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ARCHIVED NEWSLETTERS - 2001
Issue 18 - September 2001
Expanded Membership for the Coordinating Group
The Lake Eyre Basin Coordinating Group has reached agreement to expand its membership to include the Lake Frome, Western Rivers, and Desert Rivers Regions. These regions of the Lake Eyre Basin have not, to date, been represented on the Group.
Group Chief Executive, Peter McLeod said that at the meeting held on 13th and 14th August at William Creek, the Group resolved to have a full complement of stakeholder representatives on board as soon as practical.
"We've got a lot of work to do to pull it all together. The challenge is ahead of us, but these are exciting times for the Group," said Peter McLeod.
“We had two newly appointed members in Andrew Clarke from Western Rivers and David Lord from Lake Frome attending the meeting and there are an additional 5 members to be finalised to achieve the broad representation we’re aiming for.
“This will be done through a process of nominations from stakeholder representative groups within the Lake Frome, Western Rivers and Desert Rivers regions. From these nominees the Coordinating Group will appoint members who it feels can best represent community stakeholders.
“Although these regions haven’t been formally represented on the Coordinating Group in the past, issues of concern or interest to them have been brought to the Coordinating Group by a variety of means.
“Perhaps the most effective means to date has been the very active Basin-wide network. We have also had representations by interested people – both in person and through current members – and our government observers are very diligent at bringing issues to the table.”
It is great to now have representation from catchments in the south and west of the Basin sitting on the Coordinating Group.
At the recent Coordinating Group meeting at William Creek we welcomed David Lord from the Lake Frome Region and Andrew Clarke from Western Rivers Region. An Aboriginal representative from Frome and a community representative from Western Rivers will join them soon.
We also agreed to invite three representatives from the Desert Rivers Region to join our group. Together with existing catchment representation these appointments will complete our building of an inclusive community base across the Basin.
Arabunna elder, Mr Laurie Stewart welcomed the Group to his country then stayed with us as an observer.
At William Creek we reinforced our core business as: supporting leaders in the Lake Eyre Basin through capacity building, and providing trusted knowledge to people of the Basin and to our external partners.
We recognised the need to use innovative and creative ways to build partnerships and gain funds to achieve the high priority actions in our strategic plan, ‘A Future for All’.
Specifically these priorities are: to involve indigenous people more effectively and to identify their land management priorities; to deliver knowledge in smarter ways; to build community capacity; and to support best practice action on the ground.
The Community Advisory Committee (CAC) to the Lake Eyre Basin Ministerial Forum met for the first time on 14th August at William Creek to the west of Lake Eyre.
Direct access to decision-makers was a key request by the community of the Lake Eyre Basin at a 1997 stakeholder meeting in Birdsville. The Lake Eyre Basin Coordinating Group, in its role as the Community Advisory Committee (CAC) to the Lake Eyre Basin Ministerial Forum, will provide not only that access, but also a channel to communicate the decisions and initiatives of the Ministerial Forum out into the community.
The CAC comprises the Lake Eyre Basin Coordinating Group, along with a representative from each of the Arid Areas Catchment Water Management Board (SA), Local Government Association of Western Queensland, and the tourism industry.
The additional three representatives on the CAC are a recognition by the Ministerial Forum of the importance of input from those three sectors to any policies or strategies for the management of water and related natural resources in the Georgina/Diamantina and Cooper’s Creek catchments of the Lake Eyre Basin.
Lynn Brake, Presiding Member of the Arid Areas Catchment Water Management Board (AACWMB) says it is important that his board is involved in the process. It’s our (the AACWMB’s) statutory responsibility to see all catchments continue to meet long term requirements so we need to be involved in any body formulating policy on water issues.
“What happens in Queensland is important to us here in South Australia so we need strong cross-border partnerships – the CAC is central to this. It will be advising the Ministerial Forum on issues across state borders, because what you do at one end of the catchment effects the other end.”
In Queensland, the prime method of service delivery to the communities of the Basin is Local Government and many of the member councils of the Western Queensland Local Government Association (WQLGA) fall either wholly or partly within the Basin. WQLGA President, Dougal Davidson says, “Our members are involved on the ground so it’s good that we’re part of the process and have the opportunity for input.”
