Insidethis

Issue:

December 2003

NLIS explained

Country capers

State of growth

Tasmanian Devils

Focus on Forthside

White Wine: Vineyard, Clare Valley

Lamb Cutlet: Sheep Property, Katanning

Potato: Vegetable Farm, Atherton Tableland

Table: Sustainable Forest, Greenbushes

Bread: Grain Property, Walgett

You see a fine meal; we see the producers behind it. At Rabobank, our focus is food and agribusiness banking. We employpeople with a deep understanding of agriculture who are committed to adding value to your business. It’s the same personalisedservice we delivered through PIBA in the past. Backed by over 100 years of experience and our global research network, ourrural finance specialists have sound knowledge of local and international markets and their impact on your business. Forpersonalised service, call the world’s leading food and agribusiness bank on 1300 30 30 33 or visit www.rabobank.com.au

RAB0056/TR

1A Turtle Press publication

I N T H I S I S S U E

Whilst the publisher

attempts to ensure the

accuracy of the advertising

and other information

published in this magazine,

it accepts no responsibility

for the correctness of that

advertising and other

information, which is relied

upon by readers at their

own risk.

Publisher: Kim Evans

Secretary

Department of Primary

Industries,Water

and Environment

GPO Box 44

Hobart TAS 7001

Editor:Ami Libbiter

Corporate Marketing Unit

Department of

Primary Industries,

Water and Environment

GPO Box 44

Hobart TAS 7001

Phone (03) 6233 3014

Ami.Libbiter@dpiwe.tas.gov.au

News and FeaturesNational Livestock Identification Scheme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2Tasmanian Feedlot sets the pace with NLIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4Organically minded . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5Landcare Awards recognise caring attitudes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6Fourth generation farming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7Partners in growth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8Forthside Research Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10Bushfires beware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12Sun smart down on the farm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13Threatened non-forest native vegetation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13Testing our States emergency response . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14Noxiuos fish pest testing Tassie waterways . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15National elite EAD team formed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15Major threat to our devil population . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16Tassie’s young farmers lead the way . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17Care urged in fishing net disposal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17The ATV – help or hazard? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18Country capers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19Strategy to improve youth transport options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20Drumming up business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20Stag beetle habitat protected . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21Meander Dam goes ahead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21Top Tassie tastes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22Getting to the core of things . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23Threatened flora CD launched . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

ColumnsTIAR Column . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24Water Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26Nomenclature Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28Bureau of Meteorology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29River Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

NewslettersDairy News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32Extensive Agriculture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35Vegie Link . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

AdvertisersBeam Bros Pty Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22Farmwood Tasmania . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16Hollander Imports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7, 28Impact Fertilisers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Inside back coverJ R Stephenson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34Netcraft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11Rabobank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Inside front coverRural Youth Org Tas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9Websters Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Volume 9 Issue 4ISSN 1444-6065

Front cover photograph: Three generations of Wilmot spud growers. George Richards with sonPhillip and grandson Thomas — see story page 7.

2

N E W S A N D F E A T U R E S

National LivestockIdentificationScheme

The speed at which the NationalLivestock Identification Scheme(NLIS) will be implemented inTasmania will be announced by theend of the year. A 12-membergovernment and industry committeehas been meeting since September toplan the way forward for NLIS, whichall Australian States agreed theywould begin implementing by 1 July2004.

This committee includesrepresentatives from the Department ofPrimary Industries, Water and the

Environment (DPIWE), agents andsaleyard operators, primary producersand members of the Tasmanian Farmersand Graziers Association (TFGA).Abattoirs and processors are alsorepresented, as are dairy herd testers andTasmania Police’s stock theft squad.

Tasmania could opt to implement thewhole NLIS scheme with a bang, sayingall animals have to be tagged and alltransfers from one property to the nextcompleted. Alternatively the schemecould be implemented in stages overseveral years.

“Industry just needs to determine whatsystem they want and how quickly theywant it to happen,” said John Cameron,NLIS coordinator for DPIWE. “But thelonger we take to implement it, thegreater the risk if we have a residue orexotic disease incident, or if one of ourmarkets says they’ll only take meat thathas ‘whole of life’ traceability. Industrywill make that call.”

NLIS tagging devices provide an animalwith a permanent and uniqueidentification number that can be readelectronically and entered directly onto acomputer. Each tag costs from $3.60, plusGST.

The scheme dates back to 1998. Toguarantee that only ‘HGP Free’cattle werebeing slaughtered at their listed abattoirs,the European Union (EU) demandedcomplete traceability of cattle fromowner to owner, back to the property onwhich it was born.

NLIS was introduced nationally on 1December 1999 for producers whoexport to markets such as the EU. Morethan 60 per cent of Tasmania’s beef isexported, with around 300 primaryproducers selling to the EU market.

“The tangible benefit of NLIS forTasmanian farmers is that they’ll be ableto maintain and improve market access,”

A farmer scans his cattle with an electronic wand as they pass though the gate

The technology isalready there tohandle the NLISprogram in anyabattoir orsaleyard.

3

N E W S A N D F E A T U R E S

said John. “Without NLIS you can’t getmeat into Europe, and other markets likethe Japanese and possibly Saudi marketslook to be heading in a similar direction.Once a couple of markets have it, otherswill start demanding it too.

“The other benefit of NLIS istraceability, both in the event of a diseaseoutbreak as well as if a residue ofagricultural and veterinary chemicalsoccurs. Once the scheme is fullyimplemented, handling one of theseincidents will be so much easier becausewe’ll know the exact movements of allanimals.”

The requirements of the EU, combinedwith the fact that Tasmania Feedlot willnot buy any cattle without breederidentification tags from next season,means that Tasmania is one of the mostprogressive NLIS states. Close to 50 percent of the cattle at last year’s autumnweaner sales were identified. Johnpredicts that by next season the numbercould be up to 70 per cent.

The only state that has embraced itmore is Victoria, which introduced theNLIS on a mandatory basis at the start of2002. A tour of Victorian abattoirs andsaleyards was organised by Meat andLivestock Australia (MLA) last August for

system whereby the farmer couldprogram into a computer theidentification numbers of the particularanimals he or she wanted to draft out, beit on weight or some other reason.As thecattle went through the race, a scannerread the tag and told the computer whichgate to open to draft the animal in anyone of three, four or five ways.

Similarly Paul said he saw the latest incattle weighing technology. Instead ofmanually punching in numbers off a dirtyear tag, the cow’s identification isscanned and weight recordedautomatically while on the scales. Someprograms recognise animals from aprevious weigh in and provide graphs onweight gain and so on.

Similar technology can improvefeedback from abattoirs to producers,providing statistics on just about anythingfarmers require.

“The technology is already there tohandle the NLIS program in any abattoiror saleyard,” Paul said.“There are severaldifferent technologies for each separatesituation — small saleyards may requiresomething different to large saleyards,and the same with small abattoirs andlarge abattoirs. But there’s plenty oftechnology already working in Victoria.”

Certainly Victoria has experiencedtrouble at times implementing theirequipment. Ian Richards from RichardsRural Marketing, who was Tasmania’sagent representative on the trip, said

people are asking questions about who isgoing to pay for the technology andwhether scanning will slow down thesaleyards.

“Once you get over these initialproblems, I believe the system is awinner,” he said.“But the biggest issue ismaking sure we have uniformity amongthe states. Queensland, for example, is thestate with the biggest cattle numbers inAustralia. But it’s already made acompromise by saying cattle going directto the meatworks doesn’t have to haveNLIS eartags. If each state is going tomake their own rules, it will end up likethe mess we had with different railwaylines.”

John Cameron, from DPIWE, said nowwas the time to air concerns about NLISso that these issues could be consideredwhen industry determines Tasmania’sapproach. Paul Saward agreed that thereare strong commercial drivers for NLIS.

“I know there are people who don’tlike anything new,” Paul said. “To thosepeople who are dead against NLIS Iwould say that no one will force you totag. But if you chose not to tag, you mightfind it difficult to get somebody to buyyour cattle. I think our major meatworksare fairly committed to getting the NLISinfrastructure in place and I could seefrom Victorian abattoirs and saleyardsthat once they have all cattle coming inthat are fitted with NLIS devices, it willmake it so much easier for them.”

people implementing NLIS in each state.Tasmania sent representatives from adomestic abattoir plus producers, DPIWEstaff and an agent.

“The tour opened my eyes to thepossibilities that this will bring for on-farm management applications,” saidproducer Paul Saward. “Initially wetended to think it will help if there’s adisease outbreak and so forth. But thereare a lot of things that it can be used for,particularly with record-keeping systemsfor our herds”

Paul saw demonstrated a drafting

NLIS ear tags provide an animal with apermanent and unique identificationnumber that can be read electronicallyand entered directly onto a computer

A multi-gate scanning unit can process large numbers of stock quickly and efficiently

4

N E W S A N D F E A T U R E S

Tasmanian Feedlotsets the pace withNLIS Tasmania’s premium cattle market,

Tasmania Feedlot, will only buy animalswith NLIS breeder tags after April 2004.In the past season the Tasmania Feedlot,in Powranna has paid an extra $3 perhead for animals with NLISidentification. This money went close tocovering the cost of the tag.

The decision to make NLIS mandatoryfrom next autumn was prompted byTasmania Feedlot’s parent company inJapan, JUSCO, which is part of themassive AEON group.

“All our beef goes there,” said AndrewThompson, director of Tasmania Feedlot.“They insisted that we institute a qualityassurance program, so we’ve nowbecome SQF 2000 accredited. Part of theprocess for that — and it’s extended alittle by the code of practise imposed onus by AEON — is that we have fulltraceability of our product from paddockto plate. We see the NLIS tagging systemas a step to assist with that.”

The NLIS national database will giveTasmania Feedlot the ability to trace thehistory of any particular animal from theproperty of birth, through the producerswho have grown it, and on to the feedlotand abattoir.

“The NLIS assures consumer integrityby backing up our claims that ourproduct is clean, green and safe,”Andrewsaid.“It’s got to the stage that with all thescares that are happening around theworld, we sort of had to back up ourclaims with some evidence.”

Paul Saward, a producer, said TasmaniaFeedlot’s decision is a key driver in thestate’s implementation of NLIS.He said heknew of producers who were alreadyputting NLIS tags on their calves purelybecause Tasmania Feedlot won’t buythem next autumn without identification.

“The Tas Feedlot has been making therunning in Tasmania for the past few years,”Paul said.“It definitely sets the pace.So whywould you send your cattle to sale knowingno-one will buy them, just because youwouldn’t put a $3 tag in their ear.

“If it was government telling us wedefinitely have to put them in but no buyerswere saying that they wouldn’t buy cattlewithout tags, then I think there might be abit of a problem there because thatwouldn’t be a good reason. So I think it’sgood that we have got a commercial driver.”

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N E W S A N D F E A T U R E S

Organically minded

The Gretschmanns sold up theirGerman property in 1986 and came toAustralia for eight weeks to hunt downtheir prospective new home.

“We shifted straightaway, bought a littlevan and checked out the New SouthWales South Coast, Gippsland and aroundM e l b o u r n e .Then we cameover toTasmania, fell inlove with theplace andbought ourproperty atMoltema.

“The firstthing we didwhen we tookover the farmwas to plant80,000 treesand then weworked towardsconverting thefarm to organic straightaway,” Joe said.

“We strictly followed the nationalOrganic and Biodynamic Standard rules,which are audited by AQIS. It can take awhile to qualify as an organic farmdepending on what has been used on the

property beforehand —two or three years isaverage.

“We can use rockphosphate, dolomite,lime and rock dusts astrace elements. Nosynthetic nitrogen isallowed. We achievenitrogen input throughclover and otherlegumes in the pasture.”

The Gretschmannsproduce a wide rangeof organic milk, cream,yogurt and cheeseproducts that Antoniasays are ideal foreveryone, especially

those people with allergies.Their productis delivered to 80–90 shops around theState in a refrigerated van, which alsomakes one return trip each week toMelbourne so that they can take freshproduct to their Victorian customers.

Diversification is the name of game forJoe and Antonia.

“We have split our operation into fourseparate business units: dairy farm, dairyfactory, grain farm and granary.The dairyfarm performs best out of these.

“We grow specialty grains for bakeriesincluding breadwheat, rye, huskless oatsand linseed.

“We are the only Tasmanianmanufacturer of rolled oats, and we

Elgaar Dairy has an air of confidentand enthusiastic industry about it,not to mention a sparklingcleanliness. Joe and AntoniaGretschmann and their three eldersons Joe, Anton and Alex work full-time in their organic dairy atMoltema. In addition to four otheremployees it looks as if there willstill be plenty of work for their threeschool-age children as well.

“We control the whole operation frompaddock to plate. If we could producemore we would be able to sell more,” saidJoe.

Joe and Antonia both studiedagriculture in Germany and worked on anintensive dairy farm with high inputs ofnitrogen-based fertilisers until 1979.

“To convert that farm to organic wasthe best decision we ever made,” headded.

“We have now had 24 years’experience in the organic industry.Thereis a spirit of sharing information andadvising each other in the organicprimary industry, and that is what wehave been doing last weekend with ameeting with other people in thebusiness.”

produce muesli for our sales outlets.We

also grow clover and grass seeds to offer

other organic farmers.

“We have 214 hectares at Elgaar Farm

with 80 hectares for the dairy and the

same amount for cropping. We have a

walnut plantation with 2000 grafted and

4000 black walnut trees.

“Until 1990 we had 330 cows and we

sold our milk and other product to

Lactos. Now, as we have diversified, we

have actually reduced to 140 cows.” Joe

adds.

Taking a wider look at the Tasmanian

agricultural industry, Joe commented

that we should take the clean and green

opportunities that are available to us

and make something of them.

“If we can make a brand name out of

our produce, then we have a real

opportunity of capturing a niche

market. Organic and quality leads to

assured markets.”

Joe Gretschmann is certainly organically minded.

Family members bottle the organic milk products destined forour supermarket shelves.

6

N E W S A N D F E A T U R E S

Landcare Awardsrecognise caringattitudes

were common in his youth had becomeabsent, or were hard to find.

‘In England, less than one per cent ofnative vegetation remains,’ he said, ‘andthere’s an insidious loss of bush here inthe rural landscape. It’s actually goingquite fast. Unless enough bits are setaside, and unless reserves are created,then the samewill happenhere.’

Andrew saidthe advantage off a r m - b a s e dconservation wasthat it lookedafter localb i o d i v e r s i t y.Large nationalparks, such asCradle Mountain,cannot preservethe diversespecies found, forinstance, in theNorth West.

He added thatundertaking conservation work wascostly, particularly in erecting fences. Buthe regards the process as a trade off.

‘If farmers want access to water, likewith Meander Dam — which frankly Ithink we should be doing — then weneed also to give back. We need to saywe’re going to leave areas of natural bushand be pleased to see the green rosellaand the wedge-tailed eagle in there. It’s allabout attitude.’

Andrew and Carolyn were nominatedfor the award by Sheree Jaffray fromGreening Australia and DavidMcCormack, the Natural ResourceManagement (NRM) Coordinator for theNorth West NRM Committee.

The winners of the Tasmanian Landcareawards were announced at a ceremony inHobart in August. The Individual Awardwinner, Carl Trost, was recognised for his

long and dedicated involvement as avolunteer, including with the East CoastWeed Strategy Group. He wascommended for engaging a wide crosssection of the community, includingschools and local government.

The 2003 winners from each state andterritory will go on to the NationalLandcare Awards in 2004.

Other winners of the TasmanianLandcare Awards are:

• Westpac Education Award — SorellSchool

• Sensis Catchment Award — TamarRegion Natural Resource ManagementStrategy Reference Group Inc.

Local Government Award — MeanderValley Council

• Bushcare Nature Conservation Award— Department of Infrastructure,

Attitude is the key to combiningproductive agriculture withconservation, according to AndrewNichols, Landcare’s TasmanianPrimary Producer of the year.

