies, they added their signature to the banner.

Also presented with a copy of the strategies were South Australian Water Resources Minister, Mark Brindal, Queensland Environment, Heritage and Natural Resources Minister, Rod Welford and Federal Member for Eyre, Barry Wakelin. They then signed the banner as did Birdsville Aboriginal Elder, Linda Crombie and numerous other guests and interested observers.

The signed banner is as much a symbol of the cooperative effort the Lake Eyre Basin Process is built on as it is a momento of an historic weekend.

The Lake Eyre Basin Agreement...signed, sealed and delivered!

A suppressed yet still triumphant clenched fist was seen from one person close to the negotiations on the Lake Eyre Basin Agreement when the final signature was added. The anticipation and tension in the lead-up to that last signature was felt by everyone in the community hall at Birdsville. Here was an historic, groundbreaking agreement about to be signed, an agreement to disregard state borders in the management of water resources across the Queensland and South Australian portions of the Georgina/Diamantina and Cooper's Creek catchments.

Senator Hill was unable to travel to Birdsville and so signed the document in advance but that didn't reduce the anticipation as the other two required signatories hovered with poised pens and state seals. The crowd held its collective breath as South Australian Water Resources Minister, Mark Brindal added his signature beside that of Queensland Minister for Environment, Heritage and Natural Resources, Rod Welford. Applause swelled the room before the ink was dry.

Earlier, Minister Welford said the Lake Eyre Basin Agreement will ensure the Basin's water flows support industry, the environment and local communities well into the future.

"It is a commitment by government to work with the community for the benefit of a region which has tremendous natural, economic and cultural importance," Mr Welford said.

He went on to say, "...the level of awareness of the people in this community of the uniqueness of their landscape and its resources and the need to tread lightly on this part of the planet, is quite extraordinary."

Minister Brindal said the Agreement is vital for the protection of water quality and flows into South Australia from Queensland and its implementation will ensure economic, environmental and social well being of the Lake Eyre Basin by protecting its water and natural resources.

"This agreement," Minister Brindal said, "is the best of what Australia is all about...it is about a federation of levels of government and of the people working together, not just for this area, but in the national interest.

"I think every person in this room has got the right to stand up and say, 'If I do nothing else in my life, but have contributed to this, I have made an important advancement for the nation'."

The Agreement also establishes a Ministerial Forum to which the Lake Eyre Basin Coordinating Group will be the Community Advisory Committee. This fulfils a request by the community of the Basin to have direct access to decision-makers.

The historic event was witnessed by Federal member for Eyre, Barry Wakelin (representing Federal Environment Minister Robert Hill), Linda Crombie (Aboriginal Elder), Coordinating Group and Catchment Committee members, pastoralists, locals and tourists.

"...(my kids) have discovered mud..."

My first real exposure to the people and issues of the Lake Eyre Basin was at the Birdsville launch of the strategic plans. On that weekend I witnessed about 100 people from a range of backgrounds and with different connections to the basin, all very positive and optimistic about the future of their natural resources. All participants were extremely proud of their achievements in working together through an intense planning process and having the plans recognised by the community of the Lake Eyre Basin.

The launch of the strategic plans was also seen as a turning point for the LEB program, "its time to put all our good planning efforts into action" was a common phrase heard throughout the weekend.

As Chief Executive it is my challenge to ensure the momentum generated to date keeps rolling and that the LEBCG and Catchment Committees are supported with the resources and assistance they need to establish new projects and put their plans into action. Over the next few months I hope to learn a great deal about the catchment and the people who manage it. Two weeks into the job I have already ready met many people with a great deal of knowledge and fascinating stories to tell.

Previous to this appointment I spent 10 years working in catchment management with the Swan Avon Catchment in the South West of Western Australia, based in Northam. The Swan Avon Catchment is 120,000km2, (about 1/10 the size of the Lake Eyre Basin), and is predominantly a cleared landscape for broadacre wheat and sheep farming.

The move to Longreach also includes my wife and 2 children. My wife, Kate, has a background in Public Relations and prior to this spent 10 years in the outback governessing and jillarooing on stations. Following the recent rains our 2 children, Evie (3 years) and Jack (9 months) have discovered mud (there was none in the sandy Northam soil) and are settling in well at Longreach.

Desert Rivers Region

Athel Pine (Tamarix aphylla), an introduced tree, is recognised as a 'weed of national significance'. It is a fast growing shade tree and was commonly planted near towns, homesteads and stockyards in arid Australia from the 1930s.

It infested the Finke River following floods in the 1970s and early 1980s and quickly invaded 600 kilometres of the river. It lowered water tables, drained waterholes, blocked river flows, replaced native gums, created salty surface soil and displaced native flora and fauna.

The Northern Territory Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (DPIF), in partnership with landholders, commenced a control program in 1992 starting at the headwaters of the Finke and working progressively downstream. Limited infestations in the Ross and Palmer Rivers were eradicated in 1996. In 1998 the Centralian Land Management Association (CLMA) gained funding through the NHT to support the DPIF program.

The main control methods are: bulldozing mature trees; blade-ploughing, spraying or manual removal of seedlings; and spraying of regrowth and sparse infestations.

The herbicides applied are biodegradable and are used strategically to avoid contaminating ground water.

About 400 kilometres of the Finke River has been cleared of Athel Pine with about 200 kilometres remaining. River red gums are re-colonising the cleared sections while livestock and wildlife are returning to drink at previously saline waterholes.

Spring rehabilitation work carried out by the traditional owners of Love's Creek Pastoral Lease in the eastern MacDonnells is standing firm after twelve months.

Four years ago the traditional owners identified water management as their top priority. They also identified a set of actions and, with a Natural Heritage Trust (Rivercare) grant and the assistance of Central Land Council Land Management, set about repairing the degradation of their traditional watering points.

Over a three year period to 1999 a group of young men excavated overburden pulled, out bullrushes and fenced out stock. Springs and soaks that had been damaged or sealed by livestock activity were restored. Twelve months on, those sites that have been inspected have shown the continuing benefit of the project.

Lake Frome Region

Rabbits and boxthorn are in the sights of the Johnburg and Districts Landcare Group. The Group has received a Rangeland Action Project grant to assist in control measures in the Walloway Basin Catchment. The project, which involves twenty properties, covers an area of 57,000ha.

The catchment is to the north of Orroroo and, in high rainfall events, sends its water toward Lake Frome. It is primarily perpetual lease and freehold grazing land. Historically some of the area was cropped and grazing was intensive, but this has shifted to extensive grazing as the lands inability to sustain such intensive practices was recognised.

