Last week I raised concerns regarding potential impacts of a proposed enlargement of the military training area 'footprint' south and west of Townsville at our last Board meeting for 2016.
While the NQ Dry Tropics Board does not want to enter the debate about the politics and resumption location, there is general agreement that the issue of future land management practice, if such resumptions take place, is a matter of direct interest to NQ Dry Tropics.
In my report to the board I noted that the proposed military land resumption, while having potential to significantly enhance regional economies, does have a parallel capacity to impact negatively on regional NRM issues and in particular, the removal of on ground land management expertise and practice, across a huge area of the Burdekin river catchment.
The changed use seems to me to bring a range of significant land disturbances through heavy vehicle movement and concentration, fire management and weed management, that compromise the best management practice we are trying to implement everywhere else, particularly the lower catchment.
With the proposed expansion, issues such fire management/timing or lack of same, management of pest plants and feral animals, the potential for increased erosion and sediment movement, and the like, would seem not to be part of the conversation.
The NQ Dry Tropics Board will contact the relevant Federal Minister seeking advice as to Defence Department's capacity and plans for managing such a large area of land virtually at the 'front door' of the Great Barrier Reef, similar to that applying to miners and other land users.
Our organisation is working very closely with State and Federal Governments and farmers, graziers and other land managers throughout the area in a concerted effort to support and implement better management practices aimed at limiting negative impacts on reef.
The recently released 'Burdekin Dry Tropics Natural Resource Management Plan 2016-2026' is all about the challenges, opportunities and responsibilities of implementing better practice for managing our landscape.
The Board would hope that all land owners and users play their part in achieving better outcomes, regardless of land use and thus we seek assurances and a dialogue with those planning this significant practice change.
- Mark Stoneman, NQ Dry Tropics Natural Resource Management