A major growth industry in the Basin is tourism and according the Lake Eyre Basin Coordinating Group Chief Executive, Peter McLeod, it is essential the industry is represented on the CAC. More and more people coming out here to enjoy the unique landscapes and heritage of our inland river catchments,” says Peter McLeod, “so we have to be aware of potential impacts and plan for them.
“The Community advisory Committee is our unique opportunity to be proactive, to plan in advance so we never get, in these sensitive catchments, the water-related problems that have been allowed to develop in other areas of Australia.”
Lynn Brake sees the CAC as having a good mix of people with different backgrounds and plenty of ability and energy to get things done.
“Everybody is in a position to make sure there are good outcomes from this process and the goodwill is there to ensure it happens.”
Inland Rivers – Outback Tracks (Project Update)
A key element of the project is consultation, and its Coordinator has been out and about talking to relevant people in different parts of the Basin.
The project has kicked off with an initial consultation phase and is, as Coordinator Joc Schmiechen explains, already covering a lot of territory. I’ve already met with many of the tourism stakeholders in the far north-east of the Basin,” he says, “and have had a series of very productive meetings in the south on a trip that included Roxby Downs, Marree, Mungerannie, Innamincka, Cameron Corner, Bollards Lagoon, and Port Augusta. In fact, I’m now based at the Northern Regional Development Board offices in Port Augusta and hope to tie in with a number of complementary projects currently running in South Australia.”
‘Inland Rivers – Outback Tracks’ is a one-year Heritage Tourism Project looking to identify opportunities, while at the same time protect the rich natural and cultural heritage of the Lake Eyre Basin.
Joc Schmiechen says the project is looking at all relevant tourism related issues in the Basin.
“I’ll continue to travel extensively throughout the Basin meeting with a wide cross-section of the community to get their views and inputs,” he says.
“Key issues, as I see them at this stage, are infrastructure, impacts, access, marketing and promotion, research, training and standards, maintenance, product development, indigenous issues and interpretation.”
“Consultation with key stakeholders both inside and outside the region is a fundamental part of the whole project and the Lake Eyre Basin Coordinating Group’s extensive community network is integral to this process.”
One of the primary tasks of ‘Inland Rivers – Outback Tracks’ is to bring together the wide range of initiatives and strategies relating to tourism currently being undertaken at local and regional levels in parts of the Basin.
According to Joc, heritage and outback tourism is without a doubt, a major growth industry for the Basin and this project will provide a coordinated approach to developing an overarching strategy, along with action plans, which will promote the heritage tourism assets of the Basin in an integrated way.
“This project will provide a Basin-wide perspective and inform people working with the resources of the Basin on an agreed framework for future directions in managing and developing tourism,” he says.
Joc Schmiechen has extensive experience both in the tourism industry and with environmental issues in South Australia, Northern Territory and the Kimberley (see profile on page10). He sees the opportunity to share current information and trends on tourism and what it can and can’t do, as one of the more invaluable and immediate outcomes of this project. Please feel free to make contact and discuss any relevant aspects on phone 08 8641 1444 or 0409 200 450 or email jschmiechen@lebcg.org.au
The Group is working hard to broaden its funding base and will be making representations to a number of potential private and public sector investors to ensure our strategic plans are implemented. We welcome the budget night announcement on the extension of the Natural Heritage Trust for the next 5 years. This will enable the many groups and organisations within the Basin to implement new on-ground projects.
The LEBCG continues to push forward, covering new ground. We now have a presence in the south of the Basin with our Heritage Tourism Coordinator, Joc Schmiechen based at the Northern Regional Development Board offices in Port Augusta. This will enable us to work in partnership with several projects and have closer contact with new initiatives underway in the southern part of the Basin.
The Group met recently in the tiny outback town of William Creek. It was our first meeting in the Western Rivers Region and we look forward to forging stronger links with that community. This was also the first meeting of the Group in its role as the Community Advisory Committee to the Ministerial Forum.
The first activity the CAC will undertake will be to seek community feedback on a number of policies the Government has developed in regard to the Lake Eyre Basin Agreement. Details will be released as soon as possible.