As a result of its past, the land and vegetation has been significantly degraded. Land managers in the region have recognised the importance of rehabilitating and enhancing the quality of the area, along with the need to control threats to this process such as rabbits and weeds.

The group proposes to undertake a three-year program, with this grant assisting to fund the first year of work. While rabbit control has previously been undertaken successfully in pockets of the catchment, this program aims to build on previous efforts and strategically tackle the problem across the whole catchment.

Boxthorn, an invasive woody weed spread throughout the catchment, has the potential to choke out native species and reduce grazing area. It will be tackled through both mechanical and chemical control methods.

Soil disturbed in the process of warren ripping and dozing of boxthorns will be seeded with native species endemic to the region while grazing pressure will be controlled in seeded areas to allow regeneration to occur.

At the end of the three-year program it is anticipated that the majority of the area will have be treated and the vegetation beginning to regenerate. Progress will be monitored over a ten-year period to determine the long-term success of the project in enhancing native vegetation and biodiversity, and in assisting sustainable grazing.

Cooper's Creek Update

The Cooper's Creek Strategic Plan is launched!

The phase of working towards the Plan's objectives has begun. At their Birdsville meeting, the Cooper's Creek Catchment Committee (CCCC) started prioritising strategies and developing Action Plans for the next 12 months.

Four major areas were identified for the development of joint projects with the Georgina/Diamantina Catchment Committee (GDCC) and the Lake Eyre Basin Coordinating Group (LEBCG). These are: Cross-Catchments Weeds Initiative (underway), Regional Heritage Tourism; Salinity; and Information Management.

A possible fifth project, involving a devolved grants program addressing a number of issues included in each of the three Strategic Plans, is being investigated. CCCC Chair, Maree Morton, LEBCG Chief Executive, Peter McLeod, and I will be visiting Adelaide in mid-December to see first-hand how large devolved grants programs are managed in the rangelands of South Australia.

Adding to the enthusiasm of the Birdsville meeting was the news that Natural Heritage Trust funding has been confirmed for our WISE Rivers and Wetlands Information System for the Cooper's Creek Catchment project (see box).

A new member to the CCCC is Ian Duncan from Isis Downs, Isisford. Ian is filling the Blackall Community/Geographic position and will have as his proxy, Jack Banks from 'Springleigh' near Blackall. Both Ian and Jack are being nominated as CCCC representatives for the Mitchell Grass Downs vegetation management planning groups (Ian for the Longreach region and Jack for the Blackall region).

While on the topic of vegetation management, the invitation for nominations for the western region of the Mitchell Grass Downs and the Channel Country is expected in the first part of next year.

If you would like a copy of the Cooper's Creek Strategic Plans, or you would like me to visit you or talk to your group, please give me a call. Or come in to the Longreach office (42 Plover Street) and have a chat over a cup of tea. The office also has a good resource library covering a lot of topics relevant to the Basin.

This has been a very exciting year; a lot of things have happened and a lot has been achieved. We have a solid foundation for practical achievements in 2001 and beyond.

Nora Brandli, Coordinator

Cooper's Creek WISE Project

The WISE (Water Information System for the Environment) project will develop an information system on CD-ROM as a resource tool for the community to manage the rivers and wetlands within the Cooper catchment.

It will have a large database on past and present research on the Cooper system. This will meet the desire of the community to identify what research has been carried out and areas where more research is needed. The easy to use database will have a very large keyword library to locate specific projects or topics.

There will also be an overview of the Cooper system, with interesting facts and anecdotal information about the catchment, plus a video and photographic library. The CD will have appeal to a wide cross-section of the community and will, importantly, include information from people living within the catchment. The WISE Project Manager, Dr. Richard Kingsford, plans to commence development in early 2001.

Aboriginal Involvement Meeting

(Coordinating Group member, Mick Roche reports.)

For some time, the Lake Eyre Basin Coordinating Group (LEBCG) has been discussing how best to ensure that Aboriginal interests and views were being incorporated into its process. The appointment of the Interim Aboriginal Adviser, Rose Turner, was the first step.

The second step was the recent Adelaide meeting between LEBCG representatives and Aboriginal interest groups.

Significant outcomes of the meeting included:

* acknowledgment that the existing structures such as Native Title Representative Bodies are the best structural source for future representation for LEBCG

* recognition of the separation of roles between Aboriginal advice and Aboriginal representation

* a model for future Aboriginal input was proposed for further discussion at the LEBCG, Catchment Committee and regional Aboriginal interests level

* establishment of future catchment groups could provide LEBCG with appropriate Aboriginal representation

The Adelaide meeting report was discussed at Birdsville and further implementation of the action plans is being facilitated by the LEBCG.

A number of regional Aboriginal meetings will be held in order to finalise a basin-wide consensual plan of Aboriginal inclusion to managing the Lake Eyre Basin.

Western Rivers Region

A lightning strike started a recent fire which burnt out more than 10,000 hectares in Witjira National Park. The fire started about 40 kilometres east of Dalhousie Springs on the flood plains of the Spring Creek Delta and was fed by a large body of dry fuel resulting from the recent good season.

Backburning was undertaken to prevent the fire getting into the phragmite reeds in the tail of Dalhousie Springs. The firebreak along with fortuitous light rain and the efforts of the Oodnadatta Country Fire Service stopped the fire from endangering neighbouring pastoral land.

A Department of Environment and Heritage ecologist is monitoring the post fire impact which is expected to be relatively minor.

Feral animal control efforts continue in the region with a November push on Macumba Station. Eddie Nunn of Macumba says, "We're pretty much on top of the camels now but they come in out of the desert from time to time."

Volunteers from the Hunting and Conservation Branch of the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia participated in the program in their usual professional, efficient and well-trained manner.

Mimosa bush (Acacia farnesiana) is under the spotlight of the Marla-Oodnadatta Soil Board. It seems to have appeared in the Oodnadatta area about the same time as cattle used to restock properties after the Brucellosis and Tuberculosis Eradication Campaign (BTEC) of the early 1980s.

More than 30 people attended a recent weeds field day held at Allandale Station in conjunction with a Soil Board meeting. There is a concern that mimosa bush may become a problem so it was decided to conduct a formal survey, including mapping, to assess the situation. Primary Industries and Resources South Australia has indicated its strong support for the initiative.

Georgina/Diamantina Update

The Georgina/Diamantina Catchment Committee (GDCC) has been active since our mid-year update. We begin this update by extending a sincere welcome to Peter McLeod and his family as the new Chief Executive of The Lake Eyre Basin Group, and expressing our appreciation of the contribution made to our committee by Kate Andrews.

