The Envirofund Low Head Penguin Habitat Rehabilitation
This project aims to improve the habitat for Little Penguins in the Low Head Conservation Area. This also includes some removal of weeds and involvement from ‘Star of the Sea’ school students, George Town. Information about this project will be shared with the community in the coming months. For more details, please see the attached brochure (PDF, 586 Kb).
Rehabilitation and Water Qualty Improvement of the North Esk River, Blessington
Information Flyer (PDF, 4.5 Mb)
Tamar Priorities Tool Report
Analysis of Priority Areas for Property Management Planning in the Tamar Region (PDF, 712 Kb)
Tamar Sustainability Index
Quantifying the value of environmental stewardship services supplied by farmers to the wider community.
What is the Tamar Sustainability Index?
The Tamar Sustainability Index (TSI) is a system for calculating the benefits of environmental stewardship services that farmers provide to the wider community. Environmental stewardship services can include activities such as improved water quality, removal of weeds and pest animals, enhancing biodiversity, land rehabilitation and maintaining long term soil productivity for future generations.
More info. - click here
Summary of TSI (PDF, 240 Kb)
TSI Final report (PDF, 2.17 Mb)
TSI Guidebook (PDF, 16 Mb)
Newsletter Issue 1, August 2007 (PDF, 2 Mb)
Newsletter Issue 2, October 2007 (PDF, 600 Kb)
Newsletter Issue 3. January 2008 (PDF, 990 Kb)
Newsletter Issue 4, April 2008 (PDF, 7.7 Mb)
Newsletter Issue 5, June 2008 (PDF, 428 Kb)
National Peer Review Meeting – 29 April 2008 (PDF, 277 Kb)
Tamar Sustainability Index – Field Testing November 2007
Shape today 14.12.07 Tasmanian Country article. (PDF, 327 Kb)
Farmers
the Focus of Tamar Research 21.11.07 Launceston Advertiser article.
(PDF, 90 Kb).
March 2007
Managing Remnant Bush and Riparian Areas – March 2007
The aim of this program is to provide fencing incentives for landholders in the Tamar Region to protect and better manage native bush and riparian areas (creeks, rivers & wetlands) to improve their condition and benefit production outcomes for landholders.
Retaining native vegetation provides many benefits such as the provision of shelter for stock, crops and pasture, natural pest control, soil condition and water quality improvement, erosion control and critical habitat for threatened flora and fauna species.
As of April 2007 funding will also be available for fencing of riparian areas (creeks, rivers & wetlands) to improve their condition and benefit production outcomes for landholders. The exclusion of livestock from riparian areas benefits native fauna, improves stream bank stability and improves water quality for both on-farm use and downstream users.
Tamar NRM will be providing financial incentives and management advice to landowners in the Tamar Region from April 2007 to April 2008. Funding is now available for:
- Fencing native remnant bush & riparian areas
- Off stream stock watering facilities
- Limited weed control (including willow removal)
If you would like more information on this grants program please call Nicole Walsh on 63 23 3310 - see also this PDF flyer and Expressions of Interest Application Form (PDF, 28K).
January 2007
Gambusia Project
Gambusia
holbrooki, commonly and erroneously nown as “Mosquitofish” are
a threat to Tasmania’s freshwater biodiversity.
Now established
in the Tamar River in Northern Tasmania, Gambusia prey on native fish,
frogs and tadpoles, give birth to many live young each season and survive
in extreme conditions. They have no real predators here.
Tamar NRM is working with community and Government groups to eradicate
and control as
appropriate this hardy and aggressive pest. Together we can make a difference.
For more information contact the Gambusia Project Officer on 6323-3310,
The Inland
Fisheries on 6233-4140 or The Fishcare Volunteer Co-ordinator on 6233-2033.
September 2006
TAMAR ESTUARY MANAGEMENT PLAN CONSULTATION
SFM Environmental Solutions in partnership with Tamar NRM have been engaged by NRM North to develop a Tamar Estuary Management Plan.
The development of this Management Plan is considered a key investment by NRM North and will provide a blueprint for the future management of the Estuary’s natural values as well as providing leverage for future investment for works programs.
Two public workshops on 13 and 14 September have been arranged. The workshops will be run in the same format on both evenings and participants have the opportunity to attend either session. These workshops represent the first in a series of public consultation meetings that will be facilitated by SFM over the coming months.
The aim of the workshops will be to discuss and identify the priority natural values of the Tamar Estuary, the known threats to these values and to discuss appropriate management options.