Be sure to keep November 5, 6,and 7 free. These three days in Longreach will see a hive of activity as the Lake Eyre Basin community plans and develops its activities for the next year. The LEBCG and the Catchment Committees will report on their achievements of the previous year to a public forum that will also be entertained and informed by several interesting guest speakers. The Cooper’s Creek and Georgina/Diamantina Catchment Committees will also meet over these days as will the Community Advisory Committee. The public is welcome to sit in on these meetings and we look forward to seeing as many of you as possible in Longreach.
Lake Frome Region has direct representation on the Lake Eyre Basin Coordinating Group.
The Region’s first community representative on the Lake Eyre Basin Coordinating Group is David Lord of Thackaringa Station near Broken Hill.
David was involved in the early days of the Lake Eyre Basin process and is excited to now be back on board with the ability to formally take issues from the Lake Frome community to the Coordinating Group.
“To date, the focus has been on the major rivers to the north-east of Lake Eyre,” he says, “but it’s now time to move on and include the other regions in a representative manner.”
“My appointment is a good start for the Lake Frome Region and I’ll be joined as soon as possible by a member from the Aboriginal community.
“This (the Lake Eyre Basin Coordinating Group) is a great organisation – it’s the only organisation that’s taking a whole-of-system approach to sustainable natural resource management in our catchment and not only that, it endeavours to include all stakeholders in the process.”
David Lord is passionate about his country and is unshakeable in his belief that the only way to effectively manage its resources for future generations is by cooperative effort – all sectors of the community, industry and government working together.
“I’ve been to a lot of meetings and conferences of various sorts and at none of them have I seen the level of inclusiveness and dialogue that I see at Coordinating Group meetings.
“We already have a lot of bodies and committees down this end of the Basin to deal with local and regional issues but the Coordinating Group looks at the big picture stuff, and that’s what it (sustainable natural resource management) is all about.
“If you are going to manage a catchment, you have to manage the whole catchment, regardless of lines on a map like property boundaries and state borders.
“Our major issues in the Lake Frome Region are feral animals, weeds, underground water and surface water and none of them have any regard for different land ownership, tenure, use or administrative areas that’s why we need the catchment-wide approach.
“Have you ever seen a river or a feral pig (especially one carrying an exotic disease) that stops at the border?” he asks.
When asked how he sees the future, David Lord puts it simply, “We need healthy industries in the Rangelands with people out there managing the resources for the future; they are the most important element.”
You can contact David at Thackaringa Station on 08 8091 1638
Nominations to be sought for community representatives.
At its recent William Creek meeting, the Lake Eyre Basin Coordinating Group endorsed an expanded membership to include representatives from the Desert Rivers, Western Rivers and Lake Frome regions of the Basin.
Alice Springs based Peter McDonald (Regional Manager of the Department of Lands, Planning and Environment), has been the Northern Territory Government observer on the Lake Eyre Basin Coordinating Group since March 2000 and the Group is now seeking representation from the wider community.
Group Chief Executive, Peter McLeod says the Coordinating Group will be looking to fill as many as three positions from the Desert Rivers Region which lies predominantly within the Northern Territory.
“Our aim is to work closely with existing community, local government, industry and Aboriginal groups and organisations in the Desert Rivers Region to seek nominations for membership,” says Mr McLeod.
“We are seeking people who have a good knowledge of natural resource management issues of the region along with strong community networks and linkages, and good communication skills – people who are able to ensure a two-way flow of information.”
According to the Chief Executive, the Coordinating Group would have tangible benefits for natural resource management bodies in the Desert Rivers Region. We can offer these bodies access to: wide-ranging, quality networks; high levels of support; expert information and advice; and the government ear, especially Federal.
“The local government aspect is particularly relevant in the case of the Desert Rivers Region as more than half the Basin’s population is in the one urban area of Alice Springs. It’ important that there’s a balance between urban and rural representation on the Coordinating Group.
“We would like to have the new representatives on board for our next meeting which will be at Longreach in November.”
Lindsay Nothrop replaces Scott Parker on Coordinating Group.
Commonwealth Government observer on the Lake Eyre Basin Coordinating Group since its inception, Scott Parker of Environment Australia has moved to run the newly formed Secretariat to the Ministerial Forum. Scott’s position on the Coordinating Group has been filled by Lindsay Nothrop (Team Leader, Outback Regions – Natural Resource Management Initiatives) of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Australia.
