Herbicides on the Reef & Next Gen Conference
Understanding the impact of herbicides on the Great Barrier Reef
The issues, the science, the on-ground practice and the future
Rydges Townsville
9-10 November 2009
click here to download registration form
CANEGROWERS is hosting a workshop to better understand the impact of herbicides on the Great Barrier Reef and how to best balance reef health with sugar production. The facilitated workshop will focus on herbicides and water quality to:
- Identify an approach on how best to balance reef health with sugar production
- Provide an opportunity to share expert knowledge among participants
- Develop a better understanding of the on-ground, scientific and regulatory settings
Herbicides and the Great Barrier Reef
The magnitude of chemical run-off and its impact on the Great Barrier Reef is not clear; however there is a strong perception that agricultural run-off, particularly herbicides from sugarcane, is detrimental to the GBR and its resilience to the impacts of climate change. So what does the herbicide threat actually mean for the Great Barrier Reef and the sugar industry and how can the stakeholders strike a balance between economic, environmental and social sustainability?
A number of studies have recently identified herbicides in catchments that discharge to the Great Barrier Reef, including the 2009 report by Lewis et al, Herbicides: A new threat to the Great Barrier Reef. In essence, the greater reliance and use of herbicides in sugarcane production is a response by the sugar industry to improved practice and partly stems from the introduction of minimum tillage, a best management practice that improves productivity, soil structure and reduces sediment loss.
Herbicides on reef workshop
The facilitated workshop will focus on herbicides and water quality to deliver an approach on how best to balance reef health with sugar production based on science and on ground practices. This workshop will provide the opportunity to:
- Examine the issues of reef health, herbicide use and on-ground management practices
- Hear the science from specialists connected to reef, water quality and land management research and practices
- Understand the regulatory process and requirements for registering chemicals in Australia,
- View the on-ground management practices and supporting science currently being carried out by agriculture
- Hear from growers and agriculture advisors about the on-ground adoption of practical management systems
- Participate in discussing the options for balancing reef health and agriculture through facilitated sessions
Who should attend? Researchers, Industry, Growers, Government and Stakeholders.
Registration: Delegate Package includes:
- 2 day workshop
- Speakers and facilitator
- Field tour
- BBQ Dinner, morning teas, lunches and afternoon teas
- Workshop materials
DELEGATE $375.00 inc. GST
CANEGROWERS Member $325.00 inc. GST
Contact
CANEGROWERS Conference Coordinator
Phone: (07) 3864 6444 Fax: (07) 3864 6429
Email: caralyne_wilson@canegrowers.com.au
SPEAKERS AT THE WORKSHOP INCLUDE
Jon Brodie
James Cook University of Australia
Water Quality Scientist for the Australian Centre for Tropical Freshwater Research
Jon Brodie is a Principal Research Officer specialising in water quality. Jon's training was in environmental chemistry with original research while at James Cook University in the 1970s examining agricultural chemical residues in groundwaters of the Burdekin River delta. For the last 20 years his interests have been in environmental research and consultancy and the management of marine and freshwater pollution. He spent ten years as an environmental researcher/consultant with the University of the South Pacific (Fiji and other Pacific island states) and the ACTFR. For 11 years he managed the Water Quality Research and Management Program of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. He has also been recently involved in a number of environmental projects overseas in the Middle East (Yemen) and the Pacific islands (American Samoa, Samoa, Kiribati and PNG). Jon's research interests are in the sources of pollutants in catchments; transport of pollutants to the marine environment; the dispersal of land-based pollutants in coastal and marine environments; and the effects of terrestrial pollutants on marine ecosystems.
Barry Callow
BSES Limited
Senior Weeds Agronomist based in Bundaberg
After several years employed as BSES Limited Extension Officer working on the Prosper Program in Bundaberg
Barry was appointed as a Senior Weeds Agronomist in January 2007. Prior to joining BSES Barry spent ten years as Area Manager based in North Queensland with an international agricultural chemical company. In his current role he is focused on improving weed management in the Australian sugarcane industry while minimising adverse environmental impact. Barry has also developed an Integrated Weed Management (IWM) package for delivery to growers through grower workshops. Barry also develops and demonstrates innovative weed control methods and is involved in trial work to improve weed management.
