NEWS + STORIES 2012

Local producers Greg and Sally Chappell, in conjunction with GLENRAC and the Soils for Life Organisation hosted a hugely successful field day last Wednesday 21st November at Shannon Vale Station. The field day was attended by 130 interested participants, mainly producers from across the New England and North West, with some visitors travelling from as far afield as Goondiwindi, Barraba, Grafton and the Northern Territory.

A group of 20 local landowners recently enjoyed some hands-on wildlife encounters at Rummerys Hill, 20 kilometres north of Glen Innes. They got to see and handle a snake, spiders, lizards, frogs, bats, possums and even a mouse-sized dunnart.

GLENRAC is now calling for Expressions of Interest from landholders to control Blackberry or Lantana along the Mann River.

A group of enthusiastic livestock producers from across the New England attended a field day focused on the positive benefits of dung beetles, challenges presented by foxes and their impact on cattle producers.  The half day session was held at the Glen Innes Agricultural Research & Advisory Station with dung beetle expert Dr Bernard Doube from South Australia as key note speaker.

Local cattle producers, Greg & Sally Chappell have been recognised for their innovative management practises by Outcomes Australia, which through its Soils for Life program is aiming to reverse Australia’s land degradation crisis.

A vibrant group of young farmers from Glen Innes and surrounding districts, including Inverell and Guyra took advantage of the Pasture to Pocket grazing management course organised by GLENRAC in late October.

GLENRAC hosted a Tree’s for Farm field day last Thursday; wet weather forced a last minute change of venue from ‘Ker Even’ to the Show Grounds Tea Rooms. Despite the wet weather the event attracted 25 interested land managers to hear from our guest speakers Shane Andrews, Armidale; Chris Eveleigh, Kentucky and Troy Dawson, Glen Industries.

Livestock producers across the New England North West are invited to a field day focussed on issues of importance.  This day will look at the positive benefits of dung beetles, challenges presented by foxes and the emerging major issues they are causing cattle producers.  The half day session is being held at Jim Benton’s “Weathervale” on Tuesday 30thOctober starting at 8.30am.

Local landholders who are interested in planting trees now or in the future are invited to attend a Trees for Farms field day. The field day will be hosted by GLENRAC at Col & Joy Bakers property "Ker-Even" 14457 Grafton Road, east of Glen Innes on Thursday 11th October 2012. The day will commence with morning tea at 9:30am and will conclude at approx 12:00pm.

Young graziers in the Glen Innes district focused on improving farm profit and protecting their natural resources are encouraged to attend a 2 ½ day sustainable grazing workshop. “Pasture to Pocket” begins 23rd October and is presented by nationally renowned Resource Consulting Services at the heavily discounted price of $100 per person (normally $1,000). The workshop involves a mix of “in room” theory discussions as well as a field trip focusing on applying the principles and tools discussed.

Expressions of Interest are now being called for landholders interested in having GLENRAC map native trees & shrubs planted on properties across the Glen Innes district.

On the 20th September, GLENRAC will be hosting a “Healthy Soils” workshop. The workshop is aimed at landholders in the region with an interest in improving soil health on their properties. The workshop will be delivered by well known training organisation Resource Consulting Services and will expand understanding of the linkages between healthy soils, healthy animals, healthy people and an ongoing healthy profit.

The Mann River Reach project provides funding for land owners from the Northern Rivers Catchment Management Authority (NRCMA). This project has invested funds over the past two years for projects along the Mann River including fencing to manage stock access to the river; installation of alternative watering points, planting of native trees and shrubs, weed control of emerging weeds such as broad and narrow leaf privet, honey locust and Japanese honey suckle.

A survey to assess landholder concerns regarding pest animals has been developed as a part of the “Pest Animal Management and Landholder Engagement in New England NSW” project. The responses received from the survey will assist Landcare and other organisations such as the Livestock Health and Pest Authority, Department of Primary Industries and Catchment Management Authorities to gain a snap shot of pest animal concerns and current management across the region.

Livestock producers around Glen Innes district have volunteered to be part of a Dung Beetle Friendly Farms project. The project will look at the positive benefits of a very efficient recycler and determine the range of species in the Glen Innes district over the period of 12-months.

The 2012-13 Community Action Grants funding have been announced last week and includes $1,776,120 for 106 projects in New South Wales. GLENRAC has been successful in securing funding for three projects totalling $55,200.  These projects are to map revegetation planting in the Glen Innes district $19,500, Pasture to Pocket training for young farmers $16,300 and Community action to protect a regionally significant wildlife corridor Year 2 (Rummerys Hill Landcare) $19,400.

GLENRAC has recently secured funding through the Australian Governments Biodiversity Fund for the control of honey locust on the Mann & Severn Rivers. GLENRAC will receive $109,3000 over three years and will target 110km of river frontage on private and public lands.

New England North West Network Chairs Inc were successful in gaining funding from the 2011-13 Federal Governments Caring for Our Country program. The regional project entitled “Pest Animal Management and Landholder Engagement in New England NSW” covers the five Landcare network areas of Granite Borders Landcare (GBLC), Glen Innes Natural Resources Advisory Committee (GLENRAC), Southern New England Landcare (SNEL), Upper Gwydir Landcare Association (UGLA) and Gwydir Macintyre Resources Management Committee (GWYMAC).

More than 50 people from as far away as Tamworth and Tenterfield were treated to an informative presentation by Luke Bowman from “Break it Down Composting” Manilla, at the Ben Lomond Memorial Hall on Thursday 21st June. He walked us through his introduction to composting using the CMC method (controlled microbial composting) developed by the Luebke family in Austria.

At the recent Landcare Adventure hosted by Gwymac Landcare in Inverell, Major General Michael Jeffery presented the GLENRAC Landcare Award to local land owner, Peter King, in recognition of his contribution to the Rummerys Hill Landcare Group. 

GLENRAC is assisting the Northern Rivers Catchment Management Authority (CMA) in promoting the 2012-13 Northern Rivers CMA Incentive Program. The Program offers an opportunity for eligible landholders, groups of landholders and community volunteers, Natural Resource Management (NRM) providers and agencies to apply for funds to conduct on ground environmental works.

Rummerys Hill Landcare Group hosted a “Plant Identification of trees and shrubs on Rummerys Hill” afternoon on Saturday 25th February. The afternoon was well attended with many people from the Emmaville and Glen Innes district. The field day was held to provide information for those interested in identifying native species on their land or in their area.

The Ben Lomond Landcare group hosted a soils workshop at “Highfields” Ben Lomond on Wednesday 21st March 2012. Guest speakers for the workshop were Brian Wilson, soil scientist from the University of New England and Garry McDouall, holistic farming educator from Resource Consulting Services, Bingara.

GLENRAC hosted a field day on Friday 24th February at Jim and Yvonne Benton’s Strathbogie property “Reedy Creek”. The field day was held to showcase the results of Year 2 of a Coolatai Grass management demonstration at the property. The property is located approximately 50km north west of Glen Innes.

GLENRAC (Glen Innes) and GWYMAC (Inverell) have obtained funding as part of the Australian Federal Government’s “Caring For Our Country” program, to run a joint program along the Severn River stretching from the headwaters east of Dundee to Kwiambal National Park north west of Ashford where the Severn River meets the MacIntyre River. The funding application was approved in November 2011 and the project will be rolling out during 2012 – 2013.