THE DIRT Issue 2 | Page 31

Region’s first community washdown facility The region’s first community washdown facility has been installed in Darby Munro Park in Collinsville. LDC shared the cost of the project with Whitsunday Regional Council. The facility is available for anybody to use and is designed to improve regional biosecurity practice by reducing the spread of weeds across primary production land in the BBB catchment. The facility came about as a result of the LDC and Burdekin Dry Tropics Regional Pest Management Group’s Pest Advisory Forum held in Collinsville in 2018, where graziers raised concerns about biosecurity risks associated with outside bodies accessing grazing lands. Land managers in the BBB are committed to region-wide best practice biosecurity measures. More than 60 people attended a biosecurity event in Collinsville in 2018. Weed prevention is everyone’s business LDC hosted an ‘Inspect and clean machinery for plant animal and soil material’ (accredited training) workshop for local contractors in Collinsville. Participants learned about biosecurity, government legislation, and how to clean and inspect vehicles and machinery for plant materials. Jessica Szalinski, Glencore, (standing left) and Penelope Davis, Glencore, with (sitting, from left) Lindsay Mackie, WRC Works Supervisor Collinsville Depot and WRC Manager Natural Resources Management Scott Hardy. The workshop was organised to engage with land managers outside of the grazing community to ensure everyone who works in the BBB is working towards the same standard of practice to keep vehicles, machinery and plant clean. Weed hygiene workshops have also been held for graziers. Grader workshops for soil conservation Last year LDC hosted landcare specialist and plant operator Darryl Hill to deliver erosion control grader training to the project’s pool of plant contractors, and utility, mines and council employees. Land managers other than graziers involved in the LDC project: • • • • • Glencore Sunwater Edify Ergon Energy Infrastructure Management (EIM) • • • Whitsunday Regional Council (WRC) Aurizon Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) Queensland Corporate Communications Network (QCCN) was also involved in the Influencing Other Land Managers activity areas. A series of erosion control and whoa-boy workshops have been held for landholders, utility providers and contractors. Landcare specialist and plant operator, Darryl Hill, was engaged to teach participants practical, alternative approaches to prevent water erosion on station roads, tracks fi ebreaks and fence lines. Land managers also obtained the correct knowledge, skills and management tools to understand the causes of soil erosion, how to avoid triggering additional erosion and how to ameliorate existing erosion. LDC also filmed an instruction video on ‘how to construct erosion control banks’ and an ‘explainer’ video for utility providers, earthworks contractors and landholders. These are on the LDC website. 31