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A recent High Court decision changing the way the Australian Government is able to setup contracts to spend its money could have significant effects on how some areas of community programs are funded.
The catalyst case for the change is Williams v Commonwealth of Australia, where a parent at a Queensland primary school twice challenged the validity of the federal government funding of chaplaincy services at the school, and won.
The decision holds that the Australian Government cannot provide funding for anything that it is not the ‘head of power’ for, which could affect the government’s current range of programs and grants that benefit individuals, business, industry and communities as a whole.
While we are not sure at this stage how it will affect our funding at Wheatbelt NRM, it will certainly impact many Commonwealth funding agreements, some of which may require restructuring to carry on.
It could also bring priorities back to national ones (rather than local), or those clearly articulated in the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (1999), which was drafted based on the Commonwealth head powers that could be inferred for the environment.
To read more, CLICK HERE and HERE.
Kind regards,
Wheatbelt NRM
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NEW - Wheatbelt NRM Regional Strategy
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The Wheatbelt Regional NRM Strategy guides NRM investment priorities within the region.
The regional community provided important guidance to the development of the strategy, which reflects their values and understanding of the environment they live in and know.
CLICK HERE for further information.
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Improving crop adaption to drought conditions
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The CSIRO’s latest edition of the Crop and Pasture Science journal features the 2013 Interdrought IV conference in Perth.
Learn more about increasing yields and improving crop stability under drought conditions by using different system, crop and plant manipulation approaches.
CLICK HERE for more information.
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Flies be gone, gosh dung it
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French dung beetles are being imported to WA by the CSIRO to tackle migrating bush flies in early spring.
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The project is supported by Meat and Livestock Australia and being implemented across southern Australia.
CLICK HERE and HERE for more information.
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Free seedlings from Greening Australia
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Greening Australia has trays of seedlings leftover from its planting program and is seeking landholders who will take them.
The seedlings include wattles, bottlebrushes, gums, brushwood, honeymyrtle and saltbush. They come free of charge, on a first-in-first-served basis and are available for immediate pickup from WA Farm Trees in Northam.
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Please contact the following Greening Australia staff for more information:
- Julia 0429 998 911
- Amelia 0458 444 557
- David 0407 881 082
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Wheatbelt NRM has five fantastic funding opportunities in September for landholders and community members in the Wheatbelt below:
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Bushcare grants will provide funding of up to $15,000 per property to community groups, groups of neighbours and individuals to help cover the cost of materials for a combination of activities including fencing, revegetation, bushland weed and feral animal control.
Closing Date: 24 September 2014
Click here for more information
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2014 Spring Red Card Incentives for rabbits and foxes
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Wheatbelt NRM is offering grants up to $750 to support local groups within the Avon River Basin who are involved in Red Card for rabbits and foxes. This funding can be used for:
- holding events based around the Red Card Program
- purchasing rabbit and fox baits for community use during the hot-baiting period
- offering incentives to encourage participation at Red Card events.
CLICK HERE for more information, or contact Anika Dent on 9670 3104 or email adent@wheatbeltnrm.org.au
Closing Date: 25 September 2014
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Mortlock Connections Funding
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Do you live in the East or South Mortlock Catchments and have a patch of bush that needs looking after? Funding is available to support landholders to cover the cost of materials for a range of activities to protect bushland, including:
- feral animal control
- environmental weed control
- revegetation
- fencing.
Click here for more information
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Trials and Demonstrations Program Round 2
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Grants of up to $20,000 are available to farmers and groups for approved trial and demonstration projects which aim to encourage the adoption of innovative practices.
Closing Date: 26 September 2014
Click here for more information
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Community Group Capacity Equipment Grants - Extended!
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Wheatbelt NRM has grants available for community groups to purchase equipment that will help their organisation grow and become more sustainable. Grants are available up to a maximum of $1000.
Closing Date: 26 September 2014
Click here for more information
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25 years of Landcare grants
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Australian communities will share in $5 million in 25th Anniversary Landcare Grants 2014-15 to help restore local environments as part of the Australian Government's National Landcare Programme.
Grants of between $5000 and $20,000 will be available to local groups to enhance their natural resources and engage with their communities when the grants open in mid-September.
CLICK HERE for more information.
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Request for Quote opportunity – feral control
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Wheatbelt NRM will soon be seeking submissions from suitably qualified and experienced consultants to carry out prescribed feral animal control within clearly defined threatened species habitat in the central Wheatbelt.
Contact Anika Dent on 9670 3104 or email adent@wheatbeltnrm.org.au to express your interest.