Colin Tidswell was appointed as Coordinator for the GDCC in early 1999, and we were disappointed at having to farewell him in September this year. We wish Colin and his family well, and thank him for his efforts and assistance for our committee. A selection panel from the committee meets at the end of November to appoint his replacement.

The committee met in Longreach on the 30th and 31st August, at which we finalised our strategy for release at Birdsville in October. Considerable time was also spent discussing surface water issues in the catchment as we continue to develop a draft water management plan for the Georgina/Diamantina.

Simon Wiggins and Simon Hausler (Department of Natural Resources Water Resource Planning) informed the meeting of the intention of DNR to formulate a water management plan for the catchment. A lengthy discussion of water and water related issues followed, and they are aware that the community desires to have input to their plan.

We, as a committee, seek any contribution from the community, or any concern you may have regarding surface water issues in the catchment, for incorporation into our water plan. These issues can then be submitted to DNR for consideration.

Our final meeting for the year was held at Birdsville on the 20th October, at which a number of issues were prioritised for action as we begin to implement more tasks identified in the strategy.

We also need to review and evaluate our role within the community, and in doing this we continue to invite any resident in the catchment to attend our meetings at any time. We welcome any comment or suggestion you may have, that can assist us to better manage the natural resources in the catchment, deal with the problems, and plan for the future.

Charlie Phillott

Chair, Georgina/Diamantina Committee

Selective Culling Pays Dividend

Between 40,000 and 50,000 Banded Stilt chicks raised on Lake Eyre's Ibis Island. The Banded Stilt (Cladorhynchus leucocephalus) breeds irregularly after heavy rains, nesting in huge close-packed colonies on low islands in large ephemeral inland salt lakes such as Lake Eyre. The downy young depart the nest for the water soon after hatching, forming into large creches with very few adults present.

In only five of the past 70 years have Banded Stilts been known to have bred in SA. In 1930 at Lake Callabonna, 1984 (Lake Eyre North (LEN), 1989 (Stilt Island in Lake Torrens NP), 1997 (Hughes Island in LEN) and 2000 (Hughes Island and Ibis Island in LEN). Breeding also took place at Lake Ballard in WA in 1995.

Heavy February 2000 rains to the north produced a healthy inflow to Lake Eyre. This flooding event stimulated thousands of Banded Stilts to fly to Lake Eyre NP to breed.

An estimated 18,000 pairs commenced nesting on Hughes Island during late February 2000. Pelicans, Caspian Terns, Red-capped Plovers and Silver Gulls were also nesting there, the latter species ultimately being responsible for extremely heavy predation on Banded Stilt eggs and young.

Approximately 2,152 breeding pairs of Silver Gulls were responsible for only about 100 Banded Stilts chicks surviving this breeding episode.

About 2,000 Banded Stilts commenced a second nesting on Hughes Island in late May. Unfortunately these birds also abandoned their nests due to constant harassment from Silver Gulls.

In late June an estimated 10,000 pairs of Banded Stilts commenced nesting on a sandy coastal strip along the SW sector of Ibis Island. There was also about 2,000 pair of nesting Silver Gulls on the northern end of the island.

Compared to previous years there was an alarming increase in Silver Gull numbers (see next item) and a corresponding decline in the stilt population. Maintenance of a healthy population in this species, which breeds only irregularly on vast ephemeral inland salt lakes, is very much dependant on outstanding breeding success.

A successful breeding event at Lake Eyre in year 2000 was thought to be the last throw of the dice for the stilts until 'who knows when'. Consequently, the Department of Environment and Heritage, South Australia set about reducing gull numbers.

Baiting and displacement removed 4,000 breeding gulls from the island allowing the Banded Stilts to continue nesting relatively free of gull harassment and predation.

It was a very successful breeding event with around 18,000 pairs raising 40-50,000 chicks. The Banded Stilt population on Lake Eyre North by late August was estimated at 80-100,000.

The Silver Gull

The Silver Gull is an adaptable species and one of the few birds to benefit from the European settlement of Australia. Its ability to aggressively scavenge around fishing boats, city parks, rubbish dumps and farmlands has seen its numbers increase. Silver Gulls breed at similar times and locations to Banded Stilts and through predation, have caused a marked reduction in stilt numbers.

Profile

Professor Peter Cullen is the science/ecology skills-based member on the Lake Eyre Basin Coordinating Group.

He has been working in the area of land and water management for almost thirty years where he has made significant contributions as a research scientist, a research manager, a public communicator and a teacher.

Peter is currently Chief executive of the highly successful CRC for Freshwater Ecology which has influenced government policy in areas like environmental flows, nutrient management and the development of better monitoring approaches. It not only practises good science but communicates this to politicians, various interest groups and the wider public.

In addition to his position on the Lake Eyre Basin Coordinating Group, Professor Cullen is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Science and Engineering; Chair of the ACT Environment Advisory Committee; and a member of the Community Advisory Council, Murray-Darling Ministerial Council. He is also a member of the Gungahlin Development Authority and the Federal State of the Environment Advisory Committee. He is past President of the Federation of Australian Scientific and Technological Societies, a past member of the Prime Minister's Science, Engineering and Innovation Council and was co-chair of the Working Group on Dryland Salinity for the same organisation.

Ian Duncan is the Community/Geographic member for the Blackall Region on the Cooper's Creek Catchment Committee. He is a serving Isisford Shire Councillor and has been nominated for the Mitchell Grass Downs vegetation management planning group. He has been closely associated with the land for all his working life, the last 14 years on Isis Downs near Isisford.

To Ian, one of the strengths of the Cooper's Creek Catchment Committee, is its ability to look at all sides of a debate in reaching a consensus decision on sustainable natural resource management issues.

He sees the Lake Eyre Basin as being reasonably undamaged and says, "It's up to us as the community of the Basin to maintain that while earning a quid at the same time."

"The October 21st launch in Birdsville of the Strategic Plans marks the transition from planning to implementation - the end of one undertaking and the embracing of a fresh set of challenges to take us towards our vision," says Coordinating Group Chief Executive, Kate Andrews.

This vision for a future built on economic, ecological, social and cultural sustainability is encapsulated in the Strategic Plans for the Lake Eyre Basin, and the Cooper's Creek and Georgina/Diamantina catchments.

In less than four years of consultation, compilation, and review, a diverse group of dedicated people have formulated blue-prints for sustainable natural resource management in the Lake Eyre Basin - valuable tools for ensuring a healthy and robust future for one-sixth of Australia.

These plans are 'living' documents, open to change and review as circumstances demand, constantly growing and never final.

Actions arising from these plans are beginning to produce outcomes in line with the expectations of the stakeholders.