Andrew and his wife Carolyn run adiverse farming operation at ‘Redbanks’,Sisters Creek, in the North West.Their 340hectares produce potatoes, peas,pyrethrum, poppies, onions and cereals.They also have beef cattle, performforestry activity, operate a grain-fedchicken hatchery for Nichols chickens,and run a gourmet food business called‘Naturally Nichols’, which sells primarilyto the mainland.

It’s a highly productive, conventionalfarm. But within its boundaries, 80hectares of native bush, primarilyremnant forest, have been set aside forconservation.

‘We’re getting a covenant on about 20hectares of land because there’s a wedge-tailed eagle’s nest in the middle of it,’Andrew said.‘Streams with giant lobstersflow through the property, and we’vetried to return wildlife corridors alongthe streams. They’re fenced off topreserve the vegetation.We’ve re-plantedgullies as well, with the help of GreeningAustralia.

‘That concept of farming for wildlifehas always been there for me. We’re nottrying to be organic farmers by anymeans. But we’re trying to prove you cancombine productive agriculture withconservation and biodiversity.’

Originally from England, Andrew andCarolyn moved to Australia in 1982, andsettled in Sisters Creek four years later.Asa child Andrew was taught to identifylocal birds by his grandfather, whoexplained to him why many species ofsong birds and smaller birds weredisappearing.

When Andrew returned to England fora recent holiday, many of the species that

Energy and Resources

• Alcoa Community Group Award —Upper Derwent Valley Landcare Group

• Indigenous Award — South EastTasmanian Aboriginal Corporation

• Murray–Darling Basin CommissionRivercare Award — Longford LandcareGroup

Golden Woody Awards were presentedto:

• Education Award — SummerdalePrimary School

• Private Land Award — JohnShoobridge, from Cleveland, Ouse

• Public Land Award — Stanley PeninsulaLand and Coastcare Group

• Best All Round Perpetual Trophy — CarlTrost, from the East Coast RegionalWeed Strategy Group.

Andrew Nichols (centre), winner of the Rural Press Landcare PrimaryProducer Award, is presented with his trophies by Bryan Green,Minister for DPIWE (left), and John Carson, Rural Press (right).

7

N E W S A N D F E A T U R E S

Fourth generationfarming

quality seed, at an affordable price, and

Tasmania is no exception.

“We had a bit of scab trouble some

years ago” Phillip said, “but increased

irrigation has solved that problem”. As a

as 350 lambs this season as there seems tobe quite a bit of twinning. “We sell theprime lambs at about 8–9 months of age,and last year all but 3 pens averaged over$100 per lamb” says Phillip. “We used tohave a milk herd of 80 cows up until 1984but since then we have concentrated onbeef cattle”.

Phillip and his wife Alison employPhillip’s brother Rodney and four othercasuals during harvest time. Phillip’sfather George has retired, in theory,but inpractice he is hard at work on the farmmost days. Like many Tasmanian workingfarms, it is a real family business.

Three generations of Wilmot spud growers: George Richards (right) with son Phillip andgrandson Thomas.

The Richards family have beengrowing potatoes at Wilmot for morethan 100 years.

Phillip is the fourth generation to farmthe chocolate soil, and he is hoping thathis two young sons Thomas and Jacobwill be able to follow on in the familytradition. His 414-acre farm featuresmanicured paddocks and a good-sizeddam set amid the rolling foothills of MtRoland. “The first crop of potatoes wasplanted here in 1897 by my GreatGrandfather”, Phillip said. “They chippedthem in by hand with a mattock”.

For most of the family’s farming historythe potato crops, mainly Bismark andBrownell varieties, were sold for food, butsince the late 1970s the Richards havebecome certified seed producers. Eachyear Phillip grows 30 acres of seedpotatoes on a six year rotational basis, orlonger if possible.

“We grow four generations of seed onthe property, and the fourth generation isthe certified seed,” Phillip said. “From1982 through to 1995, we produced 400tonne of certified Kennebec seed perannum for growers in South Australia”.

An improved seed spacing of 19cminstead of 30cm has enabled the Richardsto plant more potatoes on their propertyand has also helped keep the seed sizebelow the 350g size limit set for seedpotatoes. After many years supplying theSouth Australian market the Richardsgained contracts totalling 600 tonnes pato produce Russet Burbank seeds for theTasmanian based companies Simplot andMcCains.

Seed potato certification officers fromthe Department of Primary Industries,Water and Environment regularly inspectthe Richards crop. They test for variousviruses and diseases such as scab, blight,Rhizoctonia and also other diseases notyet present in Tasmania — all which havethe potential to cause crop damage andyield loss if not kept in check. Thepurpose of all Certified Seed Schemesthroughout the world is to minimisedisease incidence and provide the best

result of this infection the Richards seedcrop was rejected for two years becauseof the common and powdery scab.“Ourpotatoes had to be processed as chips inthose years, but the crop has been OK forthe last three years now.”

To keep their farm in tip-top conditionthe Richards have their soil tested moreregularly than they did in the past,allowing them to manage their use offertilizers more appropriately. They sowto pasture at the end of winter, and dig itin as early as possible.

To complement their potato crops theRichards also run 200 head of cattle and250 first-cross ewes for fat lambproduction.They are hoping for as many

8

N E W S A N D F E A T U R E S

Partners in growth A better approach to developingTasmanian primary industries

now is to build on our national and

international standing and deliver

growth. It is important that we continue

to embrace change and make the most of

Tasmania’s natural qualities”

The key new initiative of The state ofgrowth are Industry Action Partnerships

“These cooperative new ventures willsee the Government pursue industryinitiatives that offer growth potential andfoster development in an environmentallyand socially sustainable manner,” MrGreen said.

“The state of growth is a better way ofGovernment doing business with theprimary sector.

“Industry Action Partnerships will be aprocess where industry and governmentformally agree to work towards commongoals to achieve growth. Growth will notbe achieved at any cost and managing theenvironmental and social impacts ofgrowth will be vital to achieve theeconomic benefits.”

Industry Action Partnerships will beunderpinned by concentrating resourcestowards five strategic action areasincluding:

• Market development and access;

• Water development and sustainablemanagement;

• Investment, innovation andcompetitiveness;

• Building on our island advantage; and

• Managing our natural resources.

Industry Action Partnerships will belinked to targets and timelines for growthin farm gate production, downstreamprocessing, investment and employment.

Partnerships will be entered into withenterprises or organisations with anidentified capacity to significantly boostproduction, employment and profitability

A new growth strategy forTasmania’s primary industries — Thestate of growth — has been launchedby the Minister for PrimaryIndustries, Water and EnvironmentBryan Green.

The state of growth offers partners abetter way forward for developingprimary industries in Tasmania to increasethe contribution that the primaryindustry and value-adding processingsectors make to the Tasmanian economy.

The state of growth provides acoordinated approach that deliversoutcomes sought by both the privatesector and the Tasmanian Government.

It supports Tasmania Togetherobjectives of a growing economy, whichencourages productivity, innovation andexcellence.

The major objectives of The state ofgrowth are

• To achieve growth across the sector;

• To improve the capacity of people inrural and regional communities to takeadvantage of opportunities as theyemerge; and

• To increase the contribution primaryindustries make to the State’s economy.

“This requires sustainable managementof our natural resources while supportingthe continued development andexpansion of primary industries,” MrGreen said.

“It is about Government working inpartnership with key industrystakeholders and communities to delivergrowth through the sustainablemanagement of our natural resources”

At the launch of The state of growth,Mr Green emphasised that primaryindustries are more important to oureconomy than that of any other State,underpinning a higher proportion of jobsand wealth creation.

“More than 25% of Tasmania’s exportscome from the agriculture, aquaculture,fishing, food and beverage industries.

“These industries already boast areputation for products that are amongthe finest in the world — the challenge

Ray Hart has been appointed ProjectManager for The state of growth.

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N E W S A N D F E A T U R E S

for the industry as a whole.

The state of growth will initially engage

with the dairy, wool, meat, organic, wine

and stonefruit sectors. In each of these

sectors development strategies have been

recently prepared and the Industry Action

Partnerships will be a means of delivering

the outcomes identified in these

strategies.

and expectations, the Minister has arrangedfor a steering committee to oversee theproject and report directly to him.

The Secretary, Department of PrimaryIndustries, Water and Environment willchair the committee in conjunction withthe Department of EconomicDevelopment and other agencies.

An Industry Reference Groupcomprising leaders representing diverseareas of the sector will also beestablished, to monitor the achievementsand refine the benchmarks to ensure theyreflect prevailing market conditions.

As a sign of the Government’scommitment to expand the State’sprimary industries, The state of growthwill be spearheaded by a special teamwithin the Department of PrimaryIndustries, Water and Environmentworking in close cooperation with theDepartment of Economic Development.

The state of growth team will be led byRay Hart, Project Manager. Ray can becontacted on 1300 368 550 or email<stateofgrowth@dpiwe.tas.gov.au>.

For further information please visit thestate of growth website <www.dpiwe.tas.gov.au/stateofgrowth>.

As development strategies are clarified

for the remaining sectors,partners will be

sought, and Industry Action Partnerships

implemented.

To ensure The state of growth remains

aligned with industry and community needs

Research and extension avtivites will be a vital component of increasing the value of theState’s primary industries.

What is Rural Youth– Fun organisation full of opportunities– Run solely by its own members– We are famous for Agfest

(one of the biggest agricultural field days).

Who can join– Anyone between the ages of 15 & 30– Even though it is a rural based organisation, you

do not need to be rural to join– We cater for party animals through to those

interested in meetings.

What’s in it for you– Free trips around the country and around the world– Participation in Agfest– We offer extensive training, like responsible

serving of alcohol, chainsaw and truck licence,public speaking, money handling.

Rural Youth Organisation of Tasmania IncPO Box 322 Launceston Tas 7250 Ph: (03) 6331 6154 or 6334 0262

Email: ruralyouth@vision.net.au Web: www.ruralyouth.com.au

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Forthside Research StationThe centre of R&D for vegetable growers

Forthside Research Station (FRS) issituated 10 kilometres west of Devonporton the deep, friable krasnozem soils,representative of the major vegetableproduction areas of the State. Theelevation of the farm ranges from 90 to150 metres above sea level, and it has anannual, predominantly winter, rainfall of1000 mm.

Forthside as we know it today was built

Each year, about 22 hectares are usedfor commercial and/or demonstrationcrop production, 10 hectares for researchand 11 hectares for pasture. 10 hectaresare taken up with roads, dams, creeks andbuildings.

FRS is managed on a five-year rotationacross the five main paddocks. Each year,one paddock is devoted to research trials,while the other four paddocks are usedfor commercial production of carrots,onions, pyrethrum, poppies, brassicas,cereals and pasture. Farm manager for thelast 20 years, Lyndon Butler, says therotation of commercial crops, pasturesand research sites is designed to ensure

This is the fourth in a series ofarticles profiling the Department ofPrimary Industries, Water andEnvironment’s research centres. Thefour centres at Elliot, Forthside,Cressy and Grove, are part of thedepartment’s commitment topromoting Tasmania’s primaryindustries; developing better farmpractice and achieving excellence.

Forthside Research Stationofficially reaches middle agethis year — 40 years.Forthside has played animportant role in researchand development since itwas established in 1963. Butit wasn’t always so.

The Forthside that weknow today was originallypart of a 259 ha selectionpurchased from the Crownby Dr Cornelius Casey for£1 per acre in 1854. Theproperty, subsequentlynamed Forthside, wasdivided into tenant farmsand within a few years hadincreased in size to 491 ha.

The first product off thefarm was lumber. Timberfelling and milling helpedclear the heavy forest coverand meet the local demandfor lumber. This resulted inthe farm beingsystematically cleared oftrees over the next thirtyyears.The cropping value ofthe naturally fertile and well-structuredred soils was realised at the turn of thecentury. As a result, Forthside was splitinto a number of smaller farms, one ofwhich eventually became the researchstation. The 45 hectare Forthside blockwas surveyed off Dr Casey’s estatebetween 1916–1920.

Over the next 40 years, the farm had anumber of owners who used it primarilyfor dairy farming.The Crown purchased itfor £21,000 in 1963 as the site for theestablishment of a research stationdedicated to the vegetable industry. Afurther 9 hectares was purchased alongthe northern boundary in 1977.

into a centre of research excellenceprimarily through the efforts of threehorticulturists from the then Departmentof Agriculture — Brian Frappell, MaxWalker and Alec Allen.

The farm is divided into five mainpaddocks, which are the prime researchpaddocks. There are a number of smallerpaddocks that are also used for commercialproduction and specific research projects.Each main paddock is divided into units of0.25 hectare, on which individual researchtrials are carried out. Grass headlands areleft between the units to provide barriersto soil erosion and allow for vehiclemovement.

that the paddock going in to researcheach year is as uniform as possible interms of soil condition and fertility.

“Trial work that involves the use ofvarious fertiliser treatments or differentcrops can leave the trial paddock with alot of variation in soil fertility orcondition,” Lyndon said.

“The four year rotation between usingthe same paddock for trial work gives usthe opportunity to even out anyvariations before trials are establishedagain.”

Forthside plays an important role as acentre of excellence for research anddevelopment for the potato and vegetable

FRS officially reaches middle age this year — 40 years. Forthside has played an important role inresearch and development in Tasmania’s vegetable industry since it was established in 1963.

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industries in Tasmania. Research anddemonstration work undertaken on thefarm covers new crop varieties, culturaltechniques and production methods,including irrigation management and soilconservation techniques.

Historically, Forthside has been verymuch the home of Departmental researchand development. However, changes inthe way the Department does its businessover the last decade now means that stafffrom Tasmanian Institute of AgriculturalResearch (TIAR) and other privateproviders undertake a lot of the researchwork on the station. Most of the workdone on Forthside these days is paid forvia external funding, such as grants fromHorticulture Australia Limited (HAL).

Forthside entered the world of QualityAssurance (QA) in 1999,and has achievedand maintained accreditation for SQF2000 and Tesco’s Natures Choice. Thefarm is currently going through theprocess of achieving EUREPGAPaccreditation, the QA system from Europethat encompasses food safety, workerOH&S and environmental management,and is fast becoming a global standard.

“Although there is a lot of work in theseQA systems, the benefit has been that wenow have much better knowledge ofhow the farm is performing and we areable to target areas for improvement,particularly in relation to things likeOH&S and environmental management”,commented Lyndon.

“It is a changing world, and if we don’tchange with it, then we will be leftbehind and become irrelevant.

“As part of our move to environmentalmanagement systems we haveundertaken conservation andrehabilitation of native vegetation,particularly in the riparian zone alongside

the creek.”

Forthside has benefited from a majorupgrade over the last couple years. Thisfollowed a stakeholders workshop held inlate 2001. One of the outcomes of thatworkshop was the formation of theForthside Farm Advisory Body (FFAB) toguide the strategic directions for theresearch station. Members of the FFABinclude representatives from processingcompanies, farmers,TIAR and DPIWE.Thegroup meets twice yearly, usually beforethe cropping season starts, and againwhen all the crop returns are in for theseason.

“The formation of the farm advisorybody has allowed a wider perspective tobe brought to the long term managementof the farm.We are fortunate to be able totap into the range of expertise that theadvisory body brings to the operation ofthe farm,” said Michael Hart, ActingManager of the Vegetable and AssociatedIndustries Branch.

Since the 2001 workshop, Forthsidehas undergone a full occupational healthand safety audit, resulting inmodifications to machinery, buildingaccess and working environments. Theupgrade has also seen improvements inthe entry road, and some internal roadsand fences. A significant investment hasbeen made in new irrigation equipmentin recognition of the importance ofirrigation efficiency as a part of profitableand sustainable cropping practices. DavidO’Donnell, DPIWE Horticulturist, whoundertakes work to do with irrigationefficiency, says that the new equipmentprovides the opportunity to undertake a

range of investigations.

“This work would just not have beenpossible with the previous equipmentselection.

“The new equipment will not onlyallow us to use water more efficiently,butit is also energy efficient,” said David.

A digital map of the entire farm and allof its features, such as fences andirrigation lines, and unit boundaries hasbeen produced. This map is used inconjunction with the Paddock ActionManager software program to keep all ofthe farm records, not only for eachpaddock, but also each trial unit.