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Aboriginal NRM Project Delivery Officer
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An exciting opportunity exists to work with communities in the Wheatbelt to support participation in NRM.
The Aboriginal NRM Project Delivery Officer will provide leadership in Aboriginal engagement in natural resource management and facilitation of NRM projects in the Wheatbelt NRM Sustainable Communities program. This will include the engagement of community and delivery of on-ground projects that work with traditional owners, local community, farmers and government to build the capacity of the Aboriginal community in natural resource management. The position will also facilitate the sharing of knowledge from community and skills gained through the on-ground projects.
The position description, and application process can be found on the Wheatbelt NRM website CLICK HERE.
Applications close: Friday 17 October 2014, 5pm.
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Brookton Pasture Field Walk 2014
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A legume pasture field walk presented by the Department of Agriculture and Food will look at:
- regenerating French Serradella
- summer sown French Serradella
- herbicide trials of summer sown pastures
- rhizobium trials
- nutritive values of forage species (CSIRO).
Date: Thursday 18 September 2014
Time: 1:00pm – 4:00pm
Where: Colin & Anna Butcher’s property, Dale-Kokeby Rd, Brookton (follow signs)
For more information or to RSVP, please contact: Greg Shea 0427 449 398.
CLICK HERE to download the flyer.
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Anameka Farms Field Walk 2014
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Presenters include: Simon York, Hayley Norman, Dean Thomas, Brad Nutt, Angelo Loi, Lisa McCreery, Phil Vercoe and others.
- new ‘Anameka’ saltbush variety
- simple tips to optimise shrub grazing outcomes
- grazing wheat to fill the winter feed gap
- summer sowing of Margurita Serradella for early feed and herbicide options
- Biserrula as a tool for weed control and regeneration after cropping
- annual and perennial species to improvelivestock production efficiency.
When: Friday 19 September, 1pm – 4pm
Where: Simon & Tony York’s Farm, Tammin-Wyalkatchem Rd, Tammin
For more information or to RSVP, please contact Dryland Research Institute, ph: 9081 3111 or greg.shea@agric.wa.gov.au
CLICK HERE to download flyer.
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Muresk Institute’s Rural Life Weekend event is now running on one day, with workshops covering: property planning; handling livestock; tree planting; and, soils and pasture.
The event is aimed at small landholders and rural life-stylers and is a great opportunity to learn from industry experts and network with like-minded people.
When: Saturday 20 September
Where: Muresk Institute
Time: 9.30am – 5pm
Cost: $65, with catering
For more information, contact Muresk Institute on 1300 994 031, or email dina.barrett-lennard@dtwd.wa.gov.au
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Mt Marshall Sandalwood Field Day
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Enjoy a day of site visits, sandalwood and bee products and a sandalwood harvesting demonstration. Learn about bee-keeping as a secondary industry to sandalwood, as well as same year sandalwood and host plantation establishment.
When: Thursday 25 September 2014
Where: starting at Gabbin Hall, Gabbin
Cost: $10, catering included
To RSVP, contact Bencubbin Community Resource Centre, ph: 9685 1007 or email: bencubbin@crc.net.au
CLICK HERE to download the flyer.
Registrations close: Thursday 18 September 2014
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Perennial Grazing workshops
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Boost your animal health, increase your production and grow your ‘whole of farm’ profit with improved grazing options. Speakers include Dr Dean Revell and Dr Sarita Bennett, with topics covering:
- forage shrubs & the ‘Enrich’ project findings
- the science of the rumen and perennial plants
- perennial pastures for the inter-row.
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Pingrup
Wednesday 1 October 2014
2pm – 5pm
Rohan Willcocks’ farmshed, Steele Road
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Hyden
Thursday 2 October 2014
9am – 12pm
Wave Rock Motel
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To register, contact Jo Wheeler on ph: 9670 3121, or via email: jwheeler@wheatbeltnrm.org.au
CLICK HERE to download the flyer.
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Community Biosecurity workshop
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Come and get an update on biosecurity and how you can be involved!
Presentations by:
- Department of Agriculture and Food, WA
- Department of Parks and Wildlife
- Eastern Wheatbelt Declared Species Group
- Biosecurity Council
Date: Wednesday 8th October 2014
Time: 10am – 2pm
Where: Tivoli Room, Cummins Theatre, 31 Bates St, MERREDIN WA 6415
Cost: FREE, with lunch and light refreshments provided.
To RSVP, contact Leigh Whisson at leigh.whisson@wheatbeltnrm.org.au or on 9670 3136.
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