Another, quite different milestone for the day will be the signing, by the relevant ministers, of the Lake Eyre Basin Inter-Governmental Agreement.

The signing of this agreement will see the formation of the Ministerial Forum to which the Coordinating Group will perform the role of Community Advisory Committee. The Lake Eyre Basin Coordinating Group will be the two-way communication channel between government and the community of the Basin.

The formation of the Ministerial Forum will fulfil a request by the community and stakeholders at the 1997 Birdsville meeting for direct access to the decision makers.

As canvassed in a government discussion paper in 1999, and promoted by the Lake Eyre Basin Coordinating Group, it is intended to hold a community conference at least every two years. This will bring together communities, ministers, policy makers, and researchers to discuss major issues, set goals, and review outcomes.

One important activity to be held in late August is an Indigenous Input workshop in Adelaide.

Our first aim is to work with Aboriginal leaders as they find a process for selecting an appropriate skills-based person with expertise in Aboriginal issues to become a member of the Coordinating Group.

Rose Turner is with the Coordinating Group on an interim basis to bring us this expertise.

The second aim is for us to listen to Aboriginal participants at the workshop on how Aboriginal people could be better involved in our Lake Eyre Basin process. I look forward to hearing what these leaders have to say.

Coordinating Group Chief Executive, Kate Andrews, has announced her resignation. She will be greatly missed after four years of energetic and skilled work across the Basin. I'm sure Kate's passion for the people and issues of the Basin will remain with her for life. Her successor should be known by the time you receive this newsletter.

Colin Tidswell, Georgina/Diamantina Catchment Coordinator also leaves the Group. The Lake Eyre Basin community will miss Colin and his friendly, mature and meticulous approach to supporting his catchment community and the Basin as a whole.

I hope to meet many of our committee members and Newsletter readers at the launch of our Strategic Plan in Birdsville in October. Please introduce yourself to me and tell me of your vision for the Basin and its people.

It's been an exciting year in the Lake Eyre Basin. The remarkable wet season has brought a pulse of life to most of the regions, the like of which we haven't seen for years. And there have been smiles on faces the like of which we haven't seen for years. It's been great for the country and the people - waterholes have been replenished, fish and birds breeding, grasses seeding and ephemerals flowering that we don't see very often.

I was in Oodnadatta recently meeting with local people to discuss the draft Lake Eyre Basin strategy and the involvement of their Western Rivers Region in the basin-wide process. This gave me the opportunity to spend a day on a waterhole of the Neales helping with bird counts for the Aridflo project and learning about the diversity of birds that congregate in the arid country.

While I have advised the catchment committees and coordinating group, others may not yet know that, after much deliberation, I have tendered my resignation. I will be leaving after the launch of our strategies in Birdsville. After four years it is now time to move on. It is a good time to leave as; there is an excellent team in place and the organisation is healthy and strong.

As it is important that the LEBCG process be documented I would like to spend time next year, perhaps six months, writing up all we have done. With this in mind I have identified potential sources of funding. Before I embark on any more work, however, I am giving myself time off to travel around the world.

Thinking back over the last four years of my work in the Lake Eyre Basin, an enormous number and range of people come to mind, each of whose contribution has been integral to us arriving here today. There are the residents of the Basin; cattle kings, sheep cockies, traditional owners, cameleers, mayors, historians, drovers, grey haired nomads, council workers, government officers and so on. And I have had the luck to meet with, talk to, and learn from them all. Their stories have been intriguing - sometimes tragic, sometimes sidesplitting.

We have also relied upon many people from outside the Basin; scientists, politicians, Landcare facilitators, government and industry executives, pastoral company officers, other regional organisations, journalists and academics. Thank goodness for their expertise and commitment. I have been astounded at how willing to help these people have been. Often it has been for no personal gain - rather they have shared a deep personal interest in, and regard for, the Basin and its inhabitants.

When I first arrived, I didn't understand the scale, beauty and variability of the land. Travelling through this country by road and air, seeing it through the eyes of its residents, and at varied seasons, my respect and attachment has grown, but I have only scratched the surface of understanding it. This reinforces to me the need for local knowledge and expertise to work alongside scientific knowledge and expertise in planning and managing for the future of the Lake Eyre Basin.

The continued success of the Lake Eyre Basin Coordinating Group will require maintaining community ownership and increasing involvement of all stakeholders. I believe the involvement of the additional regions needs to happen at a pace that the local communities are happy with rather than being externally imposed. Adaptability, accountability and responsiveness will continue to be key to achieving the organisation's and its stakeholders' objectives.

Looking back, it is incredible how much we have all achieved in a relatively short period of time. And with the strong foundations we have put into place, the achievements and outcomes of the next few years will be even greater.

I look forward to seeing you at the launch in Birdsville on October 21 and at the party to follow.

High-tech has lost out near Dalhousie Springs. National Parks and Wildlife, South Australia, in its efforts to survey the number of tourists crossing the Simpson Desert to Birdsville, installed two traffic-monitoring stations near Dalhousie Springs.

These computer-controlled magnetic loop detectors have a buried cable that detects the magnetic field of passing vehicles. They were too much for the curious local dingoes which dug up and chewed to pieces the underground cable of each unit. Efforts are now underway to find a dingo-proof option for counting cars.

Safe desert travel is the focus of an initiative by agencies in South Australia, Northern Territory, and Queensland to develop an emergency response plan for the Simpson Desert area. As part of this cross-border program, SA Government risk management advisers will be travelling the desert to ascertain what constitutes a reasonable level of service for government to provide.

Royal Flying Doctor Service advice will be sought on the feasibility of establishing an emergency airstrip for the evacuation of sick and injured travellers.

Public education to make sure people are fully aware of the requirements for, and are adequately prepared for, safe travel in remote areas, will hopefully minimise future incidents.

Feral animal control in Witjira National Park and its surrounds is a joint effort. Irrwanyere Aboriginal Corporation, the Aboriginal Lands Trust, National Parks and Wildlife, along with surrounding landholders, are jointly managing the feral populations of camels, donkeys and horses. This short-term control effort is an interim measure that will be developed into an integrated, scientifically-based control program.

Pastoralists, conservationists and government are working together in the Desert Rivers Region of the Lake Eyre Basin. The Centralian Land Management Association (CLMA) is currently involved with other agencies in the conservation of Undoolya wattle (Acacia undoolyana) and the black-footed rock-wallaby (Petrogale lateralis).

Cooperation from pastoralists is vital because threatened species often occur on pastoral lands outside national parks and reserves. The control of feral animals and weeds is an essential first step in conservation management and comprehensive monitoring is an important component of successful programs.