The most recent phase of the upgradehas seen the establishment of amachinery wash-down bay to enableForthside to implement good farmhygiene practices.

“The new wash down bay brings a newlevel of awareness and commitment tofarm hygiene for Forthside,” said Lyndon.

“It was long overdue, and allows us totake a leading role in the demonstrationof farm hygiene practices and theadvantages that proper farm hygienebrings to the operation.”

If you would like to know more aboutForthside Research Station, then comealong to the annual field day onDecember 11. This year we will becelebrating the 40th Anniversary of thestation, along with looking at the currentresearch projects carried out on the farm.More information on the farm and thefield day can be obtained by callingLyndon Butler on 6428 2237 or JohnMcPhee 6421 7674.

FRS is managed on a five-year rotationacross the five main paddocks. Each year,one paddock is devoted to research trials,while the other four paddocks are usedfor commercial production of carrots,onions, pyrethrum, poppies, brassicas,cereals and pasture.

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N E W S A N D F E A T U R E S

Bushfires beware In recent years, a number of major fires directly affected the farmingcommunity. In particular, fires in the Midlands, the North East and Derwent

Green cropsLucerne or some vegetable crops

provides a green buffer. Likewise a wiselysited household vegetablegarden providesincreased protection tothe home.

HerbicidesSpraying may be an

option, but theeffectiveness will dependon it being used at theright time of the season.Done early enough priorto surrounding areasdrying off, treated areasmay be burnt undersuitable conditions.

BurningBurning is quite often

the cheapest and simplestmethod. It needs to be planned carefullyand conducted at the right time,patrolledregularly and if in any doubt about itsbehaviour extinguished or call for help.Burning of grass is often risky as it usuallyonly burns when everything else is dry.

NOW is the time to be burning off in alot of areas of the state with dry ridgesand northern slopes dry enough to carrya fire during the day but with coolernights the fire will go out.

Guidelines forBurning Off1. Notify your neighbours and the TasFire

Service on 6230 8420 to avoid abrigade being called out unnecessarily.

2. Make sure you have sufficient andappropriate resources to conduct theburn.

3. Establish boundaries of where youwant the fire to burn to.

4. Only light up if the wind is less than20kmh, the temperature is less than20°c and the relative humidity between40–60 %.

5. Patrol the fire the next day.

6. For advice on burning off contact yournearest District Officer.

PermitsDependent on the time of year, you

may need to get a permit to burn off. Atthe moment the permit period is not inforce. Conditions are continuallymonitored by Tasmania Fire Service andthe permit period will be declared when

Valley caused significant damage tocrops, pasture, fences and buildingsas well as stock losses.

The potential for major fires this year isobvious. Recent spring rains havecontributed to widespread heavy growthof grass throughout the State.

Many farms have been managed by thesame families for many years and practicalfarm fire management is a way of life.

Now is the time to prepare for thecoming bushfire season. The basicprinciple of preparation is to reduce theamount of fuel adjacent to assets.Homesteads, barns, implement sheds orfodder reserves are not safe from arunning grass fire unless a reduced fuelzone has been created around them.

There are several methods that can beused to create and maintain an effectivereduced fuel zone around your assets tocreate what the Tasmania Fire Servicecalls “defendable space”.

CultivationPloughing and regular harrowing of

strips five to six metres wide can creategood results, however they requiremaintaining and erosion may be an issue.Cultivation is not just a means ofprotecting individual assets butstrategically located strips adjacent toroadsides, railways, watercourses or evenfence lines help in restricting the spreadof a fire across a property.

GrazingHeavy stocking is an effective and

economical way to create a defendablespace. Bring stock in to graze andcompletely eat out all the vegetationaround buildings. On larger propertiesthis can also be used to create lower riskareas at strategic points to provide arefuge for stock during fires.

SlashingNeeds to be done early so as the cut

material has wasted away before themiddle of summer. Slashed breaks can bemaintained by grazing. Slashing should betimed to occur after the grass has run toseed or it may have to be done for asecond time.

Burning-off is quite often the cheapest andsimplest method of reducing bushfirehazards. It needs to be planned carefullyand conducted at the right time, patrolledregularly and if in any doubt about itsbehaviour extinguished or call for help.

Notify your neighbours and the TasFire Service on6230 8420 to avoid a brigade being called out unnecessarily.

conditions dictate.A permit will not costyou any money.

Some conditions will be placed on thepermit such as notifying neighbours andregistering the permit on a toll freenumber with Tasmania Fire Service.Permits can be issued for extendedperiods particularly in the shoulderperiods. Protection against liability(should the fire escape) is provided solong as the fire has been lit in accordancewith the conditions of the permit.

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Sun smart down on the farm outdoors, playing or helping out on thefarm,” she said.

“Being in the sun unprotected duringchildhood more than doubles thelikelihood of developing skin cancer laterin life, and children dehydrate quickly —with serious consequences.”

Ms Long said that parents should try toensure that babies and children are not outin the sun or in filtered shade between11.00am and 3.00pm (Daylight SavingsTime).

“However, if being in the sun isunavoidable, use protective clothing.

“Hats are necessary to protect the face,neck and ears, and opaque but lightclothing to cover the back of the neck,arms, legs and body.

“Sunscreen with protection of 30+ isalso an option and is best used withprotective clothing for babies and veryyoung children.”

Ms Long said that prams, strollers andcar seats, if poorly ventilated,could be very

hot places for babies and young children.

Tips for keeping these young ones coolinclude:

• Keeping outings to the cooler parts ofthe day;

• Giving extra breastfeeds or drinks ofwater (boiled and cooled if there is anydoubt about the source);

• Positioning the pram or stroller in theshade if it really needs to be used in theheat;

• Using removable car sun visors to provideshade for the child when travelling in thecar or any other vehicle,and

• NEVER leaving children unattended in acar or any other farm vehicle — nomatter how short the time.

“As Tasmanian houses are often notdesigned for temperatures over 30°C, asheet pinned over an open doorway orwindow and kept wet can be aninexpensive way of cooling parts of thehouse,”Ms Long suggested.

You can find out more at the Family,Child and Youth Health Service website at:<www.dhhs.tas.gov.au/fcyhs>.

Threatened non-forestnative vegetation Consultation is now underway withlocal councils and landholder groupsto develop a framework to assist inthe sustainable management ofthreatened non-forest nativevegetation around the State.

Department of Primary Industries,Waterand Environment Special Projects ManagerPenny Wells said the current focus of theprogram was to highlight the importantrole that local government andlandholders now had in helping to shapethe program.

“The best way this program can succeedis in partnership with local governmentand landholders, and so their involvementnow is crucial in developing themechanisms that will guide our approachinto the future” she said.

For many landholders the programwould not impact upon their landmanagement practices but instead givecertainty to their activities.

“It’s important for landholders to realise

that the program aims to recognise thesustainable land management practicesalready in place and give security to thoseongoing operations,”Penny commented.

“The key to this program is recognisingthat many operations, such as grazing, arecompletely compatible with the aim ofthis project. The fact that these types ofvegetation still survive on private landhighlight that many land managers arealready practicing the type of activities.”

Although the detail of how the programwill operate is currently being developedin consultation with landholders and localgovernment, the key to its success isensuring that efforts of landholdersinvolved in sustainable management arerecognised.

“This program recognises that utilisingthe land and protecting the threatenednon-forest communities are not mutuallyexclusive and both these outcomes can beachieved,”Penny said.

“We are aiming to develop an incentive

approach which will see accreditation forlandholders using sustainable managementtechniques which will provide them withthe security to continue with their currentoperations,”he said.

“We see landholders becoming involvedand obtaining flow-on effects throughgaining access to markets that are seekingenvironmentally friendly products.”

It’s estimated that approximately 80,000hectares of threatened non-forest nativevegetation exists across the State. Of thisaround half is found on private land andhalf on public land. The programrecognises that many practices alreadyundertaken on private land would be ableto continue, and will look at ways toensure its sustainable management onpublic land. If major clearance andconversion of this type of vegetation isproposed, then there would be a processto try and find ways of minimising theimpacts on the survival of that vegetation.

“The process is about finding a balancedapproach to enable landholders to havesecurity in the ongoing sustainablemanagement of their land, while at thesame time providing us with the processto see the ongoing survival of a part of ourheritage.”

Plenty of fresh air, lots of open space,home-grown produce — it’s easy toassume that growing up in thecountry could be idyllically healthy.

But the irony is this ‘outdoorsy’environment can also be a dangerous onefor young children — and in particularyoung children’s skin — if sun smartprecautions aren’t taken.

As the warmer months and the longholidays approach, health authorities arewarning parents in rural Tasmania to bevigilant about protecting their children’sskin under the searing summer sun.

“It’s easy to assume our southern State iscooler than the mainland and it’s thereforenot as important to make sure children aresafe in the sun and well hydrated,” said MsChristine Long, the State Manager of theFamily, Child and Youth Health Service —part of the Department of Health andHuman Services.

“This is especially so in the country,where children tend to spend a lot of time

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Testing our Statesemergency response

went wrong,which was good.But we canimprove our techniques so vets and otherkey personnel can be more quicklydisinfected as they move backwards andforwards across theboundary of aninfected property.

“What wentespecially well wasthe handling andpackaging of thesimulated blood andblister samples.Obviously, extremecare has to be takenwhen transportingsamples that may behighly contagious offan infected propertyand to the airport.And, for obviousreasons, the airlinesand the quarantineservices, both here inTasmania and inVictoria, have a rangeof very stringent requirements for suchsamples to be flown interstate. All thatwent very well and under the worst ofweather conditions”Dr Andrewartha said.

Exercise Cold Feet started with a localfarmer calling a privatevet about some sheepthat were lame.The vetvisited the property,inspected the sheepand raised the alarmwith the State’s ChiefVeterinary Officerabout a possibleoutbreak of FMD. TheChief Vet then orderedthe diagnostic teamfrom DPIWE’sL a u n c e s t o nlaboratories intoaction. They drovefrom Launceston tothe Bothwell property,set up the properdisinfecting processeson the farm boundaryand then entered theproperty to takesamples from thesheep.

Having taken samples from the sheep,they packaged them in accordance withthe lab requirements and arranged for thesamples to be flown to the AustralianAnimal Health Laboratory at Geelong. Atall times during the exercise, everybodyentering or leaving the property had tobe properly and thoroughly disinfected.The whole process was completed by

Several practical lessons have beenlearned from a recent exercise,which simulated an outbreak of Footand Mouth Disease at Bothwell.

Tasmania’s Chief Veterinary Officer, DrRod Andrewartha, said that Exercise ColdFeet was a realistic workout of thediagnostic phase of a disease outbreak.

“An important part of havingsimulation exercises is to test our plansand see where any cracks might appear.This way we can keep improving ourresponse plans to ensure they are mosteffective if we were to have a realoutbreak.”

Dr Andrewartha said that the existingcontingency plans worked well in theexercise, but a few minor practicalproblems arose that will be worked on.

“A very useful outcome was to providea realistic measure of just how long thediagnostic phase would take.

“The weather conditions on the day ofthe exercise were atrocious, so it was anextremely vigorous testing of our plansand of our people.

“The exercise showed up some areas ofthe disinfecting process where we thinkimprovements could be made. Nothing

lunchtime.

Exercise Cold Feet involved DPIWE,theTFGA, the Australian VeterinaryAssociation, the Southern MidlandsCouncil, Roberts livestock agents, meatprocessors, the police and emergencyservices.

In addition to the field diagnosiscomponent, there was a discussionexercise focusing on the flow-on actionsneeded if a real outbreak of FMD wasconfirmed on the property.

It was part of an ongoing series ofsimulation exercises and trainingworkshops to continually test andimprove Tasmania’s plans for dealingwith any outbreak of an exotic animaldisease.

DPIWE’s Diagnostics Team taking samples from sheep inBothwell as part of Exercise Cold Feet.

Representatives from the Department of Premier and Cabinet,livestock industry, private veterinary practitioners and DPIWEdiscuss media implications of an emergency animal diseaseoutbreak.

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Noxious fish pest testingTassie waterways

(following translocation) have anextensive global distribution.The speciesis related (at family level) to the Guppy(Poecilia reticulata), Sailfin Molly(Poecilia latipinna) and Swordtail(Xiphophorus helleri), which arecommonly kept aquaria species. Thedifference between Gambusia and theother common family members isgambusia’s abilityto survive andbreed in Tasmanianconditions.

It is one of onlythree pest speciesthat have beendeclared aControlled Speciesby the IFS — theothers are‘European Carp’and ‘Cheraxd e s t r u c t o r ’(mainland yabby).This means that it

is an offence to be in possession of, or

move these species with offenders facing

fines of up to $10,000.The IFS is seeking

community assistance in locating any

other populations of this species and asks

that any possible Gambusia sightings or

reports be forwarded to the Inland

Fisheries Service on 6233 4140.

The Inland Fisheries Service (IFS) hasrecently discovered the presence of anew noxious pest fish species insouthern Tasmania. Two isolatedpopulations of the Eastern Gambusia(Gambusia holbrooki) have beenfound in the Snug and Kingstonareas. Eastern Gambusia, were firstdiscovered in Tasmania in the WestTamar region near Launceston in1992. The source of this infestation isknown to be human introduction andefforts to eradicate this species fromthe Tamar region are continuing.

The two populations in southernTasmania are thought to be confined tofarm dams, however future distributionsurveys are planned to confirm this. Theinfestation at Snug has been treated withcalcium hydroxide by the IFS and iscurrently being monitored. The otherpopulation at Kingston is scheduled to betreated shortly.

Calcium hydroxide has beensuccessfully used on the mainland as apoisoning agent for freshwater pestspecies. Calcium hydroxide raises the pHof a water body beyond what thegambusia can tolerate, resulting in thefish rapidly dying. Following thetreatment, the dam returns to its pre-treatment pH in a short period of time.IFS trials of this poison indicate thataquatic macrophytes can survive thetreatment with invertebrates and frogsreturning to the dam soon after. Oncegambusia has been eradicated, a dam’sinvertebrate and frog community oftenreturns to a higher density and overallspecies diversity than prior to thepoisoning. Reports suggest that calciumhydroxide is less toxic and harmful to theenvironment than most other recognisedfish poison.

Although only small (Females up to60mm, males 35mm), its ability to breedrapidly and survive a wide range of waterconditions (fresh to salt, 0°C to 44°C,heavy pollution) enables this species toinvade all aquatic habitat areas. Thiscoupled with its aggression and habit ofeating other species eggs means that theGambusia is a major threat to native fishand frogs.

Gambusia holbrooki are native tosouthern and eastern USA, but now

National eliteEAD team formed Three DPIWE officers have beenselected to train as members of thenation’s newly-formed RapidResponse Team (RRT), set up torespond to any emergency animaldisease outbreak.

The concept of the RRT is to have, onstand-by, a team of highly-trainedprofessionals that can be flownimmediately to any part of Australia toprovide expert backup during the firstcritical days of any outbreak.

Tasmania’s Chief Veterinary Officer, DrRod Andrewartha, said that theestablishment of the RRT is an importantdevelopment for the State.

“In Tasmania, we now have some 300people on stand-by to work in variousroles in the control centres and out in thefield in the event of an outbreak. Andthese people are undergoing training intheir various tasks. But in a State with a

small population, such as Tasmania orSouth Australia, there is always a risk thatan outbreak of something like Foot andMouth Disease could overwhelm ourresources in those first crucial days.

“As the experience in the UK in 2001so graphically demonstrated, how wehandle those first few days of an outbreaklargely determines how much damage theoutbreak will subsequently cause. Theidea of a “flying squad” of the nation’sbest, that can be deployed within 24hours to any part of the country, is asignificant boost to Tasmania’s capacity todeal quickly and effectively with anyexotic animal disease outbreak.”

The three DPIWE officers will beundergoing intensive and ongoingtraining in the key aspects of controlcentre management.This training will besupplemented by field exercises, one ofwhich is scheduled to be held in Tasmaniain May 2004.

Top illustration is the female Gambusia

and the lower is the male. Taken from

“Freshwater Fishes of South-Eastern

Australia” (Robert McDowall 1996).

