CHARLES Darwin University’s Katherine Region has a new Director in 2014. A former executive officer for the Purnululu World Heritage Area (Bungle Bungles) in northern Western Australia, Ash Beechey, has lived and worked across northern Australia for most of the past eight years. He will also serve as the Head of School, Primary Industries.
Mr Beechey first moved to the Territory in 2006 from Victoria to work on fire management and crocodile trapping projects at Nitmiluk National Park. He has undertaken high level projects and infrastructure management with the Department of Education with responsibility for the Katherine and Central Australian regions. He has also worked with Rio Tinto in Jabiru and Nhulunbuy, and on regional land care and management projects with government, Indigenous and community/industry organisations in Victoria, the Northern Territory and Western Australia.
Mr Beechey said of his new role “Having been in the position for a few months now, I have had the opportunity to meet a range of remarkably passionate people within the Katherine Region and the local business community. Listening to their ideas is helping CDU formulate better ways to meet training and development needs.”
Charles Darwin University has two sites in Katherine, catering to the many needs of the residents and industries in the area. The Charles Darwin University’s Katherine Rural Campus is located 16km north of Katherine and 300km south of Darwin, in a rapidly developing mining, agricultural, horticultural and tourist region. Located in the town itself, the Katherine Town Centre delivers training in VET courses in a range of areas, including business, community services and childcare.
In addition to the town centre and the 3400 ha property north of Katherine, Mataranka Station is a 77,000 Hectare cattle station where students studying agriculture and rural studies and other various courses develop their practical skills in a realistic environment. The Katherine property hosts the award winning Brahman Stud herd and Mataranka Station is a 4000hd commercial herd operation.
Charles Darwin University staff in Katherine are preparing to take a selection of 12 cattle to the Katherine and Darwin Shows next month, quietly confident they can at least match last year’s high-watermark performance.
Farm and stud overseer Jess Beckhouse said staff had begun educating several of the top weaners at Katherine Rural Campus.
“The quality of our stud cattle is very good so we expect to do well, but the competition is always tough,” Ms Beckhouse said.
The majority of Agriculture students enrolled at CDU’s Katherine Rural Campus are completing their Certificate II or III Agriculture as an on-station traineeship. The team also services local stations, shires and communities with remote and internal delivery of short courses in operating chainsaws, welding and fabrication, chemical accreditations and 4WD skills.
A number of Agriculture, Rural Operations, Conservation & Land Management and Trades courses have been held at the Katherine Rural Campus already this year. The Campus has 90 accommodation rooms which enables individuals and groups to be close to the Training programs – especially for those from rural & remote regions.
In the first half of 2014 the Agricultural and Rural Operations Team based at the CDU Katherine Rural Campus hosted 45 students from the Consolidated Pastoral Company for an intensive 15-day training program.
Agricultural and Rural Operations team leader Tim Biggs said staff took the students through a range of units relating to cattle and horse handling, basic mechanical skills and other skills to prepare them for the workforce. Many of these students have since commenced a Certificate II or III in Agriculture under an Australian Apprenticeships traineeship on their stations of employment with Consolidated Pastoral Company.
As they departed, a further 30 students from the Indigenous Land Council settled in for a four-week program largely comprising units from the agricultural training package.
“The program is designed to enhance an individual’s work readiness, develop life skills and to prepare them for employment as station hands on pastoral properties,” Mr Biggs said.
“It involves horse work, stock handling, quad bikes, chemicals, communication, team work and other elements.”
These students will head to properties at Minyerri, Gunbalunya and in the Kimberley at the completion of the program.
Agricultural and Rural Operations Team members also work closely with the various private landholders, the Australian Agricultural Company’s NT stations and the Australian Apprenticeships Centre NT in delivering on-station training and assessment for Certificate II and III Agriculture Traineeships.
For the second year, the Northern Territory Cattleman’s Association program involving students from different universities in Indonesia arrived in May for an intensive three week introduction to NT cattle station work focusing on safety in the workplace and skills in horsemanship, quad bikes, motorbikes, and livestock handling.
The students then ventured out to cattle stations for six weeks of work experience. All of these students are enrolled in higher education courses at universities scattered across Indonesia