Acacia undoolyana is only known from an area of about 30 x 15 kilometres in the East MacDonnel1 Ranges and is under threat from wildfire. A species recovery team representing all interest groups was formed in 1997 to guide its management. The Parks & Wildlife Commission of the Northern Territory is coordinating a fire management program plus accurate mapping and monitoring of Undoolya wattle populations.

'Rock-wallaby Watch' is a joint effort by Threatened Species Network and the CLMA to arrest the population decline of the vulnerable black-footed rock-wallaby. Long-term monitoring sites are being established to record changes in wallaby numbers over time. The impact of foxes is being investigated and fox control will be carried out at key sites. 'Rock-wallaby Watch' is funded by the World Wide Fund for Nature Australia and the Natural Heritage Trust.

Threatened Species Network and Alice Springs members of the Australian Plants Society are working to gather information on the ecology of a rare desert wattle, Latz's wattle (Acacia latzii).

Latz's wattle is known only from two areas in the southern part of the Northern Territory - in the Bacon Ranges near the Palmer River valley south-west of Alice Springs, and in the Beddome Ranges adjacent to the Finke River floodout.

This long-Iived plant rarely seems to produce viable seed in the wild, and even more rarely goes on to produce seedlings. Research indicates that Latz's wattle needs an exceptional rainfall event to trigger widespread seed production, and then probably requires good follow-up rains to allow germination and seedling survival. It is hoped that this year may be one of those exceptional ones - major rains in February and again in April have triggered prolific flowering of Latz's wattles, and APS volunteers are now hoping for follow up rains that will allow seed production and germination to occur.

David Lord of the eastern Lake Frome Region reports on the latest 'bunny battle' workshop on 29th and 30th June at Bulloo Downs.

With key 'rabbit' people from NT, SA, NSW, VIC and QLD present the workshop was a rather unique event. It was a timely reminder to us that, given a run of good seasons, we could all be faced with a similar problem to that facing Stanbroke Pastoral Company at Bulloo Downs.

The Problem: We observed rabbits in three different land systems- open calcareous flats, sand ridges and lignum.

There are a couple of differences between Bulloo Downs and other land I have observed:

1) Rabbit Calicivirus Disease (RCD) has not been as effective as the rest of the semi arid and arid rangelands perhaps because of a run of four good seasons. Vectors may be implicated in the reduced impact.

The Solution: Despite the large size of Bulloo Downs, it is feasible to control rabbits by ripping. The warrens were open and easy to find. With the correct machine Stanbroke should be able to achieve high number of warrens per hour.

Because of the open country with little habitat outside of warren structures, there should be an extremely low reopening rate.

The areas of lignum would not be so easy. Perhaps blade ploughing, and then burning may be an option.

The Environmental issues: We observed a high dingo population being supported by the rabbits. The implications of this would be complex but one would assume that at times the dogs would be impacting on small marsupials. This, along with the huge impact rabbits have on native vegetation, means that rabbit control would have enormous environmental as well as commercial benefits.

Public Perception: Given the media attention on the workshop, and any attention that subsequent work is likely to attract, it is important to emphasise the overall successes of RCD. Despite the huge successes of myxomatosis and RCD, we need to remind the broader community that the 'Bunny Battle' is far from won.

During the Birdsville meeting, we will be prioritising key areas of our strategies for specific attention in 2001, and developing Action Plans for the next 12 months. This prioritising is important as it provides a focus for real achievement. The Strategic Plan also contains broader Objectives and Strategies. The Committee's role in many of these may only be in influencing and encouraging, with no control over the outcomes. These Objectives and Strategies are still extremely important as they highlight issues of significance. Many will also provide support for projects that may be developed by groups such as Landcare, and their inclusion in the Strategic Plan is therefore very relevant.

I will be attending Shire Council meetings throughout the catchment to discuss the outcomes from the second Cooper's Creek and Georgina/Diamantina Cross-Catchments Weeds Initiative Workshop (Longreach, 28th and 29th June). An invitation has also been accepted to attend the Maree Soil Conservation Board September meeting at Moomba (SA).

The workshop was attend by representatives from Shire Councils, SA and Qld government and major weed management groups.

Rhondda Alexander (GDCC member, Marion Downs, Boulia) has been busily compiling plant photographs for a Plants of the Channel Country book. The book was originally going to cover only the Georgina/Diamantina section of the Channel Country, but Rhondda is now extending it's range to include the Cooper Channel Country. The book will also complement Andrew White's Channel Grazing project.

Queensland DPI rangelands scientists, Jenny Milson and Andrew White, along with myself have been assisting in the selection of suitable photographs.

Fish caught in the Basin as part of the ARIDFLO project are sent to Janet Pritchard, a PhD student from Australian National University studying the use of otoliths for gauging the age of fish.

a) age distribution of the fish - years of successful recruitment to the population.

The catchment strategic plan developed by the Georgina Diamantina Catchment Committee outlines key issues of concern for the catchment community along with strategies to address these. The response to this catchment strategic plan has been very positive from the catchment community and beyond. The committee and all those people who helped formulate this draft can feel confident that it has been widely accepted by the catchment community.

During the consultation phase I also found that the strategic plan has great value in informing people about the issues and getting people to think about how they can help manage the resource. I think in this alone the strategic plan plays a most important role.

The next step for the committee is to move from planning to the implementation of the strategic plan. To identify key 'focus' issues to concentrate the committee's activities on for the next twelve months. The committee is planning to identify these key issues at the Birdsville meeting in October, so please come along and have your say on the key issues you think the committee and catchment community need to concentrate on in the coming year. Remember GDCC meetings are open to the public.

The Queensland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has indicated it would like to commence a formal water management planning process for the Georgina and Diamantina catchments. It has initiated discussion with the GDCC about the committee participating in this formal process. This formal water planning process will determine the future management of the water resources of the Georgina and Diamantina catchments.

The GDCC is well placed as a community owned and driven committee to be able to represent the views of the catchment community on this important issue. We will be working with you, the community, at every step of the process. I think DNR should also be commended for wanting to include the community in the process and I am sure that, between us, we can come up with a sustainable and commonsense plan for the water resources of the catchment.

I was recently accompanied by Paul Myers from the Outback Magazine to Lake Eyre environs and Birdsville track area. Paul is keenly interested in the future of inland Australia and its sustainable management. We had opportunity to discuss a lot of the issues we are dealing with and Paul did a story in Outback issue 12 Aug/Sep.

We are also trying to organise a story on the Georgina River in the lead up to the launching of the catchment strategies in October. Outback magazine is again interested in covering this story, as is the ABCTV Australian Story.

