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History

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 9:28:07 EST

History:

The formation of the Desert Uplands began, when in 1994, the Aramac Landcare group applied to extend a scheme initiated by the South West Strategy, the Mulga Land Degradation Voluntary Property Build-up Scheme, to the Desert Uplands region.

Then in 1995, the Desert Uplands Build-up and Development Committee was established. Its role; to address economic, environmental and social issues, borne out of characteristics unique to the Desert Uplands Bioregion.

The Committee is made up of local community members who meet regularly around the region.

Meeting Dates Around The Region:

Monday 1st and Tuesday 2nd December - Charters Towers

Dates and venues will be confirmed before each meeting.

Build-Up and Development Strategy Committee

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 9:26:36 EST

The Desert Uplands Build-Up and Development Strategy Committee (DUBDSC) is a not for profit community group. The group was formed in 1995 and since then have been successfully completing projects to address regional issues. It is a dynamic group with strong community leadership who prides itself on achieving results.

The DUBDSC vision is "That the people of the Desert Uplands will, through sustainable economic and environmental development, progressively increase their standard of living and quality of life".

The DUBDSC motto is "delivering community solutions for regional issues"

Whats new......

2008/09 List of Committee members
Newsletter - Mining information day media release
Newsletter - Pest Plants of the Desert Uplands publication available to download online now
September 2008 newsletter available online.
Newsletter - A Guide to the Trees and Shrubs of the Desert Uplands publication available to download now.
Landscape Linkages - link to birds of the Desert Uplands
Newsletter - Landscape Linkages article by Gay Crowley from Tropical Savanahs CRC click here
Photo Gallery - Images from around the region

The Committee

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 9:26:13 EST

Committee:

The Desert Uplands is one of the longest running regional strategy groups in Queensland. The role of the DUBDSC is to address economic, environmental and social issues faced by landholders and their communities within the Desert Uplands bioregion.

The Desert Uplands Committee consults extensively with the wider community and public authorities and has developed strategies to improve the viability of communities and the sustainability of land use within the Desert Uplands.

The Committee also initiates and coordinates research projects, prepares submissions for funding and provides information to assist graziers in property management.

The Committee is made up of local community members who meet every two months around the region and hold meetings where the public are invited to attend.

Committee Structure:

Chairperson - Robyn Adams (photo right)

Vice-Chair - Bruce Currie

Treasurer - Peter Whip

Committee members:

Rebecca Arnaboldi,

Damian Arthur,

Phil Cook,

Margaret House,

Peter Klem - NRW,

Frank Lawrence,

Glenys Lawrence,

Frank Manwaring

Lew Markey - DPI,

Juliana McCosker,

Loretta McKeering (correspondance only),

Jess McKinlay

Serg Pelizzari,

David Thompson,

Bronwyn White,

Natalie Williams

If you would like more information about the Committee or would like to become a Committee member then please contact the Desert Uplands office.

Property Management Planning

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 15:22:22 EST

The Property Management Project (PMP) began in December 2006 and was started as result of monitoring and evaluation conducted by the Desert Uplands Committee. As a result of this monitoring and evaluation work the committee recognised that there was a strong interest from land holders, in the Desert Uplands, concerning different aspects of property management planning. This project aims to deliver information that will provide landholders with decision making tools, allowing them to implement informed management decisions and planning techniques to achieve sustainable and productive outcomes.

In December of 2006 the Burdekin Dry Tropics Natural Resource Management board funded the PMP project for the Desert Uplands. The project was designed to achieve its goals by using three techniques to involve land holders, these include;

One on one property visits discussing issues and providing information on natural resource management.

The one on one property visits are aimed at delivering information to land holders, supplying them with industry contacts, information on funding bodies and funding arrangements that may help them implement natural resource management techniques on their properties.

Capacity Building Projects

Some of the capacity building exercises that have been developed for this project include workshops covering the following areas;

Field Days on properties with strong local land holder input, showcasing land management techniques that have achieved positive natural resource management outcomes within the Desert Uplands.

Desert Steps Ahead Property Visits, providing you with information and support relevant to current property management challenges

Understanding climate workshops

GPS training

GIS workshops

Grazing Land Management Workshops

Funding on-ground conservation projects on properties

Within the project there has been $150 000 allocated to assist landholders on a 50:50 basis to design environmentally beneficial projects and implement them on their properties. The 50% contribution from the landholder can be an in-kind contribution where time labouring and machinery usage can be offset against the funds received. This project has been funded by Burdekin Dry Tropics NRM and as a part of the funding arrangement it has been stipulated that the on-ground funding be allocated to properties within the Burdekin River Catchment and its tributaries. As of May 2007 this money has been allocated after applications were assessed.

