NatureAssist is for rural Queensland landholders to help sustainably manage their land, conditional upon them entering into a nature refuge agreement. NatureAssist is a competitive market-based incentive scheme that gives landholders throughout rural Queensland the opportunity to tender for financial assistance to carry out on-ground management actions that will maintain or enhance their property’s conservation values.  Expressions of interest must be submitted by 16 March 2009 (5pm AEST). Landholders can express their interest by completing a simple one-page expression of interest form available at www.epa.qld.gov.au/naturerefuges or by calling the EPA Customer Service Centre on 1300 130 372.
 

Ecowise, on behalf of the Northern Gulf Resource Management Group (NGRMG), have just completed a survey of freshwater fish and aquatic bugs in the Staaten River Catchment.

Alf Hogan (fish ecologist), Terry Vallance (aquatic ecologist) and Adrian Dickson (environmental scientist) battled the bush to reach unexplored water holes and lagoons in the catchment area.

The Northern Gulf natural resource region encompasses the catchments of the Mitchell, Norman, Gilbert and Staaten River systems in far north and central north Queensland.

It is a large, remote area covering approximately 194,000km with an estimated population density of 1 person per 20 square kilometres. The major population centres are Georgetown, Croydon, Forsayth, Einasleigh, Mt Surprise, Dimbulah, Burketown, Normanton, Karumba, Kowanyama, Chillagoe, Mount Molloy, Mount Carbine and Irvinebank.

The Northern Gulf Resource Management Group Ltd (NGRMG) is a not-for-profit community based company that plans and advises on issues and best practice for natural resources in the Northern Gulf region by setting regional priorities and accessing funds for specified on-ground outcomes.

The Group’s target is an inclusive, proactive, integrated and cooperative approach to resource management using the framework developed in the strategic plan, and the resources identified in the regional investment plan.