Lindsay comes from a farming background in northern Victoria and has many years of experience in natural resource management including program administration and policy development at the Commonwealth level where he established the National Soil Conservation Program which subsequently evolved into the National Landcare Program.
Nominations were called in June to fill the vacant community geographic position for the Upper Diamantina area (Winton) and the response was very positive.
At its 20th and 21st of July Winton meeting, the Georgina/Diamantina Catchment Committee (GDCC) assessed the four very good applications resulting in all four nominees becoming directly involved in the activities of the Committee as either members, proxies, or GDCC working group members.
The Committee welcomes Jan McIntyre, Errol Entriken, Joslin Eatts and Ian Muir. Jan and Errol are pastoralists from the Corfield area north of Winton; Ian is a pastoralist on the Diamantina River to the west of Winton; and Joslin is a traditional owner from Winton.
Healthy self-assessment
The Georgina/Diamantina Catchment Committee (GDCC) continued its healthy self-assessment at the Winton meeting. The twin focuses of the meeting were the proposed Queensland Government Water Resource Plan for the Georgina/Diamantina Catchment, and the development of Operational Guidelines for the committee.
Water Resource Planning
Simon Wiggins from Queensland and South Australian State Government Agencies, and David Leek from the Arid Areas Catchment Water Management Board addressed the Winton meeting.
The Queensland Government is currently preparing an information paper to go to the Minister for Natural Resources and Mines. The Minister will use this paper to make a decision on whether to commence a Water Resource Plan for the catchment.
The committee again expressed its interest in being involved in the Community Reference Panel for the development of any future plan, and encouraged a whole-of-catchment approach by seeking the inclusion of representatives from South Australia and the Northern Territory in the process.
The GDCC Water Working Group will be looking to be directly involved in this process, and in the meantime, is continuing with the development of the Georgina Diamantina Surface Water Issues Paper.
Working links between the GDCC, the Arid Areas Catchment Water Management Board, and the South Australian Department for Water Resources were strengthened at the Winton meeting, the outcome being the increased likelihood of consistent natural resource management planning across state borders.
Operational Guidelines
The GDCC Review Working Group, with input from the Committee during the Winton meeting, has set about reviewing the Committee’s Operational Guidelines. These guidelines will outline the day-to-day workings of the Georgina/Diamantina Catchment Committee with a particular focus on membership. They are important; not only for Committee members, but also for those external to the Committee to have a clear understanding of how the Committee functions.
One issue of particular interest is Aboriginal representation on the Committee. The GDCC Aboriginal Issues Working Group has set about preparing a discussion paper focussing on options for inclusive Aboriginal involvement. The committee is conscious of the fact that there are 7 language groups in the Queensland section of the catchment alone, and more in the South Australian and Northern Territory sections, and that one group can’t speak for another’s country. Therefore, the need for a documented inclusive process is essential.
The GDCC Biodiversity Conservation Working Group has taken on the task of providing the committee with background, priorities, and direction in relation to biodiversity conservation with enthusiasm. The group is well on the way to preparing a draft biodiversity conservation paper for the catchment, with a view to identifying priorities, establishing working partnerships, and developing project proposals squarely aimed at biodiversity conservation.
Keeping the community informed of what is happening within the catchment is without a doubt one of the biggest challenges the Committee has. The GDCC Communications Working Group is in the process of preparing a discussion paper. This paper will guide the collection and distribution of information, products, and notices to target audiences in the catchment. This working group will also be involved in assisting Diamantina Shire Council prepare local information signage focusing on the natural assets of the Shire.
GDCC Working Groups are always open to new members, so if you would like to be involved, please contact Bill Haddrill on (07) 4658 0600.
Western Rivers has its first representative on the Coordinating Group in Andrew Clarke.
Andrew Clarke, owner of Allandale Station, near Oodnadatta became involved in the Lake Eyre Basin process in the early days when he went along to a meeting to fly the flag for the pastoral community. He is now the interim representative on the Coordinating Group for the Western Rivers Region.
“Our community over here is very small and to get representation and make the most of opportunities is pretty difficult,” says Andrew, explaining why he accepted the position.
He sees some great potential benefits with the Lake Eyre Basin Coordinating Group (LEBCG). If the LEBCG can bring about a coordination of the efforts of all the natural resource management bodies, then it will have nothing but positives for this region.
