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Plastic Free July
150 million tonnes of single use plastic waste is produced every year. Senior Project Officer Jacinta Cox says Plastic Free July is a cause close to her heart.
"On the issue of plastic, our family tries to reduce plastics wherever we can…being keen river enthusiasts, we are always doing our part to pick up plastics as we find them in channels and just throw them in the car to take to the nearest bin," said Jacinta. The amount of waste we produce in Queensland is growing at a much faster rate than our population growth, and as a state, we have a lot of catching up to do in terms of how we approach recycling and resource recovery.
Jacinta says recycling doesn't have to be stressful, and that small, every day changes can make a BIG impact. “In addition to doing the ‘right thing’, see if you can think of just one way you and your family can address the three ‘R’s:” she said.
REDUCE
Reduce your plastic packaging.
"I pack my son’s lunchbox with reusable containers. He has reusable containers for everything! We have a tiny bottle for his juice/milk, metal straw and all shapes and sizes for other items. Do you really need glad wrap for your sandwich? Well, if you have a tight fitting container, you don’t! Admittedly you may have to still transfer food from a bigger plastic item to the smaller containers – but it’s still a lot less plastic then throwing away several small items every day,”
Buy local and support farmers markets.
“We buy what fresh food we need just for the week from our local farmers markets, that way there’s no pre-packaging and much less food wastage. If you plan well, I promise you will also save money," she said.
RE-USE
Invest in ‘reusable consumables’.
"Single use plastics can include your cleaning products - and think about it, the plastic waste can really add up when you have kids! We use refillable cleaning products where we can. It can be cheaper and better for the environment to use refillable products - or make your own,”
Re-use takeout containers.
“Although they can be a hassle to wash and re-use, takeout containers can be used more than once! My husband uses them for organising nails and screws, and I like to use them for freezing food portions and leftovers. Most reused plastic containers eventually crack and need to be added to the recycling bin, but at least you’ve extended their life and more than likely reduced the need to purchase additional containers in the process.”
RECYCLE
Cash in your drink containers.
"I was so happy when they brought back the cash for containers scheme. There’s not a single kid out there who won’t absolutely love collecting all the recyclables and getting cash for them,"
Help drive change.
“Insist your governmental representatives commit to more investment in research and development for the recycling of plastics. Plastics are a valuable resource and one day soon our kids will be wondering why on earth we ever threw it away,”
Learn more about how Queensland aims to tackle plastic waste:
Screen Type Self Cleaning Floatation Fish Screen Screen M anufacturer KleenScreen, NZ River Catchment Balonne River
Screen Type Self Cleaning Cylindrical Fish Screen Screen M anufacturer AWMA River Catchment Condamine River
Screen Type Self Cleaning Floatation Fish Screen Screen M anufacturer KleenScreen, NZ River Catchment Condamine Branch (Chinchilla Weir)
Screen Type Two Self Cleaning Cylindrical Screens Screen M anufacturer AWMA River Catchment Gowrie Oakey Creek
Screen Type Self Cleaning Cylindrical Screen Screen M anufacturer AWMA River Catchment Condamine River
The Condamine Headwaters, a critical ecosystem in Southern Queensland, has long faced threats from sedimentation, habitat degradation, and thermal regime changes. The Blackfish Project, dedicated to reversing these impacts, unites scientists, landowners, and the community in a shared mission to restore and protect this vital environment. At its core lies the river blackfish, a sensitive indicator of the overall ecosystem health. Central to the project's success is the unwavering commitment of landowners like Paul Graham. Inspired by the project's vision, Paul reached out to SQ Landscapes seeking support for a solar pump and tank to divert his cattle away from waterways on his property. Paul's deep-rooted love for his land, captured in his humorous quip "I love my land more than I love my wife," is a testament to the powerful connection between people and place that drives conservation efforts.
The Board of Southern Queensland Landscapes recently met in Toowoomba. In addition to the Board meeting, Board and Executive worked through updating SQ Landscapes’ strategy. Company Secretary Pam Murphy highlighted the importance of the latest Board meeting and what it means for the company’s future. “The updated strategy will help SQ Landscapes deliver sustainable natural resource management (NRM) outcomes that improve the lives of people in regional communities now and for the future,” Pam Murphy said. “We’re excited to continue delivering value for our region and build Flourishing Landscapes and Healthy Communities across Southern Queensland under the guidance of the Board,” Mrs Murphy said.
Annual General Meeting When: Wednesday, 13 December 2023 Where: Online via Zoom Time : 9.00am for 9.30am start
When Sophie and Adrian McInnerney began adopting their “paddock to plate” experiment into their lambing business, they quickly discovered how a new and exciting approach to running their enterprise transformed their resilience and soil health. Multi-species cover cropping was the answer, and now their business has become a diverse enterprise that has embraced variations in livestock feed and crop rotation, building riparian fencing, and investing in healthier soils. This has opened the young couple to new opportunities to create new revenue streams, protect their business against natural disasters, drought, and prepare for economic hardships. Their property, “Bellhaven Brook”, located just an hour east of Goondiwindi, was the site of Macintyre Ag Alliance’s latest Multi-Species Cropping Field Day. With the support of Southern Queensland Landscapes (SQ Landscapes), the event aimed to promote the McInnerney family’s new land practices, offering an opportunity to educate land managers in the region of new ways to strengthen their property and enterprise. SQ Landscapes’ Goondiwindi-based Project Delivery Officer Keith Walker joined land managers for the workshop and highlighted how multi-species cover cropping could pave the way to rebuilding healthy soils and farming enterprises. “What was great about visiting ‘Bellhaven Brook’ is that you don’t have to be a scientist to understand this stuff. The idea is to just try and experiment like the McInnerneys did,” Keith Walker said. “These cover cropping systems are all about building your experience, experimenting and slowly developing a healthier and richer soil profile; which is the basis of all businesses; cropping and grazing alike.” Mr Walker said. “It was interesting to see the range of people, the ages from young and old, and the differences in enterprises. It’s a reminder that this genre of agriculture is starting conversations,” he said. “It’s all about implementation on the ground and getting the results for less money and experimenting with what people are doing.”
Cool burns, camels, and funding for local farmers were on the agenda at 'Risdon Stud' as land managers Nick and Liz Suduk hosted the Southern Queensland Landscapes and Department of Resources site visit to showcase the success of the Natural Resources Investment Program 2018-2022 (NRIP). Risdon Stud, south of Warwick, was primarily a high-intensity horse stud, but under new ownership with the Suduk family, the focus has been on restoring productivity and landscape health. “The Suduks participated in the NRIP project, where they received on-site guidance from First Nations fire practitioner Robbie Williams from Fire Lore, for cool burning in native vegetation areas,” Project Delivery Lead Natasha Mylonas said. “This was their first exposure to this type of burning and they have since embarked on a journey towards building their confidence in applying it elsewhere on the property,” Ms Mylonas said. “The NRIP project also supported livestock fencing, largely to exclude cattle from a large patch of remnant vegetation, combined with weed management in that remnant vegetation,” she said. “It is really difficult to muster out of the remnant vegetation, so the fencing has meant easier mustering of the cattle, as well as reduced weed spread and damage to the native vegetation in the patch.” “Outside of the NRIP project, they maintain a herd of agisted camels as part of their weed management strategy and experimented with fire to manage wattle regrowth,” Natasha Mylonas said.