Stephen Lewis
James Cook University of Australia
Water Quality Scientist for the Australian Centre for Tropical Freshwater Research
Stephen Lewis is a geochemist who studies water quality in the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) catchment area and lagoon. He used trace elements in coral core records to investigate changes in water quality since the time of European settlement in north Queensland (c. 1850). Stephen first demonstrated that manganese concentrations in coral skeletons provide an excellent proxy of environmental change in the GBR catchment area (Lewis et al. 2007). He has also contributed to the knowledge of barium/calcium ratios, yttrium concentrations and rare earth elements as proxies of sediment runoff to the GBR lagoon (Lewis 2005; Lewis et al. 2007). Stephen’s recent research efforts have involved the tracing of sediments and nutrients from the catchment to the reef. In this research, he applied a suite of trace elements and isotopes to trace the sources of sediments suspended in the tributaries of the Burdekin River back to soil types within the catchment. He will also continue his research in coral geochemistry by applying trace elements and nitrogen isotopes to coral cores collected through the Whitsunday Island Group to investigate historical changes in water quality. In addition, Stephen has recently studied pesticide runoff to the GBR and has examined the dynamics of freshwater plumes in the GBR lagoon
Ben Stapley
CropLife
Assistant Director - Environment and Stewardship
Ben Stapley is the Assistant Director for Environment and Stewardship with CropLife Australia. In his current role at CropLife, Ben is responsible for developing policies and guidance that ensures that CropLife’s member company products are used responsibly with the highest levels of protection provided for human health and the environment, including for the Great Barrier Reef. Ben has an extensive background in environmental chemicals policy within both the public and private sectors, including in ozone protection where he developed and implemented new regulatory frameworks for ozone depleting substances, participated in negotiations under various international chemical management treaties including the Montreal Protocol for Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants and the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade, and managed Commonwealth environmental policy initiatives for industrial chemicals. He has previously been responsible for delivering capacity building activities throughout South East Asia and the Pacific assisting governments responsible manage chemicals. Recently, he has also been involved with the management of sustainability, health and safety and accessibility of design for the 2012 Olympic Games in London as the Priority Themes Manager for the private consortium delivering the games.
Bronwyn Masters
Queensland Government
Queensland Government
Environmental Scientist with the Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM)
Bronwyn Masters graduated in 2003 with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Environmental Science at James Cook University, Townsville. In her second year of study, Bronwyn was awarded a scholarship with the Queensland Department of Environment and Resource Management (previously Natural Resources and Water), and since graduation has been based with the Land and Water Science group in Mackay, and most recently Mareeba, North Queensland. Previous to her studies she worked with Mackay Sugar at Marian Mill. Bronwyn has been actively involved in various components of the Mackay Whitsunday Healthy Waterways Initiative and Water Quality Improvement Plans. Her primary engagement has been through plot, paddock and catchment scale water quality monitoring studies, including the community based event (or flood) monitoring project and rainfall simulation trials to assess the quality of runoff from various local cane farming management practises. Through these projects Bronwyn works as part of a team to develop, coordinate, monitor and report on diffuse source pollutants, such as sediments, nutrients and residual herbicides in runoff events that discharge into local freshwater streams and the Great Barrier Reef lagoon. These projects have been aimed at informing the local region of current water quality issues, as well as providing direction for appropriate action for landuse management improvement.
Jamie Cupples MAICD
Farmsafe
Director
Jamie Cupples MAICD is the Executive Director of Farmsafe Queensland Ltd; he holds qualifications in Occupational Health and Safety, OHS auditing, Chemical Application and Training. He was the inaugural Chairman of the Queensland Agricultural Chemical Accreditation Council (the forerunner of ChemCert Queensland)
Jamie has held the position of Chief Executive Officer of Farmsafe Queensland since 1997; previously he was the Vice-President of the Queensland Grain Growers Association and a practising farmer and chemical application contractor for over 30 years.
Carol Honchin
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
Carol's been working in marine park management for over 16 years. For the majority of that she has worked on impact assessment of major projects, such as marinas and pontoons, management and mitigation strategies of those impacts with a few other diversions throughout the time. She is currently in the coastal ecosystems and water quality team at GBRMPA with a focus on marine ecosystem health and water quality improvement.
Matt Kealley
CANEGROWERS
Manager - Environment & Natural Resources
Matt Kealley is the Environmental and Natural Resources Manager at CANEGROWERS. He has an Environmental Science background and a broad base of experience within the biotechnology, environmental, agricultural and communications sectors. Matt’s early years were spent on water quality and vegetation management in Western Australia. He moved to Queensland in 2004 and has been working within the biotech and agricultural industries on challenging projects that included the registration of new products with the APVMA, the commercialisation of natural insecticides, and the complexities of biofuels, GM crops, and infrastructure within the Australian grains industry. Matt likes to takes a hands-on approach which has required specific dealings with industry, government and government agencies.