The story will bring together people from past and present to talk of the significance of the river to them and of its future management.

This is my last article for the Lake Eyre Basin newsletter. I am moving back to the Northern Territory to take up a position of Town Clerk/CEO of a community south west of Darwin. As many of you know I have a long association with community management and development in this region.

Reflecting on my time with the Lake Eyre Basin Coordinating group I feel very fortunate to have worked with such a great group of people, and to have been involved with a process that will assure the sustainable management of a large part of outback Australia.

I suppose, however, the thing that stands out most of all for me is the people of the basin. The shopkeepers, pastoralists, ringers, Aboriginal people, miners, ordinary and exceptional people. I found that through out this huge diversity of people, with a wide range of opinions, spread across such a vast distance of outback Australia that there was always one common thread. They are all keenly interested in the future of the basin and that it be managed sustainably for the future. People really care about what is happening and about the future of the place they live in. With this common thread running through the community the Lake Eyre Basin process will have nothing but success in the future.

I wish all of you all the best in your endeavors and farewell to the many of the friends I have made across the Lake Eyre Basin.

The Barcaldine community geographic member on the Cooper's Creek Catchment Committee is a firm believer in sustainable natural resource management, and a keen proponent of vegetation management, Merv has tripled the carrying capacity of his block, 'Alice River' with judicious improvements.

His philosophy of "You can shear a sheep every year, but you can only skin it once" has seen him actively involved in Aramac Landcare and the formulation of tree clearing guidelines in association with Queensland Department of Natural Resouces.

Along with his wife and family, Merv intends to stay at 'Alice River' because community is so important - "everyone within cooee is a friend and everyone's kids are our kids."

Aramac district pastoralist and earthmoving contractor, Mike Price, is the community geographic representative for the Muttaburra area.

In his years as a heavy machinery contractor Mike has seen both well managed and poorly managed landscapes. He has drawn on these observations, his own experience and the experience of others to frame the management practices on his own property, 'Marengo'.

Mike is committed to a balanced vegetation and water management debate and has been heavily involved in this area. He believes judicious development is a very useful and necessary tool for achieving equitable sharing of resources between economic and environmental requirements, and sees his role as injecting a development perspective into the Cooper's Creek Catchment Committee.

As the Muttaburra community appointee, Mike is the channel for a two-way flow of views and information between the community and the catchment committee.

STOP PRESS: Ian Duncan (Isis Downs, Isisford) is the new community geographic member for the Blackall Region of the Cooper's Creek Catchment Committee

Outback Australia has seen some of its heaviest rains on record during the first four months of 2000. In many regions across the Lake Eyre Basin the record books have been rewritten.

The rains have guaranteed a good season throughout most of the Basin and graziers are pretty happy with it.

Widespread flooding in February affected the upper Basin towns of Longreach and Winton with residents being evacuated and highways closed.

All the major Western Queensland river systems - the Cooper, the Georgina and the Diamantina - received beneficial floods.

Heavy rain in Central Australia brought about major river flows in the north western parts of the Basin, with the Finke, Hugh and Todd Rivers running at the highest level for two decades.

In the western parts of the Basin Oodnadatta and William's Creek were cut off by road for some weeks, with the Macumba and Neales Rivers running strongly.

The February flood rains were followed up by steady waves of rain depressions over most of the Basin bringing about one of the most stunning seasons many pastoralists can recall.

Then at the end of April the Centre received another 250 mm (10 inches) bringing tourism to a temporary standstill but Central Australian pastoralists are smiling.

In the Channel Country of the Cooper alone, between Windorah and Innamincka, it is estimated the season will provide a dividend in excess of $25 million to pastoralists over the current fattening period.

Extrapolated Basin wide, the economic benefits of this rare season are enormous.

While tourism has been 'dampened' in the short term in Central Australia, the products of the season like the filling of water systems, the at least partial filling of Lake Eyre and the expected wild flower extravaganza in the desert regions will take tourist interest to unprecedented levels.

This is already being felt in the Lake Eyre region where tourists are said to be already pushing accommodation infrastructure to the limit.

The heavy rains follow the strong La Nina pattern of the past two years. In the face of some comment that the heavy rains are outside normal expectations and are the result of global warming (particularly with a report that the nineties, with a rise in average temperature of 1/3 of a degree, made up the hottest decade on record) most climatologists now agree this years rainfall is within annual expectations.

So much has been achieved within the Cooper's Creek Catchment in the first few months of 2000. The Community/Geographic regions in the northern part of the catchment have been redefined and the community nomination and appointment process has commenced; the Draft Strategic Plan has been discussed at public meetings; the Cross-Catchments Weeds Initiative is gathering momentum; and the first committee meeting for the year has been held.

Following the review of the committee composition, the northern section of the catchment has been divided into five new regions, identified by their social centres of Muttaburra, Barcaldine, Longreach, Blackall and Jundah. Each of these regions will have a Community/Geographic member on the Cooper's Creek Catchment Committee. These new regions replace the former Longreach and Jundah regions which covered the whole northern section of the catchment with two committee members per region. The 'old' regions of Windorah and Innamincka remain as is, each with two Community/Geographic members on the CCCC.

Merv Schwarz is the popularly chosen nominee for the Barcaldine area while Mike Price has been appointed for the Muttaburra area. An invitation for nominations has been extended in the Blackall region.

Due to the resignation of Bob Morrish and Bill Scott in the Windorah region, a public meeting was held in Windorah in April at which John Rickertt and Sandy Kidd were appointed to the vacant positions. Helen Rickertt and Alan Hubbard are their respective Proxies.

The Draft Strategic Plan for Cooper's Creek has drawn a lot of interest. Initial confusion between the draft strategy and the Department of Natural Resources Water Management Plan caused some consternation. A series of public meetings, media releases, interviews and personal contacts have countered many of the misconceptions and have illustrated the Lake Eyre Basin strategies as tools for greater community say in natural resource management.

In addition to community input at the public meetings, comments have also been received by post from over 70 people.

The Cross-Catchments Weeds Initiative is progressing: the Working Group has held a number of meetings. A draft strategy is being written, and will pull together all the Shire Council Pest Management Plans and work carried out by Government, Landcare and pest management groups. Government representatives from South Australia and the Marree Soil Conservation Board will be travelling to Longreach for the next Workshop in June. (See separate story on Weeds Initiative) Coopers Creek Catchment Committee Meeting

The first meeting for 2000 for the Cooper's Creek Catchment Committee was held in March at Longreach. One full day was needed to cover the issues impacting on the catchment communities. The Water (Allocation and Management) Plan and Vegetation Management were high on the Agenda.