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N E W S A N D F E A T U R E S

Major threat to ourdevil population

The disease appears to suppress thatpart of the devils’ immune system thatdeals with cancers and cancer causingagents, enabling the gruesome tumours tospread quickly through infected animals.

The spread of the disease across theState has been rapid. Areas with high-density populations appear to be hardesthit by the disease, which spreads rapidly,with over 80 per cent of the adultpopulation affected. In low-density areas,spread is slow and patchy and less than 50per cent of the adult population appearsto be affected.

Preliminary surveys by DPIWE indicatethe disease is over much of the eastern halfof Tasmania and extends at least into thehighlands.There are no signs of the diseaseyet recorded in devil populations in thenorth west of the State or the West Coast.

Although disease alone, rarely leads toextinction, there is concern about theimplications of a major crash in devilnumbers.

Population crashes often lead to a lossof genetic diversity making the speciesmore susceptible to other problems.

According to Nick, “a major new riskcoincident with this current crash is thatfoxes may take advantage of the hugeamount of food freed up by the demise ofthe devils and fill their niche.This wouldthen make it very difficult for the devil torecover.”

Devils have had their population‘crashes’ before and it appears that theyrecovered over about 20–30 years.

DPIWE’s first response has been to tryand obtain a snapshot of the spread of thedisease through surveys of the populationand define the disease through laboratoryinvestigation. This work has beenenhanced by a State Government

committment of $1.8M up till 2007.

Staff from the Department’s AnimalHealth Laboratory in the State’s north arecurrently working on trying to define thedisease in collaboration with universitiesand animal health laboratories interstate.

In October, a workshop on the diseasebrought together both local and interstatewildlife and animal health disease experts.

The workshop heard that althoughthere are some indications that the diseaseis caused by a virus, a lot moreinvestigation was needed to support thoseindications.

“Efforts are being made to isolate thepotential virus from cell cultures in anattempt to work up a diagnostic test,” saysMargaret Williams from DiagnosticServices.

Although the work being undertakenby the Department is crucial, theinvolvement of other expertise is vital aswell.

A Tasmanian devil displaying thesymptoms of Devil Facial Tumour Disease.

In 1996 a visiting wildlifephotographer, Christo Baars, noticedan adult Tasmanian Devil displaying arange of gruesome tumours aroundthe face and neck at Mt WilliamNational Park.

Although this disease is very unpleasantlooking, Tasmanian Devils, like otheranimal species, are not immune fromcancers. So was this find something out ofthe ordinary?

Over the next few years other reportscame in of diseased devils. It began toemerge that this was more than the oddoutbreak of disease in an otherwisehealthy population.

Dr Menna Jones,a research fellow at theUniversity of Tasmania, caught a diseaseddevil near Little Swanport, and then morein her devil study population fromBicheno and south into Freycinet NationalPark. These were the first specimens forpost mortem examination.

Devils are tough, adaptable animals andseem to cope with the disease until itreaches a critical point when theybecome weak and disoriented.They thencannot compete and quickly die. Mostappear to die in the first three to fivemonths of the first symptoms.

According to DPIWE’s WildlifeBiologist, Nick Mooney, the disease seemsto originate in and around the mouth assmall lesions and bumps.

“Adult males are the first affected, thenadult females. Once symptoms areobvious, tumours seem to spreadthroughout the body — most obviouslyaround the head and face.”

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MANAGEMENT

The Tasmanian Devil has iconic statusbeyond its significance in our State’snatural heritage. Its image is usedeverywhere around the State and overseasthrough characters such as the WarnerBros popular cartoon character.

A recently-established steeringcommittee to oversee the management ofthis issue includes representatives fromDPIWE, Tourism Tasmania, the TFGA,wildlife experts, ecotourismrepresentation and the Parks and WildlifeService.

The wide membership on thiscommittee will ensure a coordinatedresponse is that takes into account thevalue of the devil and harnesses the fullrange of interests in the effort.

An affected devil caught in the Eppingarea of central north Tasmania.

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Tassie’s young farmerslead the way Westbury beef and wool producerBrock Pinner has placed second inthe National Young Farmer of theYear competition, held recently atthe Australian Rural Youthconvention in Geelong, Victoria.

Eight state finalists competed in severalskills areas, including occupational healthand safety, office management, fencing,environmental conservation andmachinery maintenance. The eightpractical modules were followed up witha general agricultural knowledge quiz,and public speaking.

As well as his 145-hectare beef andwool property, Brock runs TasmanianDairy Services, which provides assistancewith herd recording, calf de-horning anddairy hygiene. He has contested sixprevious Young Farmer of the Yearcompetitions at a State level.

“I like the learning side of thecompetition,” Brock said. “You gain a lotfrom what you learn during the day, andpick up a few new skills to take away anduse. This industry is always changing, soit’s important to continually be testingyourself. It’s also a good chance to catchup with everybody.”

West Australian wheat and sheepfarmer Shayne Smith, 23, won first place

Dobson, finished first and secondrespectively.They will represent Tasmaniaat next year’s nationals, to be held inQueensland.

“This year AFFA put in $25,000, and itseemed like the national competition hadgone up to the next level,” Heath said.“Sowe wanted to make the Tasmaniancompetition professional to give ourrepresentatives the best possible chance inthe national competition. Instead of havingan impromptu speech, we went with aprepared speech, and you could really tellwho had put effort into it. We alsointroduced a new module in which thecontestants had to conduct an interview.”

Brock was 15 and Heath 18 when theyjoined Rural Youth Tasmania.With 15 localclubs across the State, Rural Youth is anorganisation open to all people betweenthe ages of 15 and 30. The organisationprovides its members with opportunitiesto travel, learn new skills, and exploreindividual talents.

Other Tasmanian representatives at thenationals included Matt Crane, Liz Horneand Deb McKay from Sorell Rural Youth,who made it through to the NationalDebating Final. Janine Cresswell finisheda very close second in the National finalof the Public Speaking. Her humorousstory of her ‘life on the highway’ told ofher weekly trips from Hobart to herhome in the north.

The head office for Rural YouthTasmania can be contacted by calling:6331 6154.

The next crop of young leaders recentlycompeted to represent Tasmania at the2004 National Competition. L–R — LauraRichardson (State President), HeathDobson (Young Farmer Coordinator and2003 national finalist), Tim Dobson(Second Place), David Findlay (Winner) &Matthew Young (Young FarmerCoordinator).

in the national competition. HeathDobson, 24, a beef producer from Cluan,near Westbury, was one of the eightfinalists. Previously he had placed third inthe inaugural national competition, held

in 1999.

“I like the challenge of competition,and testing my skills,” Heath said.“And it’sa bonus that we get to go away.”

Heath drew on his experience at thenationals to help organise the Statecompetition this September. Dave Findlayfrom Hagley, and Heath’s brother Tim

Care urged infishing net disposal Fishermen and boat operators arebeing urged to use and dispose ofmarine debris and gill nets carefullyfollowing the discovery of a dead White-bellied Sea-eagle entangled in a net.

Department of Primary Industries,Water and Environment, NatureConservation Officer Bill Brown said thejuvenile White-bellied Sea-eagle wasfound entangled in a net in its nest atBinalong Bay.

“The eagle appears to be last season’soffspring and had been dead for severalmonths,” he said.

“It probably would have only left the

nest a few times before its untimelydeath.”

Bill said White-bellied Sea-eagles havebeen nominated for listing as endangeredunder the Tasmanian Threatened SpeciesProtection Act because of a smallpopulation size and continuing threatssuch as habitat loss and nest disturbance.

“The gill net the bird was foundentangled in is a type commonly used forrecreational fishing,” he said.

“It appears the fledgling may have beenscavenging on fish caught in the netwhen it became entangled. It broke partof the net away, leaving the bird

vulnerable to further entanglement whenit returned to the nest. It seems in anattempt to leave the nest again, the netbecame snagged and strangled theunfortunate bird.”

Bill said marine debris and gill nets thatare not adequately disposed of, properlyset or regularly monitored caninadvertently threaten seabirds,penguins,seals, dolphins and turtles.

“People using gill nets can assist inminimising impacts on other species bychecking nets regularly when they areused, ensuring all fish are removed andthat they are stored or disposed ofcarefully when not in use,” he said.

If anyone does find wildlife entangledin nets or debris it should be reportedimmediately to the Nature ConservationBranch on 6233 6556.

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N E W S A N D F E A T U R E S

The ATV — help or hazard? insufficient light or hazardous terrain.

• Do not use an ATV in need of repair.

• Lookout for potential hazards whenriding: rocks, bumps, irrigation pipesand wildlife.

• Take care in unfamiliar or roughterritory.

• Be careful when turning, approachinghills or navigating obstacles.

• If you areunsure about an obstacle,find another route or go back.

• Don’t ride on paved surfaces;ATVs arenot designed for this.

• Never ride on public roads. It may bedifficult to avoid a collision if othervehicles are using the road.

• Never leave an ATV with the motorrunning.

• Make sure attachments or loads don’talter the ATV’s centre of gravity andaffect its stability.

• Always use the buddy system; neverride off alone.

Operator training and agerestrictions• Drivers should receive sufficient

training and supervision.

• Follow manufacturer’srecommendations of a minimum age of16 for ATV riders.

• Never allow young riders to use an ATVwithout appropriate supervision.

• Young riders don’t always have theweight, limb size, skill and judgementto control an ATV safely.

Despite their usefulness around thefarm, All Terrain Vehicles (ATV’s) areinvolved in an escalating number offarm accidents. ATV’s are anincreasing cause of injury and deathin Australia. By implementingcertain safety measures, however,the risk of an ATV accident can bereduced.

ATV’s can be a useful tool for farmers.Travelling across areas that areinaccessible to tractors and horses, theyare an ideal way of rounding upstock, towing goods and sprayingcrops.They are also widely usedfor recreation.

However, ATV’s can behazardous. An ATV is capable ofperforming many functions, butis only as capable as its operator.Proper training is essential. Mostaccidents can be avoided byriding responsibly, being awareof the hazards and by takingappropriate safety precautions.

ATV safety precautionsPersonal protective equipment• Always wear a helmet.

• Wearing long sleeves and pants is agood idea.

• Sturdy boots and gloves should beworn.

• Eye protection is important.

ATV maintenance• Pay attention to the advice in your

owner’s manual.

• Check your brakes and tyres regularly.

• Make sure that all parts are genuine orsuited to your ATV.

• Ensure any damage or mechanicalfailure is repaired, reported andcommunicated to all possible riders ofthe affected machine.

ATV operation• Always drive at a speed that allows you

to safely avoid sudden changes interrain or other potential hazards.

• Plan work tasks so that the need totravel quickly between work sites iseliminated or reduced.

• Maintain correct body position andweight distribution while using ATVs.

• Do not use an ATV under adverseconditions such as inclement weather,

Carrying passengers• Passengers are a definite NO. ATV’s

need the driver to shift weight to allowcontrol; a passenger restricts this.

Stunts and speeding• Never attempt jumps,wheelies or other

stunts on an ATV.

• Ride at an appropriate speed for theterrain, your experience and thevisibility conditions.

Drugs, alcohol and fatigue• Never ride under the influence of

drugs or alcohol.

• Be wary of prescription drugsthat may have side effects thataffect your balance, vision orconcentration.

• Beware of fatigue.Operating an ATV is morephysically demanding thandriving a car. If you aretravelling long distances, takefrequent rest breaks.

• Ensure that you aredressed comfortably and aresitting comfortably.

Responsibility• As an ATV owner, you must

understand the risks associated withATV’s and know the safety precautionsto take.

• You must ensure that anyone ridingyour ATV has the necessary skills andunderstanding to operate it safely.

• If you are an employer, you have a dutyof care under the Workplace Health andSafety Act 1995 to ensure that ATV’s areproperly maintained and usedaccording to the manufacturer’sspecifications, and that your workerswho use ATV’s are adequately trainedand wearing protective gear.

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N E W S A N D F E A T U R E S

Country capers Going bush in the hope of cultivatingrural utopia is a dream of manyAustralian families. Lindsay andMarilyn Richley moved to Tasmaniain 1975 with the idea of setting up ahobby farm. They purchased 14hectares near Campania — and a lotof experience in what ‘not’ to do.

‘We bought a dozen or so sheep, butdidn’t have facilities to catch or yardthem for vaccination,’ Lindsay said. ‘Wemanaged to rig up a bit of a yard in acorner of our property and herded thesheep in there. With great difficulty wegave one a needle. But then, how did weknow which sheep we’d vaccinated? Sowe let that one out of the yard. But afterwe’d done about six, they all broke out ofthe yard and became mixed up.’

Lindsay’s roots were well establishedon the land. He grew up on a vegetablefarm, completed a forestry degree atSydney University, and spent 25 years as aland-management officer with theDepartment of Agriculture (now DPIWE).

‘But I hadn’t worked with livestock,and we were grazing sheep’ Lindsay said.‘It’s really not a simple thing to manageland simply and properly.There’s a lot ofknowledge required and a lot of attentionto detail needed to avoid pitfalls anddisasters. Attention to detail can actuallybe the difference between success andfailure.’

Today Lindsay is the coordinator ofCountry Capers, which is a training andadvisory service for small landowners.Country Capers provides guidance inprotecting the environment, personaldevelopment, and the management ofland, stock, crops and business.

‘Hobby farmers are very passionateabout their land and because of that,they’re very keen to get things right,’Lindsay said. ‘They’re also far ranging inwhat they want to do with their land.That’s what makes it exciting andchallenging.’

Country Capers has been created byRural Development Services (RDS).Amabel Fulton, co-founder of RDS, saidmany people buy a farm with an idea ofwhat life in the country will be like.

‘Mostly that idea comes fromtelevision, not reality,’Amabel said.

‘They’re looking for a bit more space, abit more privacy, and coming more in

contact with nature. And it can be thosethings. But there’s a long way ‘round anda shorter way ‘round. We’re hoping thatwe can guide people toward the shorterway around.’

Amabel and her husband David set upRDS three years ago. Before that, theyeach spent 15 years teaching agriculturein Tasmanian universities. Amabelspecialised in rural sociology and Davidwas a post-doctoral research fellow invegetable seed.Their dream for RDS is tohelp farmers who want to make change.

‘Change is very personally rewarding,’Amabel said.‘We all have a vision of howwe want to live our lives, and to be ableto find a way to make that happen is veryimportant. If you combine everyonedoing that, then you have strongercommunities, you have more productiveagriculture, and a stronger economy.’

RDS does research and developmentwork for corporations, such as devising astrategy for the Tasmanian meat industryand evaluating education programs forthe citrus industry. Many other peopleseek their help because they have boughtland but don’t know where to start.

‘We offer basic skills in running a smallproperty,’ Amabel said. ‘It’s a ‘hands on’approach — how to handle livestock,what to expect during the course of theseasons, how to plant shelterbelts, andhow to manage your animals. We helppeople work out what they want fromtheir property. Is their dream achievable?If it’s not achievable, then we help themmake changes.’

More information can be found at theirwebsite: <www.ruraldevelopmentservices.com>.

Lindsay and his wife Marilyn on their hobby farm at Campania head up the CountryCapers business.

20

N E W S A N D F E A T U R E S

Strategy to improve youthtransport options Establishing community transportpartnerships has been identified asthe best way of improving transportservices for young people inTasmania.

The Tasmanian Youth Transport Strategyrecommends the establishment ofcommunity transport projects to improvethe sharing and availability of communitytransport resources in rural areas.

Options suggested in the strategy toimprove transport services in regionalareas include funding a broker whoencourages community groups to lendvehicles, researches community transportissues and provides information to usersabout transport options. Successfulbrokerage schemes already operate inNSW and South Australia with theassistance of Local Government.

The strategy was developed to helpgive young people access to transport tofurther their career, social andrecreational opportunities.

The project was coordinated by the

restricts social/recreational activities.

Identified problems with other travelalternatives such as getting a lift in a carwere:

• They are not always available

• They make young people highlydependant on others

• This means young people lackautonomy and are reliant on others.

• Walking and cycling are only practicalalternatives for private travel in urbanareas or larger regional centres.

