Best Management Practices

Continuation of Reef Rescue welcomed by award winning farmers

Posted on May 10, 2013
Reef Rescue Awards

Farmers and graziers working to improve land management practices in the Great Barrier Reef water catchment areas were last night recognised for their efforts during the inaugural Reef Rescue awards held in Cairns.

Presented by the Queensland Regional NRM Groups Collective and the Queensland Farmers’ Federation, the farmers and graziers receiving the top awards represent just a handful of those working hard to reduce the environmental impact on and potential damage to the Great Barrier Reef. Continue Reading…

Inaugural Reef Rescue awards recognise top achieving farmers

Posted on May 10, 2013
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THE Queensland Farmers’ Federation and the Regional NRM Groups Collective today congratulated the inaugural farmer and grazier winners of the Reef Rescue Awards, unveiled at a ceremony in Cairns this evening (Thursday May 9).

The top achieving farmers have been recognised for their outstanding achievements through involvement in the Reef Rescue program, by completing on farm projects that deliver substantial environmental outcomes and also improve farm productivity.

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Spray rig improvements made possible through BMP program

Posted on May 10, 2013
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Grains Best Management Practices (BMP) program is helping farmers get the best out of their equipment, for more efficiently produced grains and great environmental gains.

Grain growers like Carmel and Kevin O’Keeffe who own and run Wallalee, a 3925 hectare mixed grazing and grains enterprise near Emerald are discovering they can vastly improve the performance of their spray equipment, resulting in less time spent in the field, less wasted chemicals and reduced run-off into local waterways.

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Burdekin graziers win national award

Posted on May 9, 2013
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A Burdekin grazier couple who installed fencing the equivalent of the distance between Ayr and Townsville have taken out a prestigious national award.

NQ Dry Tropics, the Burdekin Dry Tropics natural resource management company, nominated Glenalpine Station couple Barry and Leanne O’Sullivan for the 2013 Reef Rescue Grazier Award after they transformed the layout of their cattle grazing land. Continue Reading…

Reef Rescue award goes to Monto dairy farmer

Posted on May 9, 2013
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Geoff Downie, a dairy farmer in the embattled Monto district of the North Burnett has won the Reef Rescue Dairy award, a project financed by the Burnett Mary Regional Group through the Australian Government’s Caring for Our Country funding scheme.

It’s great to be given recognition by this award – it feels good to know that framers are being appreciated for improving farming technology,” Mr Downie said.

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Industry innovator receives Reef Rescue Sugarcane award

Posted on May 9, 2013
3. Rodney Lamb talking about Pearl River with John Agnew (MAPS)

Considered an innovator in the industry, Marian cane farmer and award finalist Rodney Lamb has a history of adapting and trialling new equipment to increase environmental and economic benefits for growers. Through the Reef Rescue program Rod has been working with Mackay Productivity Services and local NRM Reef Catchments to adapt his inter row spray shields to only spray when there is a weed detected by a sensor nozzle, in what is known as a WeedSeeker. This adaptation has huge potential to reduce herbicide applied over cane properties and the knowledge gained through Rod’s work will be shared by the industry as a whole.

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Historic family property awarded top honour in In Reef Rescue grains category

Posted on May 9, 2013
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David and Adele O’Connor of Springsure property “Mountain View” have been awarded the Reef Rescue award in the grain category for their outstanding work through the program.

Mountain View has been in the family for 127 years and sits South of the Springsure watershed of the Comet and Nogoa River Catchments with several creeks originating in the area. The O’Connor’s have reduced the amount of nutrients, sediment and chemicals flowing into these creeks and improved their bottom line by introducing a grazing and cropping management regime that rests pastures and improves pasture-cropping practices.

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Mission Beach banana grower takes out horticulture award

Posted on May 9, 2013
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A banana farmer at Mission Beach in the Wet Tropics region of Far North Queensland has been awarded the top prize in the horticulture category of the inaugural Reef Rescue Awards.

Winner Ian Barnes had already made significant farming improvements on the family farm using his own funds but with the help of a well-timed Reef Rescue grant in 2011 (Cyclone Yasi wiped out their entire crop and destroyed their shed in February of that year), Ian was able to make further changes which improved both his soil and nutrient management, thereby reducing the risk of run-off from the property.

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New over-row sprayer and GPS the keys to efficiency on large Tully family farm

Posted on March 11, 2013
Cameron Vecchio, Kevin O’Kane and Peter Vecchio stand in front of the new over-row sprayer they’ve built for use on the Vecchio’s Tully farm.

By Jasmine Hunt

Towering above the cane fields at Murray Upper, just south of Tully Township, is a contraption that has allowed sugarcane grower Peter Vecchio to save time and chemical use.

This contraption, also known as an over-row sprayer, is going a long way in assisting Peter to save money and precious time on his cane farms, scattered across the Tully region.

Built from the ground up by Peter and employee Kevin O’Kane, the spray rig has its base on a John Deere 6400 tractor, and is fully GPS automated, rate controlled and auto-steer.

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Dairy Farmers improving practices for productivity and the reef environment

Posted on December 18, 2012

See how dairy farmers are working to enhance water quality flowing to the Great Barrier Reef thanks to the Australian Government’s Reef Rescue Program.