One of the major concerns the Committee had with the Water (Allocation and Management) Plan was the perennial problem of the traditional definition of a watercourse and the fact that this does not cover the braided channel system. These concerns have been expressed in a letter sent to the Department of Natural Resources. Support on this issue has also been requested from the Lake Eyre Basin Coordinating Group and the Georgina/Diamantina Catchment Committee.

An outline of the new Queensland Vegetation Management process proved very interesting. Regional Vegetation Management Committees (RVMC) in consultation with the wider community will be established to develop vegetation management plans. It is expected that the Cooper's Creek Catchment Committee will be invited to put forward a representative on the RVMC. Nora Brandli, Coordinator

One of my major tasks as Chairperson of the Coordinating Group is to communicate the vision and objectives of the Basin community and stakeholders. To do this I have travelled to most parts of the Basin and attended a range of meetings and consultations in Brisbane, Adelaide and Canberra. My message is always the same: this is our vision for ecological, social and economic sustainability, these are our priorities, and this is how we would like to work in partnership with you in achieving our shared goals. People of the Basin search maps and photos with great interest for 'their place' and place a high value on our draft plans and brochures, while photos of key sites intrigue people in the cities.

During the first week in May this year, I visited parts of the western rivers catchment. I had been invited to meet Aboriginal leaders in the region by Dean Ah Chee the Ranger in charge of Witjira National Park. Heavy rains in the Finke catchment made tracks impassable north of Oodnadatta and we were unable to reach the park. But I was able to take a flight from William Creek over Lake Eyre as it was filling. It was fascinating for me to see the brown waters of the Macumba River flooding into the Kallikoopah River and then joining the dark waters of the Warburton River in a great swirl of grey-brown floodwater before entering Lake Eyre. Don Blesing

The weeds initiative is a 'cross-catchments and state borders' approach to managing major noxious weeds in the Cooper's Creek and Georgina/Diamantina catchments. It builds on and links the Pest Management Plans developed by Shire Councils and the Weeds of National Significance strategies.

the effective utilisation of resources and information through collaborative ventures between stakeholders (Government departments and agencies, Shire Councils, Maree Soil Conservation Board, Landcare groups etc).

the development of a five year cross-catchments management plan, with a commitment to ongoing management after this term

the establishment of a project partnership with the relevant State and Commonwealth Government departments for support with the implementation of the management plan.

One of the major principles of the initiative is to use what is already in place and build on what has been developed and achieved.

Furthering the philosophy established at the inaugural workshop in December last year, the Working Group has had two meetings to progress the initiative. Five-year costing sheets and special maps have been developed and sent out to individual landholders and councils for completion. Many of these have already been returned and are being collated into a 'larger picture' framework. Mapping information is being collected onto the Department of Natural Resources' PESTINFO weed mapping program. All this will assist in gauging the size (both in dollar value and geographic area) of the project.

A draft management plan/strategy is being developed and will be presented for comment at the next workshop.

Education and awareness are recognised as major contributors to the initiative. Prevention of spread, management techniques and identification of new weeds will be highlighted in a series of publications including a poster, an A4 brochure and a document on spread prevention.

Is there a particular spot in the Basin special to you? Does one spot bath you in peace and tranquillity, wash you with sadness, stir you to action, fortify you for an odyssey, or simply encapsulate your life? Please share it with us all. There is no need to be specific about the location, but do send a clear photograph along with your name and address and no more than 100 words on why your spot means so much to you. We'll publish them as space permits.

The period for public consultation on the three draft strategies for the Lake Eyre Basin, Georgina/Diamantina and Cooper's Creek is closing soon. If you would like to see something added or changed, please contact us. Even if you think the draft strategies are great, let us know we are on the right track.

Kate across the Desert Rivers, Western Rivers and Lake Frome regions, discussing the drafts with as wide a range of people as possible.

Whether you live in an outback town, run a property or tourism venture, or just care about the future of the Lake Eyre Basin and its people, we encourage you to participate.

The wet has held us up but we will be travelling through near you soon. Ring 07 4658 0600 for more details.

In early February I addressed the National Heritage Trust Advisory Committee about the Lake Eyre Basin Coordinating Group. The committee advises the NHT Board which is made up of the relevant Federal Ministers. The LEBCG relies upon NHT funding.

The Advisory Committee had been discussing 'Managing Natural Resources', a government discussion paper. This paper explores the idea of regional organisations working in partnership with government for sustainable management of Australia's natural resources and the committee was interested in hearing from our community based regional organisation.

The challenges we face working across the Lake Eyre Basin include its scale (1/6th of Australia), multiple jurisdictions, and environmental and social diversity. Stakeholders designed the LEBCG to take into account these challenges and to be appropriate for the Outback. Regional organisations, such as LEBCG, need to vary between regions to cater for different environmental and social characteristics, and to address priority issues.

The major characteristics of the LEBCG are that it is community initiated, designed and driven, working in partnership with all levels of government. Its guiding principles include participation and inclusiveness. Community ownership and participation is essential for successful outcomes and this takes time and patience. For successful partnerships with government, learning will need to occur in all quarters. We need to meet in the middle.

The LEBCG met at Alice Springs in March. There we welcomed the newest addition to the group, Peter MacDonald. Peter is the Alice-based government observer for the Northern Territory. The group met with stakeholders, discussed natural resource management issues of the region, and the relevance of the Lake Eyre Basin process.

The Coordinating Group has established a consultation process with Aboriginal people of the Basin to fill the position on the Group of a skills-based member for Aboriginal issues.

In the two days prior to the March meeting the Coordinating Group undertook a team building exercise. This involved camping out (no novelty for most members but great in the Macdonnell Ranges), working together on problem solving, learning how we work as a group and how to improve. All participants were pleased with what was gained and will continue to apply those lessons. Though muesli bars for breakfast is a lesson most will leave behind.

On the South Australian government front, the Department of Environment, Heritage and Aboriginal Affairs is no longer and we now have two new departments, Water Resources, and Environment and Heritage. Don (Blesing - LEBCG Chair) and I met with the two new Ministers in April, briefing them about the Lake Eyre Basin and the work of the LEBCG.

The new South Australian Arid Areas Catchment Water Management Board has been formed and will develop a water management plan across the rangelands of SA. Lynn Brake, chairperson of the previous Arid Areas Water Resources Committee, will chair the new Board. The LEBCG and catchment committees will seek to work closely with the Board.

Communicating and collaborating with relevant organisations is a key part of our work. Attending a Great Artesian Basin Consultative Committee meeting in March

Don and I gave a brief presentation about the LEBCG and invited comments on the draft strategies. We are exploring opportunities to work with the GABCC with its Chair and deputy.