The strategy is the first part of a two-part initiative.The Office of Youth Affairs,together with key stakeholders, willundertake the second part of the projectwhich will address the recommendationsof the strategy with a view to securingtheir implementation. The StateGovernment has provided funding topilot the main recommendation, aCommunity Transport Brokerage, inpartnership with Local Government.

The Tasmanian Youth Transport Strategycan be accessed through the Office ofYouth Affairs website at: <www.youthaffairs.tas.gov.au/transport.htm>.

For more information on the strategycontact Anita Simeoni on 6233 3535.

Drumming up business drumMUSTER is the nationalprogram for the collection andrecycling of empty, cleaned, non-returnable crop production and on-farm animal health chemicalcontainers.

Farm chemical users pay a 4 cent perlitre or kilogram levy on all chemicals thatthey purchase. This levy funds thedrumMUSTER program. Why dispose ofcontainers on your land when they canbe recycled free of charge?

Why? It means that your land remains clear of

container waste, ensuring a cleaner farmand cleaner environment as a whole.Involvement will ensure that you complywith Tasmanian environmental legislationand will also reinforce our States cleangreen reputation helping to strengthenour national and international tradingposition.

How?The old chemical drums need to be

thoroughly cleaned out and delivered todesignated collection points run byparticipating local Councils. Whencleaning out your drums make sure youfollow the Agsafe Standard for EffectiveRinsing of Farm Chemical Containers.

Where? There are 20 Councils in Tasmania that

have signed with the drumMUSTERprogram. Most Councils conduct theirown collections, with others using thefacilities of their neighbours. Contactyour local Council for details about yourarea collection.

For any further information on thisvaluable program contact thedrumMUSTER Tasmanian Field Officer,Meredith Roodenrys, on 6243 1294 or<drummuster@drummuster.com.au>.

A large compound stacked with oldchemical drums waiting for recycling.

Department of Education’s Office ofYouth Affairs in response to young peopleand youth service providers throughoutthe State who have consistently raisedtransport as an issue for young people inTasmania.

Extensive consultation with youngpeople, youth workers and stakeholdergroups identified transport issues as aparticular problem for young peopleliving in rural and regional communities.

Young people in both rural and urbanareas identified a range of issuesassociated with public transport andother transport alternatives.

Identified problems with publictransport were:

• The frequency of bus services is low

• Walk access to bus routes and stops islong, and in rural areas walk access isoften identified as impossible.

• Fares are considered high even withthe available concessions.

• Lack of evening and weekend serviceaccess is a major concern because it

The recycled drums are made into

outdoor furniture, roadside posts, garbage

bins, drainage and irrigation pipes,

window fittings, vineyard posts and

railway sleepers, to name but a few.

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N E W S A N D F E A T U R E S

Stag beetlehabitat protected

Mr Matthew’s covenant also protectsone of the States most endangered forestcommunities — shrubby black gum(Eucalyptus ovata). From an originalstatewide distribution of 232,000hectares, less than 11,500 hectares of thisforest type remains in the State.

“Mr Matthews decision to covenant isanother example of the success of thePrivate Forest Reserves Program which isworking with landowners across theState to conserve areas of significantforest and the habitat of threatenedspecies,” said Mr Green. “More than26,000 hectares of significant forestedareas are now being protected byconservation covenants,”.

Forestry Tasmania has announced that70 hectares of State Forest adjoining MrMatthews property will be managed as aninformal reserve to protect the beetle’shabitat.

“State forest outside the informalreserve but within the range of the stagbeetle will also continue to be managedto maximise habitat of the species inconjunction with harvesting,” said

Forestry Tasmania spokesman, Bob

Gordon.

He said a special management zone

covering the beetle’s range — and

including wildlife habitat clumps and

biodiversity corridors — had been

developed by Forestry Tasmania.

Ian Matthews helping to save habitat forendangered Tasmanian stag beetle.

A conservation covenant has beenput in place to protect the habitat ofan endangered Tasmanian stagbeetle. The Minister for PrimaryIndustries, Water and Environment,Bryan Green, has congratulated IanMatthews of Goulds Country for hisdecision to participate in the PrivateForest Reserves Program.

“By placing a conservation covenantover 50 hectares of his property, MrMatthews is protecting the habitat of theBornemisszas stag beetle,” he said.

“This is extremely significant for thelong-term survival of this species as theBornemisszas stag beetle only occurs inthe Goulds Country area where it isrestricted to around 970 hectares. IanMatthews’ reserve is the largest privatelyowned property within the species’range,” the Minister said.

The beetle is named after the scientistwho discovered the species, Dr GeorgeBornemissza, whose extensive collectionof beetles from around the world wasgenerously donated to the TasmanianMuseum and Art Gallery.

Meander Dam goes ahead On September 18 came the news thatsome Meander Valley landholdershave been waiting 30 years to hear —the Commonwealth Government hadapproved the proposal for theMeander Dam.

The decision, pending appeal,overcame the final hurdle in a lengthyapproval process that has taken itthrough several State-based approvalprocesses and parliament passingEnabling Legislation specifically for it.

Primary Industries, Water andEnvironment Minister Bryan Green saidalthough it was a lengthy process, it wasimportant for the dam to go through it todemonstrate its environmentalsustainability.

“As the flag-ship of Tasmania’s WaterDevelopment Plan, the Meander Damproposal highlights the essence of what

the plan is about — ecologicallysustainable water development projectsfostering the growth of our industries andcommunities,” he said.

“The significance of the Meander Damisn’t just the economic benefit it willgenerate for the local community and theState, but the fact it can be done in anenvironmentally sustainable method.

“Although that was a fact ourGovernment always had faith in, theapproval by the CommonwealthGovernment has vindicated our belief inthat.”

Mr Green said although the finaldecision was made by theCommonwealth, there were a lot ofpeople and organisations which neededto be recognised for their role in theprocess.

“The broad support for the Meander

Dam has seen a lot of support by theMeander Valley and Northern MidlandsCouncils, the Tasmanian Farmers andGraziers Association, the TasmanianAgricultural Productivity Group andMeander Valley farmers, as well as bothsides of politics.”

Mr Green said he always believed thatthe Meander Dam was important for theState,and the Meander Dam report for theCommonwealth Government shouldconvince many of its importance to theState.

“We are talking about a project that canassist in reversing the decline in what is avery vulnerable community,” Mr Greensaid.

“The Meander Dam will provide 175full time jobs — it has the potential toreduce the region’s unemployment bymore than a third.

“It’s value however goes beyond thedirect employment opportunities.

“The Dam will enhance the profitability,

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N E W S A N D F E A T U R E S

competitiveness and sustainability ofTasmania’s agriculture industry.

“Currently, local farmers have to dealwith water restrictions and unreliablewater supplies during the summermonths.

“Providing a reliable water supply tothis area will give security to a regionprincipally used for high value croppingincluding vegetables, poppies and seedcrops, dairying and beef.

“Around 24,000 megalitres of waterwill be made available once the MeanderDam is established allowing the regionsagricultural value to grow significantly.

“This project will be the springboardfor growth in the Meander Valley whileproviding sound environmentaloutcomes for one of the State’s moststressed outcomes.”

Mr Green said it was important to notonly recognise the economic benefits theproject would bring the State, but theenvironmental significance as well.

“When we look at these projects weneed to ensure that although they willbring benefits for our State, they can bedone in a way that recognises theenvironmental values of the area as well.

“By having a reliable water supply we

will be able to ensure the river gets the

environmental flows it requires to

maintain the health of the river and the

many eco-systems which rely on it.

“The proposal takes into account

threatened species in the area and

proposes measures to mitigate the

impacts of the dam on their survival.

“The Commonwealth approval of the

proposal is, in effect, an independent

assessment that has proven the economic

viability and environmental sustainability

of the project proposed by the

government.”

Top Tassie tastes event in 1996.New categories added overthe years in response to this interestincluded cheese,yoghurt, ice cream,smallgoods, preserves, olive oil and bread.The

There were 270 entries in the 2003Wrest Point National Fine FoodAwards with 176 of these entriescoming from Tasmania. The Awardsare held annually in Tasmania as aninitiative of the Royal AgriculturalSociety of Tasmania.

The Awards Mission Statement clearlydefines what the Awards are all about —to develop and promote the AustralianFine Food industry through a competitivepursuit of product excellence.

The specific aims of the event are toencourage excellence in the industry, toprovide benchmarks guides for qualityfine food producers, to educateconsumers and the industry and toprovide a promotional vehicle forpromoting Australia’s specialty foods.

Interest in the awards has beengrowing steadily since the inaugural

Best of Show

The major prize at the Awards (the

inaugural Richard Langdon Award for the

best entry) was won by Tasmanian

Michael Fowler of D & F Fine Chocolates

for his miniature Christmas puddings.

Other award-winning entries

included:

Best Tasmanian Cheese:

King Island Dairy, Black Label Brie

Best Tasmanian Ice Cream:

Eureka Farm,Apricot Ice Cream

Best Tasmanian Preserve:

The Fudge A’Fare, Quince Paste

Best Tasmanian Olive Oil:

Island Olive Grove Tasmania,

Evo Olive Oil

Best Tasmanian Bread:

Zum Café, Finnen Loaf High Top

Best Tasmanian Smallgood:

Black Forest Smallgoods, Wallaby

Kingsloin

Best Tasmanian Organic Product

(this was a new prize category this

year — the Primary Industries

Minister’s Award)

Grandvewe Cheeses, Blue Bye Ewe

Sheep’s Milk Cheese

Best Tasmanian Sausages

Winners in the Tasmanian final of the

National Sausage King competition

included Riverside Quality Meats of

Launceston in the Continental and

Gourmet section, Hobart’s Wursthaus in

the Pork category, and Streets Meat of

Smithton for the Traditional category.

Top Tasmanian Desserts

Island Berries was a standout success

in the Awards winning gold medals for

its Panna Cotta Chocolate, Vanilla, and

Raspberry desserts, and for its Blueberry

and Raspberry Sauces.

2003 event saw a new class for game

products, a split to both sweet and

savoury preserves and a specialty award

for organically certified entries included

to compliment the already extensive

product classes.

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23

N E W S A N D F E A T U R E S

Getting to the coreof things

4. Jonagold

5. Granny Smith

6. Gala

7. Pink Lady

8. Democrat

9. Braeburn

10.Sundowner (Source: 2001/2002 ABSStatistics)

Getting to the core of the appleindustry is Predo Jotic, SeniorHorticulturist with the Department ofPrimary Industries, Water andEnvironment at Grove Research Station inthe Huon Valley.Predo,responsible for thetesting and development of new applecultivars, says “I have tasted many applecultivars in Australia and overseas duringmy work on variety evaluation forcommercial development. I also consumeplenty of apples and other fruits at workand at home.

“My winners in the sweet applecategory are Fuji (Japan), Gala (NewZealand), Honeycrisp (USA) Sansa (Japan)and Orin (Japan).

“In the sweet/acid group I would includeJonagold (USA), Pink Lady (Australia), Elstar(Holland), Cox Orange Pippin (England)and Granny Smith (Australia).”

More information on Tasmania’s appleindustry is available on the Department ofPrimary Industries, Water andEnvironment web site: <www.dpiwe.tas.gov.au/food>.

Predo Jotic inspects the newly buddingapple trees at DPIWE’s Grove ResearchStation in the Huon Valley.

Tasmania may no longer be formallyreferred to as the Apple Isle, but thebusiness of growing apples stillremains a significant primaryindustry for the State.

Tasmania’s pome fruit industry (applesand pears) has a long history and richheritage. Commercial plantings andexports date back to the mid 1800s.At itspeak during the 1960s, Tasmania’s annualexports to the UK reached 126,000 tonnes.

Due to market, economic and currencychanges, the industry has shifted focusconsiderably in the past 30 years, goingfrom predominantly supplying theEuropean market prior to the 1970s, tosupplying interstate and East Asian marketsin the early 1980s. Now, it is based mainlyon interstate sales, but with a significantpenetration into the East Asian markets andthe Indian sub-continent. Recently therehave also been renewed exports of highvalue varieties to the UK.

Market demands for apple varieties haschanged in recent years with a definitetrend towards bi-colour and more highlyflavoured varieties. New cultivarsacquired by DPIWE and the appleindustry will help Tasmania meet future

market demands. The production ofnewer varieties such as striped Red Fujiselections, Red Gala, Pink Lady, Braeburnand Red Jonagold is expected to growfrom 25% of total production to about40% by 2005,due to the rising productionfrom new plantings.

Tasmania’s top ten apple varietiesranked by volume are:

1. Red Delicious

2. Fuji

3. Golden Delicious

Threatened flora CDlaunchedInformation about all 485 floraspecies listed under Tasmania’sThreatened Species Protection Acthas been compiled into an easyreference format to raise awarenessof the State’s native flora.

The CD, which was produced byDPIWE’s Threatened Species Unit andlaunched at the Royal Botanical Gardensrecently, contains information on whatthe plants look like, where they occur,their ecological needs and what threatsthey face.

Of the 485 species, 128 are endemic toTasmania, which highlights thesignificance of efforts to ensure theirconservation.

The project was a huge undertakingand took nearly four years to complete. Itrelied on input and cooperation fromexpert botanists, both in Tasmania and onthe mainland.

The CD is expected to be invaluable toplanning authorities and land managers inidentifying threatened flora in their area,butit will also be a useful resource for schools,universities, local government, consultants,farmers and community groups.

Copies of the CD are available for allTasmanian land mangers interested inpreserving threatened species on theirland and in their community. Pleasecontact the Threatened Species Unit on03 62333 8759 or e-mail

<Louise.Jerrim@dpiwe.tas.gov.au>.

Alternatively the information isavailable at <www.dpiwe.tas.gov.au/wildlife>.

The front cover of the CD shows thethreatened Wonga vine (Pandoreapandorana) twisting it’s way aroundanother tree.

24

C O L U M N S

The Tasmanian Institute of Agricultural Research (TIAR) is a joint venture between the

Tasmanian Government and the University of Tasmania. It brings together the research and

development (R&D) of the two major agricultural R&D providers in the State, the DPIWE and

the School of Agricultural Science, into an institute within the University of Tasmania.

Tasmanian Institute of Agricultural Research

half the world production occurs in NewZealand, Canada and the UK, howeveryields are low due to the lack of improvedcommercial varieties and productionpractices.

A TIAR project, supported by the RuralIndustries Research and DevelopmentCorporation and the Natural PlantExtracts Cooperative Soc. Ltd, has soughtto investigate and recommend agronomicpractices for borage when grown underlocal climatic conditions.

Other ongoing work by TIAR isselecting improved genotypes withrespect to the yield of oil and GLA and

the characteristic of seedretention, as the borageplant rapidly sheds its seedon maturity and this limitscommercial ly -harvestedyields.

The completedagronomic work hasprovided information andrecommendations onsowing time, plantpopulation and harvesttiming, which are criticallyimportant factors of anyfuture commercial borageproduction.

An August sowing timehas generally produced thehighest yields and sowingrates of around ten kg perhectare have been adequate.Few herbicides areregistered for use in borage,but the plant competes wellwith weeds provided goodcrop germination isachieved and weedpopulations are reducedthrough preparatorycultivations.

Discussions between theabove industry stakeholders

have recently resulted in the prospect of

an expanded sowing of about five

hectares in 2003–04, with the possibility

of using a local press for expression of the

seed oil. This development should allow

good judgement to be made on the crop’s

commercial prospects in Tasmania.

For further details contact Dr Rowland

Laurence, TIAR, on 6430 4901 or

<Rowland.Laurence@utas.edu.au>.

Borage borage borage

Windrowed borage prior to harvest.

Borage, a traditionally-used annualherb, yields a seed oil rich in poly-unsaturated fatty acids, and which, inparticular contains a high level ofgamma-linolenic acid.

This fatty acid,often referred to as GLA,is a human dietary supplement for whichthere is an increasing internationalmarket demand. Borage is increasinglybeing grown for this extract, inpreference to the conventional source,the seed of the herb evening primrosethat yields comparatively less GLA.

There is presently no commercialproduction of borage in Australia.Around

Borage crop in fulll flower.