Please click here for an invitation flyer to the workshops and feel free to forward this invitation on to other interested parties or individuals. If you are unable to attend a workshop you can fill out a "Tamar Estuary Feedback Form" located here as a Word document or PDF.
January 2006
ROOFS Update
The final reports from the ROOFS Scoping Study have been received from the consultant and are available on the Tamar NRM website under Reports. A summary of the outcomes and the proposed ROOFS Delivery System to be trialled commencing in 2006 is provided in Bulletin 3.
The ROOFS Delivery System will consist of three components – ROOFS Property Management Systems, ROOFS Support System and negotiation Recognition Systems.
Development of the Trial of the ROOFS Delivery System is currently underway. Progress will be reported on the website.
October 2005
ROOFS Update
The National Landcare Program funded, ROOFS (Regional Outcomes On-Farm for Sustainability) Scoping Study has significantly progressed towards incorporating Australia’s best methods and tools for addressing natural resource management issues into a system that is useful for landholders, government and regional interests.
The first step of the project was the stakeholder analysis which involved asking stakeholders at local, regional, state and national level what they wanted in such a system. In late July this year the consultant team, Saan Ecker, Jacky Williams and Ian Kinnemonth ran a series of seven meetings in the Launceston area for interested farmers, Council planners, industry organisations, researchers and State government regulators. The views and experience of national players in natural resource management, sustainable agricultural research and industry bodies were added to the information already gained in Tasmania.
Over 30 attended the stakeholder meetings and provided their views on what is required, what is being used now and how the system can be improved. As one Tamar farmer said: I want a system that incorporates water, soil, vegetation and game management plans that is linked to a property management plan and helps me deal with the documentation for development and other approvals.
Although all stakeholders agreed that a new approach to NRM delivery is long overdue there was considerable diversity in what were considered to be the key issues for sustainability amongst the stakeholder groups. Some areas of commonality included:
- the impact of knowledge silos;
- the perception of an increasingly negative image of farmers;
- problems with defining sustainability and standards to measure this;
- the need for farmers to prove sustainability;
- the question of who should pay for "public good" activities; and
- the decline in socio-economic standing of farmers.
The results of the Stakeholder Analysis are currently being finalised for distribution to all who had an input as well as informing the development of a ROOFS Pilot delivery model to be completed by the end of November.
An Australia-wide review of approximately 215 of the best practice tools available has also being undertaken as part of the ROOFS project. These tools include property management plans, environment management systems, mapping systems, accreditation and quality assurance tools, knowledge sharing schemes and regulatory approaches.
Input and views on any elements of the ROOFS Scoping Study are welcome and can be provided by either contacting Kay Bailey, Tamar NRM on 03 6323-3310 email: kay.bailey@launceston.tas.gov.au or by contacting the consultants directly on saane@westnet.com.au
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State and Local Government
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Industry
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National
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| Whole of Supply chain approaches to sustainability |
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| Landholder award for best practice |
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| Farm Tours |
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| Education — consumers |
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See also ROOFS Bulletin 2
June 2005
REGIONAL OUTCOMES ON FARM FOR SUSTAINABILITY (ROOFS): SCOPING STUDY
Project Management: Kay Bailey, Tamar Region Natural
Resource Management Reference Group Inc (Tamar NRM)
Contractor: Saan Ecker Consultant
Location: Tamar NRM sub-region (Launceston, West
Tamar and Georgetown municipalities)
Duration: May to November 2005
Project Details
AIM
To undertake a scoping study to develop a delivery model for sustainable land
use change in the Tamar Region.
OBJECTIVES
1. To design and assess over a 7-month period the feasibility of the ROOFS
concept for future broad application and implementation. This includes recommending
temporal and spatial scales, resource and funding requirements; and
2. To identify and propose pathways to potential partners from various sources
for investment in the future implementation of ROOFS in the Tamar Region as
a pilot project for the Northern Tasmanian Region and nationwide.
The project will result in:
- Stakeholder needs analysis report
- Databases of information
- Resource and information mapping and analysis report / database
- Recommendations for appropriate tools to change on-farm management
- Demonstration of knowledge mapping
- Final design report for the ROOFS Pilot Project
- A draft project application to seek investment in a trial of the ROOFS Pilot using NHT or NLP guidelines as a basis
- Final report and presentation to stakeholders.
For more information contact Kay
Bailey Tamar NRM on 6323 3310
or Saan Ecker 0428 172 011
See also: Roofs Bulletin 1 (PDF, 171 Kb) and Invitation to Landholder Meetings (PDF, 60 Kb)