For more information about this project do not hesitate to call

Andrea Lingard

Project Officer DUBDSC

E mail: andrea.lingard@desertuplands.org.au

Ph: 07 4651 1002

Fax: 4651 1001

Contact Desert Uplands

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 15:15:05 EST

Staff Contacts:

Robert Cameron - Co-ordinator
Mobile: 0428 611 002
Email: rob.cameron@desertuplands.org.au

Hannah Whiteaker - Communication Officer
Mobile: 0448 611 009
Email: hannah.whiteaker@desertuplands.org.au

Land Resource Mapping

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 15:16:24 EST

The Desert Uplands Committee identified the need for detailed land resource information at a scale that relates to individual properties (i.e. 1:100000). Previous to this project, only the north-east and central area of the bioregion were mapped at that scale - an area of approx. 26.000sq.km.

The remaining 44,000 sq.km were mapped on a land system basis at 1:500000: a scale that identifies complexes of land types and was, therefore, too general to provide the information that is necessary for planning and implementing management practices required for sustainable land uses.

This project collated the data of previous surveys and together with remote sensing techniques and air-photo interpretation, identified and mapped individual soil-vegetation associations. Extensive field work over three years provided the data on soils and vegetation to assess the limitations, capabilities, biodiversity and condition of each land type. This data has been entered onto a powerful database to allow summaries of all of the different land types to be linked to GIS maps. The Land Resource Mapping project was completed and launched in November 2003. This information is an invaluable management tool for land managers and is available on CD from the Desert Uplands office or on EPA's Website

Blueprint For The Bush Weed Project

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 12:32:58 EST

In 2006 the Desert Uplands Committee (DUC) was successful in obtaining $440,000 for weed control across the seven Shires in the Desert Uplands Bioregion. Blueprint for the Bush weed project is part of the Queensland Government's Blueprint for the Bush, a 10-year plan to build a sustainable, liveable and prosperous rural Queensland.

The proposal put to Government was to utilise the Rural Lands Officers (RLOs) employed by the Shire Councils to organise the weed control measures. These are the people who know the strategic areas that need to be treated. The idea of this was to use already available resources and not employ a Project Officer from DUC. This allows more dollars to reach on ground activity.

All seven Shire Councils contributed to, and supported the project. They will supply the RLO, car and internal administration costs for the project. The Shire Councils will be able to use 30% of their allocated funding on stock routes and town commons in the Desert Uplands Region and the remainder will go to landholders. The RLOs will contact landholders, organise spraying contractors and monitor progress of the work undertaken whilst the landholders will supply chemical and diesel.

There will be a Management Agreement with landholders committing them to continuing treatment after the completion of funding. Landholders will also be responsible for filling in a diary to follow the progress of the treatments and have before, during of and after photos taken at the same GPS location. This will allow concise reporting to Government and also assist the mapping of weeds on properties if landholders are willing to mark on their property map the location of any known weeds.

Each Council will receive an equal amount of the funding and the project runs for two (2) years. The two Regional Bodies, Desert Channels Queensland and Burdekin Dry Tropics NRM both supported and contributed financially to the project. Letters of support were also supplied by Central Highlands Natural Resource Management Group, Aramac Landcare Group, Rural Lands Officers, Natural Resources and Water, Emerald and Blackall. -Our thanks to all who contributed and supported the project.

The seven shires are Blackall, Barcaldine, Jericho, Aramac, Flinders, Dalrymple and Belyando.

Landscape Linkages across the Southern Desert Uplands

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 10:24:38 EST

End of Dry 2006 through to End of Dry 2008

The Landscape linkages tender, a project which uses a tender based approach to reward land managers by paying them to maintain or improve country on their properties to keep it in good condition, providing benefits to land managers and the natural environment.

Landscape Linkages builds on a research project conducted in 2004-2005 funded by National Action Plan for Salinity and Water (NAPSWQ) to develop a conceptual design for a market based incentive bidding process to deliver landscape connection of good quality biodiversity habitat across the southern Desert Uplands. Landscape Linkages aims to protect remnant vegetation and protect areas of biodiversity significance in the Desert Uplands region. Land within the Linkage will be managed to maintain specified levels of condition and contribute towards biodiversity attributes and improved land condition. The project is being implemented through funding provided by Burdekin Dry Tropics (BDTNRM).

Participation by land managers in the Landscape Linkages tender has resulted in extensive areas of remnant vegetation being maintained or improved across the southern Desert Uplands area.

Landscape Linkages, which is currently in progress, has the following achievements:

After three bidding rounds the Desert Uplands Committee (DUC) were able to fund fifteen two year management agreements to maintain or improve land conditions over 85,207 hectares of land, just over half of the total offered

A high diversity of country was offered from open woodlands to range country with a variety of Endangered, Of Concern and Not of Concern vegetation types included in the areas.