25

C O L U M N S

exists.The trials planned for this project,which are supported by the vegetablegrower levy and Horticulture AustraliaLtd,will be the first attempt to grow thesevarieties in Tasmania.

This project has major significance tothe Australian pea industry as it has thepotential to develop pea lines that havesuperior yields to current commerciallines.

For further information contact:

Dr Suzanne Morris,Tasmanian Instituteof Agricultural Research

Ph: 03 6430 4503, Email: <Suzanne.Morris@utas.edu.au>.

How are the Kiwismanaging their nutrients?

Branching out

Suzanne Morris prepares for trials of thenew pea variety.

This season, Dr Suzanne Morris fromthe Tasmanian Institute ofAgricultural Research (TIAR) will beevaluating novel pea varieties thatmay out yield existing processingvarieties.

These plants consistently send outmultiple branches (tillers) from the plantbase, with pods maturing at a similar rateto those on the main stem, hence thepossible yield increase. The increasedyield or decreased planting density that ispossible due to the multiple stemsproduced at the plant base makes theselines worthy of further investigation.

These lines were originally sent toAustralia for experimental greenhousestudies, so no field agronomic currently

L–R Jim Moir and Hong Di (LincolnUniversity), Alice Melland (DPI Victoria)and Lucy Burkitt (TIAR Burnie) at theLincoln University dairy research farmnear Christchurch, New Zealand.

In July, Greg Holz and Lucy Burkitt(TIAR Burnie) and Alice Melland(Department of Primary Industries,Ellinbank, Vic) went on a 9-daywhirlwind tour of the north andsouth islands of New Zealand to findout how the Kiwis are managingnutrients and bacteria on dairyfarms.

One of the most interesting parts of thetrip was finding out more aboutFonterra’s Clean Streams Accord and howit will affect Fonterra suppliers. NewZealand’s largest dairy company recentlyestablished this Accord to improve theperception of the NZ dairy industry inthe community, to improve theenvironmental performance of theindustry and to safeguard the industry’smarketing image.

The Accord has a number of objectives,but one of the more controversial aims isto have 90 per cent of streams, rivers andlakes fenced to keep cattle out ofwaterways by 2012.This was in responseto a political/social campaign dubbed‘dirty dairying’, which claimed thatdeclining trout numbers andcontamination of shellfish were causedby nutrient and bacteria pollution from

dairy farms.

This issue evolved over a period of 18months and highlights just how volatilethese issues can be. Despite the hype,many NZ farmers deserve a pat on theback, as numerous farm streams havealready been fenced, reducing theamount of nutrients, sediment andbacteria which pollute water when cowsare either crossing streams or drinkingfrom them.

In a broader sense, the NZ governmenthas also embraced this change and manylocal councils have changed their nameto reflect this new environmental focus.

For example, the Waikato Council is nowcalled ‘Environment Waikato’.

One of the areas of major concern forEnvironment Waikato is the nutrientenrichment of Lake Taupo.Lake Taupo is ahuge volcanic lake south west of Rotorua,popular with tourists in the summerperiod. Over recent years, algal blooms,stimulated by high nutrientconcentrations in the water havecontaminated the lake. This has led thecouncil to restrict the amount of nitrogenfertiliser that can be applied to farmssurrounding the lake.The council aims toreduce nitrogen inputs into the lake by20 per cent in 2005.

These are just a few examples of thenutrient management approaches beingadopted in NZ,but these examples clearlyhighlight the importance of beingproactive about nutrient issues in theTasmanian dairy industry. DairyTas, TIARand DPIWE have funded a whole farmnutrient budgeting project that isexploring the distribution of nutrients ondairy farms and using nutrient budgetingapproaches to match fertiliserapplications to nutrient requirements. Inaddition,TIAR is planning a major projectlooking at the effect of dairying on waterquality in north-west Tasmania.

For more information please contactLucy Burkitt or Greg Holz,TIAR Burnie 036430 4953, <Lucy.Burkitt@utas.edu.au>or <G.Holz@utas.edu.au>.

C O L U M N S

26

The water usesustainability project

current river and stream operatinglevels for water users and theenvironment;

• provide a system for water users tomonitor personal water use and theDepartment to quantify and monitorwater usage.

The Project will involve a process bywhich irrigators will be surveyed forwater usage for 2000–2003. It will beginin rivers and streams having the greatestneed to assess allocations and water

impacted upon if they have budgeted oncurrent water availability.

At the same time, the Department willrequire all licence holders to meter alldirect extractions from rivers andstreams. This will be done at theirrigator’s expense in exchange foracknowledging the past level of wateruse. Metering already occurs in someparts of the state and has enormousbenefits for quantifying water use andensuring sustainability in rivers andstreams.

Apart from the obvious benefit ofarresting illegal irrigation creep theproject has environmental benefits byproviding a method to prevent furtherreduction in stream flows due to illegaltakes. The project will provide waterirrigators,by metering, a method to assesstheir water application rates to crops.Irrigators will be given the opportunity toparticipate in working groups to discussoutcomes of the project and contributetowards the development of surveys for

Pivot irrigator watering a crop — a common site in Tasmania.

Water Resources

A new program will be launched thissummer by DPIWE to assist inproviding for the requirements ofirrigators while maintaining currentagreed flows for rivers and streams.The Water Use Sustainability Projectwill maintain the relative watersecurity for water dependentbusinesses and allow water users toobtain a reliable water supply.

The summer of 2002–2003 wasextremely dry and more restrictions thanever were placed on direct takes fromrivers. In many instances the only waterthat could be taken for irrigation camefrom releases of water from farm damsinto rivers. It is becoming increasinglyevident that water use is continuing tooutstrip licensed allocations, which is atotally unsustainable trend. Unless thistrend is arrested, a situation like this canhave detrimental impacts on the waterenvironment and reduce the reliability ofsupply to water users.

Changes in irrigation technology areleading to increasing demands on riversand streams. As farmers replace oldirrigation equipment as part of normalfarm development, new sprinklers andmodern centre pivot irrigators areintroduced. Modern irrigation equipmentuses more water per day as directsummer extractions from rivers andstreams than older systems and adds tothe increasing water over use.

To prevent further creeping in wateruse, the Water Use Sustainability Projecthas been initiated to control this seriousissue in advance of the development ofWater Management Plans.

The main aims of the Water UseSustainability Project are:

• to establish a robust water allocationsystem;

• to prevent deterioration of waterreliability for water dependentbusinesses;

• provide equitable water use based on

usage for irrigation water and graduallycover the whole state.

Irrigators or water users extractingdirectly from rivers and streams will beasked to provide evidence if they tookmore water than their licensed amount inthe 2002–2003 irrigation season (or theaverage of irrigation seasons 2000–2003).In exchange for declaring this usage,irrigators will be granted access to extrawater via a lower surety allocationaddition to their licence.This will ensurethat irrigators will not be severely

their area.

A team of three staff from the DPIWE

Water Management Branch will be

working on the Water Use Sustainability

Project in conjunction with Regional

Water Management Officers throughout

the state to implement the project once

key areas have been selected.

For further information on the Water

Use Sustainability Project contact the

Project Manager Melissa Williamson on 03

6233 4807.

27

C O L U M N S

Catchment knowledgeset to increase

provide valuable information oncatchment hydrology and supportongoing operational water managementin the NAP catchments.

In addition to this, a river healthmonitoring and reporting system forwaterways in the NAP region will also beestablished. This biological monitoringproject will complement the physico-chemical and streamflow monitoring inthe NAP region and the data generatedfrom all projects will provide informationon key indicators used for monitoringand evaluation by regional groups fornatural resource management.

Two projects will focus on capacitybuilding in the NAP region by transferringinformation to on-ground groups andtraining communities in river health andwater quality monitoring.

Both projects have a strong focus onincreasing the skills of communitiesalready actively involved in measuring

to determine Holistic Environmental

Water Requirements by undertaking a

pilot study in the Little Swanport

catchment.

The project builds upon the extensive

environmental flow work already

undertaken across the state by Water

Assessment and Planning Branch.

Figure 1 — DPIWE’s streamflow, waterquality and river health monitoringnetwork (NAP region shaded grey).

Over the next 12 months the WaterAssessment and Planning Branch inDPIWE’s Water Resources Divisionwill be actively working on a suite ofprojects recently funded under theNational Action Plan for Salinity andWater Quality.

Collectively, these projects are aimed atimproving our knowledge of waterquality, hydrology and river health incatchments across the entire NAP region(Figure 1).

This will be achieved by working withregional groups to increase baselinemonitoring of streamflow, water qualityand river health to support naturalresource management planning into thefuture.

The expansion of the streamflowmonitoring network in the NAP regionbuilds upon an increase in streamflowand water quality monitoring stations in

This project takes a catchmentapproach by investigating the importanceof “high” flows and floods to ecosystemand physical processes not only withinthe river but also for the geomorphologyof the catchment, riparian vegetation andthe downstream estuarine environment.

The primary outcome of this projectwill be an expanded methodology toassess Environmental WaterRequirements that is applicable incatchments across the State.

This will provide more information forestablishing a balance between the waterrequirements of the environment andwater users.

Collectively, the large amount ofinformation generated from all of theseprojects will assist in ongoing watermanagement and provide the importantmonitoring and evaluation informationthat regional groups require for naturalresource management targets.

For more information regarding theprojects contact John Whittington (62332578),Martin Read (6233 6834) or AlistairBrooks (6233 2227).

other areas of the State during 2001–2002(Water Infrastructure Program) and alsoexisting stations in the NAP region(Figure 1).

Development of hydrological modelsfor each NAP catchment and real timestreamflow and water quality data will

water quality and river health, andimproving community access to theDepartments water information.A qualityassurance sub-project will also evaluatethe effectiveness of training in riverhealth assessment.

Another project will develop a method

Water Quality sampling at Pages Creek in the Little Swanport catchment (K Wilson).

28

C O L U M N S

What’s in a name?

practices. Now there is an increasingneed to identify exactly where you are.This can be defined numerically by gridreferences but names add a morepersonal dimension

“The Board has a vital role inmaintaining the quality and integrity ofTasmania’s names.These names are a coredata set within our information services,”says Surveyor-General Peter Murphy.“Thisrole and the place of the Board inadministering this important informationwill be acknowledged in the forthcomingreview of the Survey Co-ordination Act.”

The Board was established in the early1950s to assist the Surveyor-General on

nomenclature matters at a time when theState was developing mapping programs.The Board consists of ten members,including the Surveyor-General asChairman. Five members are seniorofficers appointed from relevantGovernment Agencies while four areMinisterial nominees.The Board is servedby a Secretary appointed from the Officeof the Surveyor General, and meets aboutsix times per year.

The Board addresses all questions oftoponymy (geographical nomenclature)affecting Tasmania, and undertakesresearch into the origin, priority andusage of geographical names.

While the Register of Place Namesserves the Board’s statutory obligations, itis the ancillary information that has theinteresting bits like backgrounds andderivations.

“When asked for the origin or historyof a name, if there are several versions Iprovide them all and let people decide,”says Board Secretary Tony Naughton,adding:“Where possible, I also quote thesource of the information.”

A database of Tasmanian place names ismaintained in the Nomenclature Office.This includes not only names approvedby the Board, but also a wide variety ofunofficial names.

All decisions of the Board are publishedin the Tasmanian Government Gazetteand summaries appear in the dailynewspapers.

“If you need information about aparticular name, contact me and I will tellyou what I can about it,” says TonyNaughton.Tony’s phone number is 62332554, email <Nomenclature.Office@dpiwe.tas.gov.au>

The Nomenclature Board (which is astrange name itself - and hard topronounce!) is responsible for thenaming of features like roads,localities, parks and landforms inTasmania. The Board recently took aleading role in the definition andnaming of suburbs and localities.

This means that all addressable sites inTasmania are now contained within alocality boundary and can be describedmore precisely. Precise addresses help inthe delivery of emergency services andremove confusion for ambulances, fireengines and taxis in particular. The newlocalities mean that the “no-man’s land”between towns is now named.The Boardcan also influence the naming of roads toreduce confusion caused by roads withthe same name.

More precise naming is needed to dealwith the increasing population densitiesand the complexity of settlements. Evenin sparsely settled areas such as SouthWest Tasmania we now have a myriad ofnames. Early maps of the Southwestsimply labelled this area as Transylvania -which is just one example of how a namein the nineteenth century was acceptedby the Lands Office as a result of commonusage and then shown on maps.

The need for digital informationheightens the need for good naming

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Tony Naughton (left) and Peter Murphy(right), Secretary and Chairman of theNomenclature Board respectively, inspectone of the more unusual unofficialwalking/bicycle track names in the Hobartsuburb of Lindisfarne.

Nomenclature Board

29

C O L U M N S

Gusts and lulls,squalls and calms

Don Juan, in LordByron’s poem of 1819,was sailing from Cadizwhen he witnessed theeffects of changingwinds. The weatherhad not been kind: asudden wind shift inthe early morning hadalready removed therudder, and the shipwas taking water. The weather had“seem’d to abate”, but it wasn’t longbefore the wind picked up again. Thespeed increased in a squall, thenincreased further in a gust — and

that gust proved destructive.

The wind, when it is blowing near the

surface of the earth, is never steady. It is

constantly changing in direction and

speed. Sometimes thesechanges are so subtle theygo unnoticed, butsometimes (as for DonJuan) the changes aremarked and dramatic.

When the windincreases suddenly andstays that way for severalminutes before droppingdown again, it is called a

squall. If the wind speed increasessuddenly then drops back after only a fewseconds, it is called a gust. Sometimes thewind drops away, only to return a few

The wind blew fresh again: as it grew late

A squall came on, and while some guns broke loose,

A gust — which all descriptive power transcends —

Laid with one blast the ship on her beam ends.

30

C O L U M N S

seconds later; this is called a lull.A calm isan extended period when there is no (orto be pragmatic, very little) wind.

Wind is slowed down by friction whereit is in contact with the surface of theearth. This effect diminishes away fromthe ground, so the wind speed generallyincreases with height until severalhundred metres up (at “gradient level”)the wind is fairly steady.

The surface of the earth is rough,especially if there are trees, buildings orhills. Wind blowing across such a roughsurface becomes turbulent. Turbulentmotion is very complex, with smallpockets of air moving at different speedsand even in different directions, bothhorizontally and vertically. Pockets offaster-moving air are felt as gusts, whilstpockets of slower-moving air are lulls.

The wind is not truly steady, even atgradient level. Changes in the large-scaleforces (such as pressure systems ortemperature differences) mean that evenoutside the turbulent lower layers thewind is changing. Sometimes a variationcovers hundreds or thousands ofkilometres and lasts hours or days, butsometimes it extends only a few

Seasonal Temperature OutlookNovember 2003 to January 2004

Township Mean minimum temperatures Mean maximum temperatures

Chance of a Chance of a Chance of a Chance of a cool warm cool warm

three months three months three months three months

Butlers Gorge 26% 42% 36% 31%

Cape Bruny 25% 43% 35% 32%

Eddystone Point 23% 46% 35% 32%

Grove 24% 43% 35% 32%

Hobart 24% 44% 35% 32%

Launceston 24% 44% 35% 31%

Low Head 24% 44% 35% 31%

In a “normal” year, there is a 33% chance of it being “cool” and a 33% chance of it being“warm”.

These figures from the October 2003 issue of the Seasonal Climate Outlook suggest ashift towards warm conditions for minimum (night time) and a very slight shift towardscool conditions maximum (daytime) temperatures. The forecasts have low to moderateskill over the State at this time of year.

The stations shown are those that have considerable length of stable observation record.

31

C O L U M N S

kilometres and lasts only minutes. Thesemedium-scale changes are responsible forsqualls.

Air cannot blow through obstaclessuch as leaves or rocks or buildings ormountains; instead, it must go aroundthem. When already turbulent air isdiverted in this way, the flow becomeseven more complex,and many effects canbe experienced. Neighbouring places canexperience markedly different winds,with the gusts at one spot often quitedifferent from those nearby.