We have had a successful media campaign around the Basin encouraging input on the draft strategies. Through the print media and radio interviews we have been ensuring people are aware of their opportunity to participate. As a follow-through, there will be further consultations across the Basin.

A Conservation Strategy for the Finke Bioregion (investigating and documenting the biological, cultural and recreational resources to allow strategic conservation planning) - Geoff Cole, NT Parks and Wildlife Commission

Alice Springs Native Vegetation Program (integrated and sustainable management of native vegetation within the municipality) - Ange Vincent, Alice Springs Town Council

Sustainable Grazing in the Channel Country Floodplains (pasture responses to flooding and grazing) - Andrew White, Queensland, Department of Primary Industries

The recurring flooding in the rivers of the Lake Eyre Basin has provided ideal conditions for the start of the Aridflo project . The two-year project aims to improve knowledge on the relationships between river flows and the responses of aquatic flora and fauna. The South Australian Department for Water Resources (SADWR) is running the project in conjunction with Queensland's Department for Natural Resources (QDNR) and the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS).

The first field survey was recently completed at four groups of sites - Neales River to the west of Lake Eyre, Goyder Lagoon and the upper Diamantina area on the Diamantina River, and Coongie Lakes and the Thompson River on the Cooper Creek system. In addition there was an aerial waterbird colony survey of some Channel Country wetlands.

The flooding was perfect timing for the project to identify biological changes but it also caused a few headaches! The Queensland team of Vanessa Bailey (QDNR) and Chris Mitchell & Phil Bourke (QPWS) were turned back from Diamantina Lakes sites by vast stretches of mud. The SA team, lead by Michael Good, had it's own problems - being stranded for a few days due to heavy rain, not being able to reach all sites, and having a few cases of Ross River fever.

Despite the problems, this first round of surveys has yielded invaluable information; juvenile fish pouring with new floodwaters onto the floodplain - even swimming across the Birdsville Track! Many waterbodies were teeming with larval fish; there was fish and aquatic macro-invertebrate species recorded way out of their known ranges, and huge waterbird breeding colonies already well established. As expected all the large yellowbelly were in Queensland while all the large mossies were in SA!

Landholders have an important role in this project. They have a wealth of knowledge about their local area and have valuable observations to offer about the biological responses to floods. The project will collect as much knowledge from landholders as possible to incorporate into the project's outputs.

The project will be able to track the biological changes as the floods recede over the next 12 months, with the next survey planned for August 2000.

For further details contact Michael Good (SADWR - Adelaide) Ph 08 8204 9084 or Vanessa Bailey (QDNR - Longreach) Ph 07 4658 4943).

The wet weather has certainly curtailed the activities of the committee, in particular the Coordinator, who has been grounded for most of the year - much to the consternation of himself and the other staff.

It has also attracted much media attention, particularly with water going into Lake Eyre. Over the next month, trips are planned with journalists from the Courier Mail and the Outback Magazine. We have also had several enquiries from documentary makers. The more we can promote the area, and our efforts in the management of its natural resources, the better for all.

The committee met recently at Winton on the 31st of March and 1st of April. The main topics of discussion were the new QLD Water Allocation and Management Bill, Committee memberships, and the GDCC Draft Surface Water Discussion Paper.

The GDCC has resolved to begin surface water planning for the Georgina and Diamantina catchments. A brave move some say, but the GDCC is all about community involvement in the natural resource management of the catchment. As a first step in gaining community views on the management of this resource, the committee has launched a discussion paper. It is still being developed, but if you would like a copy of the draft or wish to comment, give me a call.

There have been several recent changes to the membership of the GDCC. Gavin Miller transferred from Davenport Downs and resigned his position. The Committee decided to transfer this position to the Upper Diamantina where it was advertised and subsequently filled by John Paynter from 'Wando' Station. Ray Jansen from 'Lake Nash' has resigned due to other commitments and a member from the Alpurrurulam Community Council is expected to fill this Upper Georgina position. Merri Tothill from Primary Industries and Resources South Australia (PIRSA) has been transferred. The committee has requested a replacement from PIRSA. The conservation position held by Steve McAlpin is, by his request, now split with Colleen O'Mally from the Threatened Species Network in Alice Springs. Jim Tyler from BHP Cannington has taken up a new position in Western Australia and his proxy, Steve Malone from BHP will fill this industry position.

Charlie Phillott, with members of the Cooper Creek Committee, presented a delegation on the Cross-Catchment Weeds Initiative to the QLD Natural Resources Minister and Primary Industries Minister at a recent country cabinet meeting. This project is progressing well with a lot of community support behind it. (See separate story on Weeds Initiative)

The draft GDCC Catchment Management Strategy is still out for public comment. Whatever you think of the document, drop me a note or call with your comments. We need your feedback on this strategy.

Our email network is steadily building and if you would like to be included please email me.

Please call me at any time to discuss what the GDCC is up to. I will be travelling a lot throughout the catchment in the next few months and hope to catch up with as many of you as possible. Colin Tidswell, Coordinator

Alison Bell has taken over the reins of Office Manager and has immediately shown an aptitude for the GST minefield along with anything else the other staff can throw at her. She is a Longreach local who gained her experience in administration with Queensland Health, Public Health, the Qantas Founders Outback Museum, and the electrical contracting business of husband, Paul.

Several years working with youth were well spent as she now has five children of her own. She is heavily involved in school and community organisations, yet still finds time to do Paul's bookkeeping. Alison's philosophy is: 'Take one day at a time, because with five kids and one husband, anything can happen.'

Now 'circle and swooping' on computer keys is the new Communications Officer, Mark Kleinschmidt. Married with two young boys, Mark was born and raised in the Basin and comes to the job with a background in the pastoral, tourism and museum industries. He has also filled representative roles in Local Government as well as primary producer and community bodies.

For twenty years he worked with sheep and cattle on the watershed of the Diamantina and Cooper Creek river systems to the north-west of Stonehenge. Mark and his wife, Delia then ran their own small grazing enterprise before moving to Longreach in 1995 to work at the Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame.

The first camel arrived in Australia, at Port Adelaide, in 1840. Initially used by explorers in the arid interior, they later became the cornerstone of freight and communication as pastoral settlement widened across central Australia. They were also used by the Australians of the Imperial Camel Corps during World War One.

By about the mid-1920s motor and rail transport superseded the camel. Many unwanted animals were released into the desert where they have since bred to somewhere between 100,000 and 300,000 animals. They are now sought after world wide, particularly for racing.