“Most of the issues of concern for the people of the Western Rivers Region are ones that cross local, regional and even state boundaries and are common across much of the Basin,” says Andrew Clarke, “and should be dealt with on a whole-of-basin, integrated basis.
“Western Rivers already has a pretty good coverage through local and regional bodies – that perhaps don’t talk to each other as much as they could – but nothing covering a complete drainage basin that crosses state borders. Weeds, ferals and water don’t respect borders and you can’t manage them without an integrated effort.
According to Andrew, the Coordinating Group can fill two other very important services to its stakeholders in the Western Rivers. One is additional ways of sourcing Natural Heritage Trust (NHT) funds for natural resource management projects and the other is the all-important voice to government.
“Over here we don’t have that voice at the Federal level; that’s one of the great strengths of the Coordinating Group. Although I must say, I’d like to see the Lake Eyre Basin Intergovernmental Agreement expanded to include all the Basin, not just the Cooper and Georgina/Diamantina catchments.”
“If it’s just another committee taking up our time, it’s not going to work,” he says, “but having said that, we’re like anyone else, we’ll get out of it what we’re prepared to put into it – these things are what you make them.”
Major issues of the Western Rivers Region are:
- pressure for public access to land by tourists and tour operators
- increasing pressure on inadequate infrastructure (roads and facilities) by tourists
- potential weed incursions (noogoora burr, parkinsonia, onion weed)
- influx of feral animals from the desert (camels, donkeys, brumbies)
- security of artesian water supply
The Cooper’s Creek Catchment Committee (CCCC) has formed four Action Groups to get down to the business end of implementing the Strategic Plan for the catchment.
The formation of the Action Groups was a significant outcome of the latest Cooper’s Creek Catchment Committee meeting which was held in the far north-east of South Australia at Moomba, site of the major Santos gas processing plant.
Each of the four Groups will be responsible for developing and implementing actions to address specific issues identified in the Strategic Plan.
Information Management Action Group – including issues relating to: networking; and learning opportunities. Maree Morton (08 8675 9903); Tony Rayner (07 4658 4400)
Natural Resources Action Group – including issues relating to: soil; vegetation; and water. John and Helen Rickertt (07 4656 4985); Jenny Bourne (08 8648 5316); Richard Kingsford (02 9585 6488); George Gorringe (07 4656 3155); Birgitte Sorensen (08 8204 8579); Andrew Johnson (08 8303 9532)
Industry Viability Action Group – including issues relating to: diversification; mining and petroleum; primary production; and tourism. Helen Avery (07 4658 1718); Bruce Scott (07 4656 3193); Ian Groves (07 4658 5985)
Environment Action Group – including issues relating to: biodiversity conservation; contamination and waste management; and pest management (Cross Catchments Weeds Initiative). Nalini Klopp (08 8648 4464); Ian Duncan (07 4658 8203); Mike Chuk (07 4658 4900); Sandy Kidd 07 4656 3168)
Cooper's Creek Catchment Committee members who were unable to attend the Moomba meeting are yet to be included in the Action Groups.
Involvement in the Action Groups is not restricted to Committee members so if you have an interest in any of these areas and would like to be involved, give the Coordinator (Nora Brandli) a call on 07 4658 0600 or contact one of the Committee members on the Action Groups.
Full steam ahead for the WISE Project
With so much interest in the Lake Eyre Basin and its catchments, the CCCC project “WISE (Water Information System for the Environment) Rivers and Wetlands Information System for the Cooper Creek Catchment” is sure to draw a lot of attention. A comprehensive list of information and material on the catchment has been compiled for the WISE database. This includes reports, journals, books, maps, videos, photographs, and historical documents. Of the more than 300 references found so far, approximately 100 have been retrieved and classified by content.
The final CD-ROM will feature an animation of the hydrology of the catchment. The animation will run for approximately 90 seconds and will illustrate the way water moves down the catchment and over the floodplains and how, in periods of high flood, the Cooper flows into Lake Eyre as well as Lakes Blanche, Gregory and Callabonna.
Next Meeting
The next meeting will be held on 5th and 6th November in Longreach as part of the annual combined meeting with the Georgina/Diamantina Catchment Committee and the Lake Eyre Basin Coordinating Group. Watch you local media (or phone me on 07 4658 0600) for details closer to the time. We look forward to seeing you there!