The wind is often much stronger justnear the brow of a hill than it is in anadjacent valley.The air going up and overthe hill will be squeezed and must speedup, just like water flowing through anozzle on a hose. In some cases, the windwill be reluctant to even enter the valley,preferring to skate across the top. Whenthis happens, the air stuck in the valleycan sometimes start blowing in theopposite direction to the wind above.

In a city, wind blowing along a streetbetween tall buildings can be muchstronger than in a nearby park.Again, theair is squeezed into the space betweenthe buildings, causing it to flow faster.Streets running across the direction ofthe wind can be quite calm, although asmall change in the direction of thegradient wind will see the roles swap. Juston the corner of buildings, the wind canbe particularly fierce. This is a goodsource of “willy-willies”, which can oftenbe seen drifting along city streets, pickingup leaves and litter in a swirl.

Air encountering a long,solid wall mustdivert up and over it, providing a

completely calm area just behind thewall, but causing local gusts not far awayas the wind comes back to the surface.Ahedge of trees makes a much moreeffective windbreak. Some air can flowbetween the leaves and branches, but it isslowed down.This moderating effect cansometimes be felt hundreds of metresdownwind. The impact depends on thesize and type of the hedge, together withthe wind speed and direction.

Often, careful selection will find a sitethat is much less windy than other areason a property.This area could be used forcrops that are sensitive to wind damage,or to water loss (remembering that windspeed is a major factor in evaporation).Windy areas will generally be gusty,although even the most sheltered spotcan still be affected by strong gusts.

Rainfall, Temperaturesand Outlook

In many places, recent months havebeen particularly wet. A number of siteshave set new rainfall records forindividual months. But some areas missedout on the heaviest rains, in particularFlinders Island and the Tasman Peninsula(and to a lesser extent King Island).

Maximum temperatures averaged overthe six months have been below normalin most areas, although typically by lessthan 0.5°C.They were above normal by asimilar amount on the coasts of thenorthwest, northeast and southeast.Minimum temperatures over the sameperiod have been above normal in mostareas, although mostly by less than 0.5°C.

The current Seasonal Climate Outlook

predicts that wet conditions are more

likely than dry in the next three months,

especially in the north of the State. It also

predicts that minimum (night)

temperatures are more likely to be warm

that cool, but the prediction for

maximum (day) temperatures only

slightly favours cool over warm.

Ian Barnes–Keoghan

Meteorologist

Climate and Consultancy Section

Tasmania and Antarctica Regional

Office

Bureau of Meteorology

RIVER

REPORT

For up to date information on river flows,

water quality and riverine health, please go to

<http://wired.dpiwe.tas.gov.au>.

W.I.R.E.D is a product developed under the

Community Access to Water Information Project

W.I.R.E.D. is a joint State and Federally funded

system providing on-line access to a range of water

information products including water management

policies, current river levels and flows, catchment

reports, and data summaries for individual

sampling/flow sites.

For additional information contact the Water

Assessment Section, Department of Primary

Industries, Water and Environment, phone

6233 6328.

SeasonalRainfall Outlook

November 2003 to January 2004

Township Probability Probability of a dry of a Wet

three months three months

Bushy Park 26% 41%

Currie 23% 45%

Hastings 26% 41%

Hobart 27% 41%

Lady Barron 25% 43%

Lake St Clair 27% 41%

Launceston 24% 44%

Miena 25% 43%

Oatlands 26% 42%

Orford 28% 39%

Queenstown 28% 39%

Ross 26% 42%

St Helens 25% 42%

Strathgordon 28% 39%

Tarraleah 26% 41%

Wynyard 25% 43%

In a “normal” year, there is a 33%chance of it being “dry” and a 33%chance of it being “wet”.

These figures, from the October 2003issue of the Bureau’s Seasonal ClimateOutlook, show a slight shift toward“wet” and away from “dry”. The Outlookhas moderate reliability over Tasmaniaat this time of year.

32

N E W S L E T T E R S

Elliott, to embark on a career in

agricultural science.

All involved in the organisation and

delivery of this event were also

convinced that similar days should be

repeated on a semi-annual basis — and

that they are happy with their choice of

agriculture rather than teaching as a

profession!

The day was organised and run by the

DPIWE Dairy Branch and was

contributed to by other DPIWE branches

Land and Water Management, Quarantine

Tasmania, as well as TIAR.The event was

also supported by Cadbury Schweppes

and the Elliott and District Catchment

Management Group.

An impressed group of Yolla, Cooee and Somerset primary school students inspect theElliott Reseach Station.

Dairy NewsNews and views on the Tasmanian Dairy Industry

Articles for this section are coordinated byIan Hubble, Principal Dairy Officer, Dairy Branch.Telephone 6434 5424.

A taste of dairy science A ‘Making Milk’ open day was held atElliott Research and DemonstrationStation recently as part of NationalScience Week.

Elliott Research and DemonstrationStation is one of four research centres runby the Department across the State.TodayElliott is almost entirely utilised for diaryactivities and serves many purposesincluding:

• Demonstration of best practicemanagement or irrigated and drylandfarmlets;

• Providing a research platform forscientists from TIAR and students fromthe University of Tasmania; and

• Providing a focus and venue for dairyextension and training activities forfarmers, students, industry andcommunity interest groups.

About 130 primary school childrenfrom Yolla, Cooee and Somerset, theirteachers and some parents attended tosee what really happens on a dairy farmand to be made aware of some of thescience behind how milk is made.

The day was filled with plenty of noise

and excitement. It proved to be a real eye-

opener for those children not familiar

with farm life.

The eager participants watched calf

feeding, checked out the dairy, learnedabout what cows eat and what keepsthem healthy, the need for quarantine onfarms, what lives in our soils and streams,and how chocolate is made.

This was the first time such an openday activity has been held at Elliott forschool children. But it won’t be the last.Very positive feedback was received fromteachers, parents and all the children.

You can often never really know thetrue value of such a day until many yearsafter an event such as this.While some ofthe pupils eagerly took notes during theirvisit, at least one had decided that her lifeambition was to work at the Station.

A similar Grade 6 trip to a researchstation many years ago was actually thecatalyst for a then city kid, but now fully-fledged DPIWE staff member working at

The school children watch on as the calves eagerly tuck into their meal.

33

N E W S L E T T E R S

It is summer, the birds are singing,the sun is shining and the grassgrowth is slowing. Mating is nearlyover, hay and silage is complete, andit is a more relaxed time for dairyfarmers. Now is the time to startthinking about yourself.

Contrary to popular belief, dairyfarmers are not invincible. They get canhurt, bruise and breakdown just like therest of us mere mortals.With higher cownumbers and larger farm sizes, manyfarmers are working longer hours andtalking less time off. But is this healthy?

Don’t stop reading just because this isabout to tell you to take that holiday thatyou just don’t have time for. It is whenyou don’t have time for a holiday that youneed it most.

Figures from the 2003 Business

Award/Dairy Benchmarking Program forthe 2001/02 season showed that onethird of dairy farmers are doing the sameamount of work that two people woulddo. Sixty-two percent of this group had areturn on capital that was below fivepercent.

Admittedly, a low return on capital isnot due to a lack of holidays. It comesdown to management decisions.However, there is a high possibility thatmiscalculated management decisions,leading to lower business performance,could be coming from low-level burnout(or a lack of holidays).

How you know you are at this point isthrough a few typical signs such as lack ofenthusiasm and boredom with thefamiliarity of your tasks.These combine toresult in less energy being put into the job.

Looking after number one

Pushing the boundaries bycombining basics and nous

fertility and irrigation.

The key message from Rick was that toimprove farm output (pastureproduction, utilisation and profit) therewas a need for dairy farmers to be moreinformed, have a better understanding oftheir farming system and to be moreflexible in what, how and whenmanagement practices are used.

Tasmanian’s will soon have a betterunderstanding of ourselves, as two newprojects based at Elliott Research Station

applications to ensure the nutrientrequirements of pasture are met so itgrows to its full potential.

• Irrigation schemes need to deliver theright amount of water to plants at theoptimal time to avoid major productionlosses. Irrigating farmers need toexplore all options toincrease efficiency.

Rick said that settingtargets and goals wasnecessary if farmerswanted to improve theirfarm’s performance.

Realistic targetssuggested for grazingmanagement were75–85% utilisation ofpastures (requiringfodder conservation),10tonne or more DMutilised per hectare fordryland pastures and 18tonne or more forirrigated pastures.Pasture quality shouldbe maintained at 11 megajoules ME/kgDM or above. Other targets andmonitoring should be established for soil

Rick Jordan, a consulting agronomistfrom South Australia specialising ingrazing management systems, visitedTasmania in September at theinvitation of the Tasmanian Instituteof Agricultural Research DairyGroup.

Rick spoke to some one hundredindustry researchers, advisers,agronomists and dairy farmers at apasture production workshop at theUniversity of Tasmania campus in Burnieand also at a joint TIAR/DPIWE field dayat Henrietta.

The dairy farmers Rick works with inthe Mount Gambier area of Victoria utilisemore than 10 tonnes of pasture drymatter (DM) from dryland pastures and20 tonnes of pasture DM per hectarefrom irrigated pastures. His challenge wasthat this should be able to be done in theTasmanian dairy industry as the twoclimates are quite similar.

Some key points from his discussionswere:

• Most farms have significant room toimprove their output regardless of size.Farmers should be asking themselveswhat limits their pasture productionand utilisation when other farmers aredoing much better.

Lifting farm output requires smartermanagement. The word ‘management’implies being ‘in control’ and being ableto manipulate farming practices inresponse to information gained fromsoil/plant/feed test results and the season.Some examples discussed were:

• Going beyond DM to understandingand applying information on leaf stage,tillering, residuals and the DMcomponents of Crude Protein, NeutralDetergent Fibre, and MetabolisableEnergy (ME).

• Use of on-off grazing, sacrificepaddocks and feed pads to reducepugging and pasture loss caused by wetconditions.

• Early cut silage at lower pasture covers(at 3-leaf stage) to reduce stem contentto improve silage quality and the springtillering and summer persistence ofpastures.

• Strategic use of soil, feed and planttissue tests with monthly fertiliser

Rick Jordon discusses his principles of dairy farmmanagement during the field day at Henrietta.

begin aimed at utilising 12 tonnes and 20tonnes of DM per hectare under drylandand irrigated conditions.

N E W S L E T T E R S

34

normally do. Spend some time off thefarm with your family, even if it is just oneor two days.You will return refreshed andable to deal with problems moreeffectively because of your break.

The reason most farmers do not takeholidays is the inability to find labour thatwill work to exacting standards.There isalso the quite real stress that uponreturning from holidays they will have abig mess to sort out.

When planning to employ someonerecognise that they will not run the farmas effectively as you will because they do

not have the same level of businessknowledge. While this article does notcover what to look for in an employee,you will need to find a reliable personthat understands your managementdecisions.That way, you can trust them tomake responsible choices while you areabsent.

Taking a break is never easy when youare responsible for the efficient runningof a business. However, if you wish to bearound for the long term, taking a break isvital for business performance and yourhealth. Try just one or two days to startwith and see the difference it can make.

For Valley equipment, service and parts:

J R Stephenson Ph: 1300 364 600 www.jrs.com.au

Big mouthfuls are needed to fill bigstomachs.

This lack of energy and attention thenleads to small miscalculations inmanagement decisions and whilst beingonly small, they all eventually add up,resulting in a lowering of production. Atthis point you also become vulnerableand begin losing proper perspective onissues. Molehills become mountains thatseem impossible to face.

When it gets to this what do you do?Well I am sure you have heard this before— take a break!

The best way to deal with it isdistraction, get away from what you

Farmingsolutionsupdate

Planning is well under way forthe next Farming Solutions day tobe held in August 2004.The themeis “The Big Picture: don’t change asingle thing”

The Extensive AgricultureBranch and TIAR will present a fullprogram on new pasture releases,cereal trials, local developmentswith animal recording software,national wool productivityresearch, beef productivity trials,progress on sugar beet trials andheaps more.

This will be a day not to bemissed with something for everyfarmer, rural adviser andmerchant. There will beopportunities to see, feel, and testall the latest developmentshappening in Tasmanianagriculture research anddevelopment, and talk with thosedoing the work.

Keep watching this space forprogress reports in the lead-up tothe event in August 2004.

35

N E W S L E T T E R S

Spring growth —How did you use it? How did things work out for you thisspring? Have a look around yourpastures, see which ones are cocksfootdominant and note them down forspecial attention next year. Was theretoo much patch grazing going on? Didyou leave stock in some pastures toolong while others got away? Did toomuch grass simply go to waste ratherthan being turned into animal product?

Growth significantly outstrips usageduring October, November and December,so methods to take advantage of thissurplus need to be considered.

Strategies including the timing of calvingand lambing to increase grazing pressure inspring combined with the removal ofpaddocks for cropping are implementedon many farms to cope with the effects ofover supply.

While some of the excess can beprofitably stored as hay or silage, what wereally want is to have as much of that flushof feed turned into saleable product or toenhance livestock condition for the future.

We also want the pasture to be in goodcondition and not overwhelmed by massesof indigestible stalks and seed heads insummer and autumn.

To get the most out of your spring pasturetwo principles come into play.The first is toensure you set your animals up to eat asmuch pasture as possible.The second is tomake sure that the feed is easily digestibleand not full of poor-quality dry grass.

The percentage digestible is the mostimportant quality factor for ruminant feed.Those dry stalks you are looking forward toin summer are likely to be about 50%digestible. That means, that when 10kilograms are eaten, the animal only uses5kg and excretes the other 5kg.

This compares poorly against grass andclover pastures up until mid-spring that are

below that, serious losses in springtimeproductivity will result.

Keeping the digestibility high isdependant on grass tillers stayingvegetative rather than going to seed.Cutting and eating will result in many morevegetative tillers. A vegetative grass plantthat stays palatable and digestible, is lesscapable of shading out clovers and keepsgrowing as long as the moisture lasts.

The aim is to have stock bite off as manytillers as possible but not eat the pasture intothe ground.To succeed in this you need toknow your pastures and try to understandthe grazing behaviour of your stock.

For example, keep an eye on your tallfescue pastures.They go to seed earlier inspring and it is relatively easy to get thegrazing pressure on to keep themvegetative.

Also think about your cocksfootpastures. A good hard chew down beforethe seedheads become mature is critical tokeeping a pasture vegetative and ready todo what cocksfoot does so well,respond tosummer rain.

If you set stock watch out that your mobhasn’t got into a habit of grazing somepatches down low and leaving otherpatches to go to seed. Perhaps a strategicmove or the introduction of anotherspecies of stock will result in greater intakeand less waste tillers?

A successful ecipe for rotational grazingis to move the mob regularly so they don’tget a chance to set up patch grazing, soilthe pasture or eat below the levels neededfor maximum intake.

As the spring continues it is most likelythat more grass will be grown than will beeaten.This is best managed by leaving morebehind with each stock rotation.

In doing so, some of the pasture will endup going to seed,but it will be thinly spreadthroughout your pastures leaving theclovers and vegetative grass open and asproductive as possible. The diffused drystalks may also provide some shelter fromheat and wind for any vegetative growththat occurs during summer.

Make a grazing management plan nowwhen you have the benefit of hindsight,then start implementing it next Septemberand reap the rewards.

Further information on grazingmanagement techniques can be gained bycontacting Peter Ball (LivestockAgricultural Officer — DPIWE) on 62336810 or <Peter.Ball@dpiwe.tas.gov.au>.

about 80% digestible.

At maximum intake, the energyextracted from feed that is 50% digestible isonly enough to keep an animalfunctioning. Added production is gainedfrom feed with every percentage pointover digestibility of about 55%.

Intake in spring is largely a function ofhow much the animal can get in its mouthin one bite, and that is then dependent onthe amount of grass facing the animal atany time it opens its mouth.

Stock keep those huge stomachs filled byconstantly nibbling at the grass, sotherefore maximising stock intake is allabout not allowing paddocks to be eateninto the ground when there is plenty ofother feed about.

For cows, maximum intake is a reachedwhen about 10 or 12 centimetres (3000kg/ha plus) of reasonably dense pasture ispresent.

