UPSKILLING STAFF
UPSKILLING STAFF
Drone training helps field staff deliver better services
Technology helps field staff work smarter and drones have become an increasingly important part of their toolkit .
Drones help with property mapping , land condition assessments and monitoring , weed control in hard to access areas — and can take great photos .
They capture more accurate data to support better decision making , benefiting primary producers and the environment .
Staff members Scott Fry , Brad Holt and Cameron Sims recently achieved their Remote Pilot Licence for 0-7kg class drones , following an intensive course run by former World Champion drone pilot Chad Nowak , of UAS Pacific . This means NQ Dry Tropics now has 15 accredited drone operators .
The training combined several hours of outdoor flying practice with theoretical knowledge .
Senior Waterways , Wetlands and Coasts Field Officer Brad Holt now has his Remote Pilot ’ s Licence .
Survey training gets the thumbs up
Surveys are a key tool for collecting valuable information about the views and motivations of stakeholders . The responses indicate whether activities such as workshops or training have hit the mark , and are used to guide future projects . While they may seem straightforward , there is an art and a science to putting together a good survey .
NQ Dry Tropics ’ Monitoring , Evaluation , Reporting , Improvement ( MERI ) and Planning Coordinator Dr Jules Funnell has developed a stepped and strategic approach to planning and developing surveys , and for analysing and presenting the data they provide .
She delivered a two-day workshop based on this approach for 22 participants representing Queensland NRM groups , local councils , the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries and the Invasive Species Council . Attendees travelled from far afield , including Rockhampton , Longreach and Brisbane .
Workshop presenter Dr Jules Funnell ( left ), with Bernardo Blanco-Martin and Angela Anderson ( both from the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries ).
The workshops were well-received and are a great example of staff sharing knowledge and expertise with a wide variety of stakeholders .
PAGE 30 2021-2022 – NQ DRY TROPICS YEAR IN REVIEW