Joc Schmiechen is the Lake Eyre Basin Coordinating Group’s Heritage Tourism Coordinator. His work involves consulting widely with the people of the Basin and those outside the Basin with a stake in heritage tourism.
Since graduating from university, Joc has spent much of his time in the Australian outdoors. This has been a continuous learning process, reading and interpreting the language of the environment in some of the most remote, wild and pristine locations, from the Kimberley to the Antarctic.
Joc has worked extensively with tourism operators, industry and government agencies in the Aboriginal tourism sector in South Australia and the Northern Territory. More recently, he was involved with the development, packaging and marketing of a range of specialist nature-based and cultural experiences for the international market.
As an educator, science and adventure expedition leader, consultant, special interest tour organiser and lecturer, he has shared his passion and knowledge of the diverse Australian natural and cultural environment with countless companions of all ages and from many countries.
John De Satge has been the Indigenous Land Management Facilitator for Western Queensland for three years. He has recently joined the team at the Lake Eyre Basin Coordinating Group and will continue in his current role which is funded by the Natural Heritage Trust.
John assists Indigenous land managers in accessing various programs such as Landcare and Bushcare and provides a linkage to the major agencies involved with natural resource management.
“I find it exciting visiting different landscapes,” says John. This diversity includes the people (both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal) and their individual stories and histories.
“I live for the opportunities to hear these stories about country through different understandings, and to appreciate how and why they see it and say it so.
“My vision for Australia is for communities living and working together for the benefit of the country and those who will come after us.”
John is a member of the Waluwarra people whose traditional country is the Mt Isa, Dajarra, Urandangi area. He has worked across a broad range of government and non-government organisations and brings a wealth of knowledge on Indigenous issues to the Group.
Rod Fensham, Principle Botanist at the Queensland Herbarium, says it is time for some creative conservation measures for our artesian springs.
“We need a cooperative approach to protect springs,” Rod says.
“The greatest threats to the survival of these springs are excavation, ponded pastures, feral pigs, and reduced water pressure in the aquifer.
“Perhaps a local nature conservation agreement, a nature refuge, would be appropriate. If we can build some creative conservation measures into lease agreements that bind current and subsequent landowners, we’ve covered the local aspect of spring preservation.
“If such a measure translates into reduced market value for the property there will need to be some form of incentive for the landholder to participate.
“The other aspect of spring preservation is to continue the rehabilitation of the Great Artesian Basin bores to halt declining water pressure and prevent the continuing extinction of the springs along with their associated flora and fauna.
“These isolated and ancient, yet permanent sources of water in an arid landscape have allowed the evolution of a range of unique plants, fish and invertebrates found nowhere else on the face of the planet. Indeed, some are found in only a single spring.”
Rod Fensham has been surveying and studying Queensland’s artesian springs and has so far identified 519 active springs and 267 that have become extinct.
Artesian springs are the natural vents or release valves of the Great Artesian Basin (GAB). They occur mainly around the extremities of the GAB where the aquifer is close to the surface or where a fault line provides an escape through the overlying rock.
Since the discovery of this great resource in 1878, thousands of bores have been drilled into the GAB to access the life-giving water for pastoralism. Many of them flow uncontrolled, at phenomenal rates – McDill’s Bore in the Northern Territory gushes more than 500,000 litres (approximately 4 to 5 suburban swimming pools) per hour. Total daily discharge from the GAB’s bores is in the order of 1,200 million litres.
Up to 95% of this is wasted through evaporation and soakage from the inefficient, traditional open bore-drain method of running water to stock. This unsustainable large-scale use has caused pressures throughout the GAB to drop to the point where many bores have stopped flowing, as have many of the springs.
The GAB capping and piping project has seen bore-head control valves and polythene piping installed. This elimination of wastage has resulted in a rise in local water pressures with some springs at least reaping the benefit with increasing flow.
Many springs were once frequented by Afghan camel drivers who planted the seeds of their favoured date palms in the moist earth. Flourishing date palms now give some springs a distinctly Saharan oasis look.
Well before the turbaned camel men, Aboriginal people used artesian springs as the cornerstone of survival in a dry land. Bone middens and discarded grinding stones now serve as a reminder of the importance of artesian water to inland Aboriginal culture.