For ewes, the figure is lower at 4 or 5centimetres (about 1600 kg/ha). At lowerlevels of 2200kg/ha for cows and 1200kg/ha for ewes, intake is satisfactory, but

Extensive AgricultureWool, Red Meat, Patures and Crops

Articles for this section are coordinated byJohnathan Knox, Technical Officer, Extensive Agriculture Branch.Telephone 6335 5314.

Big mouthfulls are needed to fill bigstomachs.

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Increasing yourweaner productivity

Benchmarking of both producersfound they ran their weaners at stockingrates of 15.0 and 17.5dse/ha through thewinter, which is well above the localaverage. The high stocking rates, theabsence of drenching and excellentproduction figures per head indicate thesuccess that can be achieved with ‘SmartGrazing’.

Check out this new technique — it maymake for better weaners and an easierwinter period. And remember you needto start planning this summer to see thosewinter results.

Further details on ‘Smart Grazing’ canbe found at <www.8_5.com.au> and inthe November 2002 Tech Note.

For more information contact DavidCounsell, Program Manager — 8x5 WoolProfit Program by phone 6336 5464 orEmail <David.Counsell@dpiwe.tas.gov.au>.

contaminating the paddock.This processis done twice during the summer.

The technique effectively removes themajority of worm larvae from the pastureby opening the pasture up to the sun andpromoting desiccation of the larvae.Thismakes for worm free pastures nextwinter.

Two Tasmanian sheep producersinvolved in the 8x5 Wool Profit Programtrialed this technique last summer. Bothproducers reported outstanding animalhealth in their weaners this winter, sayingthey looked the best they ever have.Thisclaim was backed up by regular testingindicating very-low levels of wormsthroughout the winter period.

A goal of successful weaner sheepmanagement is to decrease theweaner’s exposure to pasturescontaminated with internal parasiteslarvae. The biggest risk period forweaners is during their first winter,so effective paddock managementduring the preceding seasons iscrucial.

There are more ways to control worms inweaners than drowning them in drench.

‘Smart Grazing’ is a new techniquedeveloped by the University ofMelbourne based Mackinnon Project toovercome this problem. The Projectfound that in years with wet summers,the normal recommendation of doublesummer drenching is not entirelyeffective in controlling winter internalparasites in sheep flocks, and hence anew management approach wasrequired.

‘Smart Grazing’ has obviousapplications in Tasmania due to ourregular wet summers and involvesputting high stock densities of newlydrenched,dry adult sheep on the pasturesplanned for the weaners.

The sheep are removed from thatpaddock after a month to avoiding re-

As temperatures start to rise, so dothe potential problems for manycrops. Insects and diseases are amajor concern over the warmermonths and will be of particularconcern with the wet conditionsexperienced this season.

Diseases to be on the look out forinclude:

For cereals — scald, leaf rust, spotform of net blotch, barley yellow dwarfvirus

For grain legumes — Asochyta andchocolate spot (Faba Beans), BrownSpot (Lupins) and Powdery Mildew(Peas)

For oilseeds — Blackleg (Canola)

Nutrient Deficiencies

Deficiencies will be common thisseason due to many paddocks beingwaterlogged for extended periods. Soiland sap tests may need to be taken todetermine what is required. Nitrogenwill be particularly affected bywaterlogging.

Insects

For cereals — aphids and

armyworms (winter/spring sown

crops), redlegged earth mites and slugs

(spring sown crops)

For grain legumes — Redlegged earth

mites (spring sown crops)

For oilseeds — aphids,cabbage moth,

budworms and diamond back moth

Grower should also be counting and

recording weed numbers as it is time to

start spraying.Weed counts can help in

determining the type and rate of

herbicide to apply, how successful a

spray application has been and to

check for any herbicide resistant weeds

by providing an accurate assessment of

weed numbers.

For further advice, please contact

either Sarah Campbell (DPIWE —

Pastures and Seeds) on 0417 574 307 or

Geoff Dean (TIAR — grain legumes and

oilseeds) on 6336 5233.

Monitoring checklist forcereal and grain crops

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A selection of the UTE Guides published byTOPCROP.

NE TOPCROP Group at Grant Halls’ property ‘Waterhouse’.

TOPCROP —are you takingadvantage? TOPCROP is a farmer-focusedinformation network for cereal andgrain legume growers and industry.It is funded by the Grains ResearchDevelopment Corporation andsupported by DPIWE.

The core of the program are localgrower groups that come together atspecific times of the growing season todiscuss ways of improving yields andquality as well as reducing the cost ofproduction.

These discussions often take place ascrop inspections and involve DPIWE,local agribusiness, contractors andfarmers in the district.

Issues are identified that are importantto that locality and there is usually adiverse range of expertise and experiencewithin each group, which makes for aninteresting exchange of information.

We are fortunate to have excellentsupport from agribusiness and guestspecialists are regularly invited to add tothe discussions.

TOPCROP is a very flexible programthat caters to industry needs through thelocal groups, workshops and an extensiverange of high quality publications.

What are the benefits ofTOPCROP?

TOPCROP aims at increasing theprofitability of the cereal and grainlegume industry in several ways:

• Grower discussion groups

• Improved communication betweengrower, researchers and end users

• Shared knowledge, ideas andexperiences.

• Crop and pasture monitoring

• Improved grain quality and yields

• Technical information kits

• Local and state-wide information oncrop yield and quality

• Informed management decisions

• Access to researchers, extensionspecialists and industry personnel

• New cropping technology

• Crop rotation planning

• TOPCROP annual awards.

For further information and to find outif a TOPCROP group is operating nearyou, contact your TOPCROPDevelopment officer, Susan Alexander on1300 368 550 or 6233 3192.

Ute Guides are a handy help outin the paddockThe most popular publicationsproduced by the TOPCROP programare the Ute Guides. These are handypocket-sized go anywhere, laminatedbooklets on a range of topics. No, youdon’t have to have a ute to own one!

Full of coloured photos, they canquickly help you to identify the problemin your crop.

Several topics are available:

• Insects:The Ute Guide $27.50

• Cereal Diseases:The Ute Guide $25.00

• Weeds:The Ute Guide $27.50

• Summer Weeds:The Ute Guide $25.00

• Canola:The Ute Guide $27.50

• Grain Quality Winter Grain Crops:

The Ute Guide $27.50

• Winter Cereal Nutrition:

The Ute Guide $27.50

• Winter Pulse Disorders:

The Ute Guide $30.00

• Lucerne Pests and Disorders:

The Ute Guide $27.50

For orders contact Susan Alexander

Phone: 1300 368 550 or 6233 3192

Fax: 6228 5123. Email: <Susan.

Alexander@dpiwe.tas.gov.au>.

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Wasabi —what does it look like? Did you know that wasabi belongs tothe same plant family as broccoli,cabbage radish and mustards?

However, it bears little resemblance tothem. Instead the plant looks like anoversized violet with large dark-green,heart-shaped leaves on long leaf stalks.

Although an attractive shade-lovingplant, sadly it is not suitable to growindoors as it thrives at 15°C (much toocold for most plant-loving humans!).

Did you know wasabi is native to Japanwhere it grows alongside mountainstreams?

Anchored in the gravel, cool runningwater provides all the nutrients it needs.As it matures, aged leaves die and fallaway leaving knobby scars on the thickgreen stem.

The enlarged stem is the most valuable

part of the plant harvested for culinary use.

Prepared by grating the raw stem fine

enough to form a paste, wasabi is a vital

component of sushi and also appears as asmall green dollop with a plate of sashimi(raw fish).

If you think you couldn’t eat raw fish,you might like to try it with a little wasabicombined with light soy sauce and a dashof mirin. It is truly a taste sensation!

WARNING! Some people have beenknown to mistake the green wasabi pastefor a dollop of avocado. Don’t let ithappen to you! Your sinuses will alert youto your mistake.

What of the remainder of the plant?The leaves and flowers of wasabi can beused in fresh salads and the taste is a littlelike salad rocket or nasturtium.

Leaves can be harvested at any time. Inautumn, wasabi produces long flowerstalks that resemble those of a radish,with small white flowers developingalong their length.

Following pollination the flower stalkstopple over below the leaf canopy andelongate there to a length of about twometres. As the seeds readily fall from theseedpods, harvesting them is a bit likethat fishing experience where you mustreel the catch in slowly to avoid losingthe prize.

Wasabi seeds are unusual because theymust not be allowed to dry out if youwant them to germinate. Wasabi sproutsare a nutritional bonus.

For more information, contact DPIWEhorticulturist Angela Sparrow on 63365349 or email: <Angela.Sparrow@dpiwe.tas.gov.au>.

An IPM guide for Tasmanian vegetablegrowers will be distributed in early 2004.

IPM for Tasmanianvegetable growers A team of DPIWE officers has nearlyreached the end of a three-yearproject looking at vegetableIntegrated Pest Management (IPM) inTasmania.

With the field demonstrationscompleted, they are currently working ona ‘grower-friendly’ guide for Tasmanianvegetable growers to assist with theirpest management.

Felicity Wardlaw, project officer, said“The manual is a detailed kit containinginformation growers need to know to be

able to manage crop pests in a moresustainable and economic way.

“Often, pesticides are applied withoutthe actual pest being present, so themanual will provide growers with pestmanagement options that can be usedinstead of, or in conjunction withpesticide applications.”

The manual will also allow the growerto better justify why they made aparticular management decision.

“As the demand for ‘pesticide reduced

Articles for this section are coordinated by Tracey Taylor, Communications Specialist,Vegetables and Associated Industries Branch.Telephone 6336 5212.

Vegie LinkNews and views on the Tasmanian Vegetable Industry

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N E W S L E T T E R S

produce’ increases, growers need to lookat applying different management optionsto control crop pests.

“Such options which are detailed in themanual include crop monitoring to applysprays or more accurately and to bettertarget the specific pest, planting covercrops to suppress weed growth, and

The machinery washdown bay at Forthside Research station will help to promote theimportance of farm hygiene as the first line of defence against new weeds, pests and diseases.

Forthside leading the wayon farm hygiene

risks and consequences of weed ordisease introduction are considerablygreater than on most farms.

“The construction of the wash-downbay will allow Forthside to demonstrateimportant farm hygiene principles, andalso meet its commitments in relation tothe EUREPGAP EnvironmentalManagement System.”

More information on the washdownbay at Forthside can be obtained fromLyndon Butler on 6428 2237.

Environment have shown a single potatoharvester can carry up to 300 kg of soilfrom one farm to another.

“Because of the range of companiesand organisations undertaking researchand development at Forthside, and thenature of the work done on the farm, the

The State Government has reiteratedits commitment to improving farmhygiene with the opening of newfacilities at the Forthside ResearchStation.

Minister for Primary Industries, Waterand Environment Bryan Green, at hislaunch of the new wash-down bay inOctober said the new facilities wouldhelp to promote the importance of farmhygiene as the first line of defence againstnew weeds, pests and diseases.

“Weeds and diseases cost the vegetableindustry tens of millions of dollars eachyear in lost production and expenditureon control measures,” Mr Green said.

“Tasmanian’s image as a clean andgreen producer of agricultural productsrests heavily on the ability of farmers toreduce chemical use.

“One of the most effective ways ofreducing pest problems is to preventtheir introduction to the farm throughwell-managed hygiene practices.

“While Forthside has, of course, hadrudimentary wash-down facilities formany years, this modern automatedfacility lifts the farm’s hygienecommitment to another level.”

Mr Green said the AgriculturalContractors of Tasmania had recentlyhighlighted the importance of farmhygiene as they adopted a code ofpractice and compliance assessmentprocess for the accreditation of itsmembers.

“Farm hygiene is important to thefuture viability of all of Tasmanianagriculture — particularly the vegetableand potato industries.

“Investigations by the Department ofPrimary Industries, Water and

Local growers will benefitfrom Rogers experience

As part of Roger’s duties,he is responsiblefor liaison and support to the greenhousevegetable industry statewide.

“This was the best opportunity toobtain the latest information andestablish useful contacts Australia wide. Itwas also an opportunity to meet and hearInternational experts and to visit some ofthe best greenhouse growing operations

Roger Orr, a Senior AgriculturalOfficer with the Vegetable andAssociated Industries Branch,attended the Australian Hydroponicsand Greenhouse Conference inMelbourne earlier this year.

The conference is a biennial gatheringof growers, scientists, equipmentsuppliers and manufacturers in this field.

better utilisation of predatory andbeneficial insects,” Felicity said.

The manual will be distributed in early2004 to vegetable growers in Tasmania.It’s an easy to use manual withphotographs of the weeds, diseases andinsects in Tasmanian vegetable crops. Itexplains how to implement IPM on your

farm, detailing some practical techniques

and management options that could be

used to reduce reliance on pesticides.

Further information can be obtained by

contacting Felicity Wardlaw on 6421 7601

or email <Felicity.Wardlaw@dpiwe.

tas.gov.au>.

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in the region.” Roger said upon his return

to Launceston.

“This conference assisted in bringing

me up-to-date with current best practice

technology and production methods that

I can extend to local growers. Many

Tasmanian growers are in need of

upgrading their facilities and practices

and I was able to source information and

suppliers applicable to Tasmanian needs.”

The conference was attended by anestimated 300 delegates from aroundAustralia, New Zealand and a fewInternational visitors. The conferencetheme was ‘Conserving Our Future’ somany presentations focused oninformation as to how to become moreefficient, use the latest technology,conserve water resources and not harmthe environment.

Roger has drafted a report on his

attendance at this conference.The report

describes the presentations, trade

exhibits and tour and presents those

ideas and information that are thought to

be of value to Tasmania and makes

recommendations for both DPIWE and

Industry. If any readers would like further

information or a copy of this report,

please contact Roger on ph.6336 5273 or

email <roger.orr@dpiwe.tas.gov>.

Farmwood Tasmania is a dynamic organisation set up asa co-operative to maximise the returns for private timbergrowers by creating marketing options.

Private land owners with plantation timber or standingnative timber can now access a range of markets for bothpine and native timbers through the co-operative.

Farmwood is a non-profit organisation set up to facilitatethe marketing of timber as well as arranging forest practiceplans, sourcing harvesting contractors and supervision ofthe harvesting process.

The planning process for harvest or planting of vacantland is an important part of the process and both short andlong term goals for land under production should be takeninto account. It is the aim of the co-operative to be involved

in the planning and harvest of forests for a number ofrotations, not just for short term gains.

Farmwood supplies a number of small saw millers inboth the north and south of the state as well as providingtimber for the larger operations such as Gunns, NorskeSkog and Forest Enterprises Australia. In the pastFarmwood has also directly exported peeler logs to Asia —a true diversity of outlets for a grower based organisation.

Due to Farmwood’s non-profit status our charter is tomaximise the return to the grower and achievesustainability in the industry, particularly on private land.

Should you wish to know more about Farmwood pleasecontact our Southern agent,David Wise on 03 62231839 or0408 127725.A

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Farmwood gives growersmarketing options

DPIWE research profiled Rebecca Ashley, one of the Vegetableand Associated Industries Branch’sAgricultural Officers, attended theinaugural Organic Futures forAustralia National Conference inAdelaide from 1–4 October 2003.

As lead officer for the industry fundedproject ‘Development of IntensiveOrganic Vegetable Production Systems’,Rebecca was invited to submit a scientificpaper and give a platform presentation ofthe project findings at the conference.

A broad audience (ranging fromscientific to grower-based groups andindividuals) attended the conference,which was seen to make a significantcontribution to perspectives on organicfood and agricultural systems.

By participating in the nationalconference, Rebecca was able to profileDPIWE’s work and commitment to cleanagriculture.

“The invitation to speak at a nationallevel offered me a great professional

development opportunity,” Rebeccacommented upon her return toDevonport.

“The presentation gave Australianindustry an opportunity to gain insightinto DPIWE’s activities in this area and towhat is happening at the ForthsideResearch Station. I also appreciatedcatching up on the latest developments inorganic research.”

The emphasis of the conference wasthat there was a strong future for organicsin Australia. For further informationplease contact Rebecca Ashley on 64217627 or email: <rebecca.ashley@dpiwe.tas.gov.au>.