Monitoring will involve reporting to DUC through completion of a project diary and site visits. Annual payments are dependent upon receipt of photographic evidence of good biodiversity condition (minimum pasture biomass level at end of dry).

For the outline evaluation main report visit: http://facultysite.cqu.edu.au/FCWViewer/getFile.do?id=7479

For information on birds that can be found in the Desert Uplands visit: www.birdata.com.au

To read Gay Crowley's (Tropical Savanahs CRC) Landscape Linkages article click here

Advancing On-Ground Nature Conservation (AOGNC) 2007 Funding

Mon, 27 Aug 2007 12:20:47 EST

THIS FUNDING ROUND IS NOW CLOSED

This program helps landholders to access Federal Government (National Heritage Trust 2) funds for on-ground works that will actively conserve or restore biodiversity on their property. This round of funding has been secured through Desert Channels Queensland and is available to any property that lies within the Lake Eyre Basin area of the Desert Uplands Bioregion.

WHAT ON-GROUND WORKS ARE ELIGIBLE UNDER THIS FUNDING?

Fencing - to control stock access and allow strategic spelling of fragile areas;
Fencing different soil types, riparian areas (creek-lines etc), and protection of springs;
Installation or relocation of watering points to decrease stock impacts on riparian areas, wetlands or springs;
Weed and pest control - if it is strategic, and regionally significant;
And other works that maintain or enhance the natural values of an area.

Think ‘outside the square', new and different ideas will be assessed.

Talk to the staff at the Desert Uplands office about your ideas, they may be able to assist you in developing the project by highlighting potential biodiversity conservation outcomes.

WHAT DO I NEED TO CONTRIBUTE?

Landholders will need to make a reasonable contribution towards the costs of the on-ground works - usually on a 50:50 basis. Your contribution can be "in-kind" such as your time and labour, telephone calls, vehicle and equipment usage or fuel, and may also include materials you have in stock.

APPLICATION PROCESS:

Expression of Interest	--->	Usually just a phone call
Site Visit	--->	Application developed and assessed undertaken by Project Officer
Project Assessment	--->	Commitee representatives and technical panel assess projects
Maintenance Agreement	--->	To be signed and returned
Undertaking the Work	--->	Contact the project officer with any queries
Payment	--->	Payments are made upon receipts
Final Site Visit	--->	Staff will assist with final report by inspecting the project and signing off

Funding Round Closes: JULY 27th

Download the Application Kit

Advancing On-Ground Nature Conservation

Mon, 27 Aug 2007 12:19:35 EST

The Desert Uplands Build-up and Development Strategy Committee (DUBDSC) has been running The Advancing On Ground Nature Conservation (AOGNC) program since 1999 and to this point in time has been a huge success. Funding for the many rounds of this program has mainly come from National Heritage Trust through the Three Regional Bodies that the Desert Upland Transects, being Desert Channels Qld (DCQ), Burdekin Dry Tropics NRM (BDTNRM), and Southern Gulf Catchments (SGC), and a small amount from Qantas.

Fenced off natural spring

This project provides funds to landholders for on-ground works that will actively protect, restore or assist with better land management, native vegetation and waterways and enhance available habitats.

ON-GROUND WORKS COVERED UNDER THIS PROJECT

Fencing - to restrict stock access and allow strategic spelling of fragile areas and soil types.
Stock watering points - installation or relocation of watering points to decrease stock impacts on riparian areas, wetlands or springs.
Weed and pest control - including burning to reduce woody tree or weed thickening.
Other infrastructure or works that maintain or enhance the natural values of an area.

From 1999 - 2004 sixty-nine projects have been funded which equates to approximately $625,000 being spent on ground. With the 2006/07 round a further 25 projects have been successful making another $277,000 of funding available for on-ground work. This equates to a total of $2.6 million, including in-kind landholder contribution, being spent over the last nine years spread though out 95 projects.

A new round of funding for 2007/08 has been opened for the western or Lake Eyre basin side of the DU with applications due in buy 27^th July.

OTHER ON GROUND FUNDING

The DUBDSC has also been very successful in running on ground works through the National Landcare Program (NLP) and Envirofund. A total of 37 projects have been successfully funded with $765,000 being spent on on-ground works.

Over 35% of landholders in the Desert Uplands bioregion have applied to participate in conservation projects with the DUBDSC since 1999. During this time the DUBDSC has managed a total of 132 on ground projects and devolved over $1,600,000 for these projects. Including landholder contribution there has been $4.2 million spent in conservation work through the Advancing On-Ground Nature Conservation projects.