The Authority What’s on?
Newsletter of the Cradle Coast Authority October 2011
28 October Expressions of interest close for the Cradle Coast NRM Land Manager Community Partnership grants. Contact Anna Wind
Motorhome visitors to stay a while and help a mile A six month trial is proposed to engage the region’s campervan and motorhome visitors in local environmental working bees and Landcare and Coastcare activities.
The trial program, known as Helping Hands on Holidays, aims to connect visitors to the region’s communities, give holiday‐makers a different insight to our landscapes and provide a local experience to be long remembered .
8 November Cradle Coast Authority Board meeting. Contact Luke Sayer
The idea for the trial arose from the recent report ‘Off the Beaten Path: Tracking Self‐ Accommodating Visitors in North West Tasmania’ which revealed that some visitors are investigating the region as a place to live and are looking to make special connections while here.
17 November Cradle Coast NRM Committee meeting. Contact Richard Ingram
Community groups, Coastcare and Landcare groups, Councils and agencies are being asked to nominate volunteer‐based environmental events for inclusion in an online events calendar. The calendar will be promoted to caravan and motorhome club members around Australia with events starting in January 2012.
24 November Representatives Meeting and Cradle Coast Authority Annual General Meeting. Contact Luke Sayer
The trial is a joint initiative of Cradle Coast Natural Resource Management (NRM) and the Cradle Coast Authority tourism team. Enquiries are welcome by calling Regional Tourism Development Manager, Ian Waller, or NRM Coastal Coordinator, Belinda Colson on 6431 6285.
Call us on 6431 6285 to find out more
Recognition for the region at Tasmanian Landcare Awards The Cradle Coast region was in the spotlight at the 2011 Tasmanian Landcare Conference, not only as the venue for the state‐wide event but also as recipients of six out of 13 available Tasmanian Landcare Awards.
Held in Stanley on 9 and 10 October, the event showcased landcaring practices and celebrated the achievements of the State’s many community members and groups involved in natural resource management.
Cradle Coast Authority 30 Marine Terrace (PO Box 338) Burnie 7320 Phone: 03 6431 6285 Fax: 03 6431 7014 E-mail: admin@cradlecoast.com
Cradle Coast NRM Committee member Sue Jennings with Anna Wind, Mark Wisniewski and Marty Bower at the Awards
A special mention goes to the Cradle Coast NRM team who were the well‐deserving winners of the Australian Government NRM Award and to Marty Bower, West Coast Weed and Fire Management Project Officer for his Be Natural Young Landcare Leader Award. All winners will now be represented in the national awards—congratulations!
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The Authority
Building capacity in healthy communities Congratulations to Circular Head Council for their recognition in the 2011 Heart Foundation Healthy Community Awards. The Council’s balance program was Highly Commended in the ‘Councils with populations of 15,000 or less’ category and was one of four Tasmanian Councils to receive an award.
The balance program offers a range of services and activities encouraging health and wellbeing in the community, including the popular Lose kilos for the community initiative. Activities were also supported by the federally funded Cradle Coast Healthy Communities Initiative which was introduced to the region’s nine Councils as a pilot last year and has since been extended until mid 2013. A two‐day workshop, Bridges out of Poverty, will be held at the UTAS Cradle Coast Campus on 15 and 16 November. Presented by Social Solutions and the Institute for Regional Development via a Rural Health Week Grant, the workshop addresses obstacles that people from poverty face and how service providers and policy makers can better assist disadvantaged members of their communities.
Registration is required by visiting www.cradle‐coast.utas.edu.au or calling the Cradle Coast Campus on 6430 4949. Fees: $150 for the two‐day workshop.
Special offer: Via the Healthy Communities Initiative, the Cradle Coast Authority is offering Council staff in the region a limited number of free registrations to this event.
Contact Healthy Communities Coordinator, Bev Hayhurst, on 6431 6285 for details.
Putting our best foot forward in the Burnie Ten The Cradle Coast Authority and Cradle Coast NRM were well represented in the Burnie Ten corporate challenge on 16 October with our mixed team finishing sixth and female team finishing an impressive second (we’ll ignore the fact that there were only two teams entered!)
The walkers and runners who braved rain, hail and sunshine were (L– R) Mark Summers, Luke Sayer, Rosie Britton, Jennifer Archer, Leanne Bonney, Jen Evans, Roger Jaensch, Stacey Groves and photographer, Amanda Wilson. Congratulations to Cradle Coast NRM Administration Assistant, Stacey Groves, for recording our team’s best individual time!
October 2011
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Natural resource management grants for public land managers Cradle Coast NRM has opened a Land Manager Community Partnership grant program for public land managers in the region. Councils, Parks and Wildlife Service and other public land managers are eligible for funding of up to $4000 from the Australian Government’s Caring for our Country initiative for projects that engage communities in natural resource management.
Preference will be given to activities that involve community members and/or organisations such as Service Clubs, schools, Scouts and Girl Guides in either coastal or biodiversity projects. Projects can be implemented anytime until April 2013 with examples including working bees, flora and fauna talks and native plant / weed swaps.
Expressions of interest in Land Manager Public land managers are invited to submit expressions of interest in the grant program Community by Friday 28 October. Partnership Contact Cradle Coast NRM Facilitator Team Coordinator, Anna Wind, on 6431 6285 for grants close additional details or copies of the expression of interest form. on 28 October
In the news... We’ve been actively promoting the region’s successes, projects and issues in the media in recent times. Here are some examples: “...The kids (at the West Coast All Schools Tree Day) have hands‐on learning of the role that native plants play in helping society and the environment, and also in helping to control weeds ...’ Marty Bower, West Coast Weed and Fire Management Project Officer‐ The Advocate, 11 October.
“...A Tarkine compromise which would protect key areas and potential investment is being urged by the Cradle Coast Authority ...” – The Advocate, 21 September.
Plus there were radio interviews with staff on the State of the Region Tourism Report and regarding the State Government budget cuts to health services. For details on Cradle Coast Authority communications, please contact Amanda Wilson on 6431 6285.
Visit the Cradle Coast Authority web site for copies of our media releases www.cradlecoast.com
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The Authority
Fresh eyes to review the Cradle Coast tourism industry A Victorian‐based consulting firm with over 20 years of tourism and local government experience has been appointed to review the state of tourism in the Cradle Coast region. With the benefit of an outsider’s view, Urban Enterprise consultants will deliver a Cradle Coast State of the Region Report to help transition the industry from the region’s two Zone Marketing Groups to a single Regional Tourism Organisation. Information collection began with focus groups comprised of Regional Tourism marketing organisations, Local Tourism Associations and local government representatives held in Burnie, Queenstown, Strahan, Wynyard and Devonport. An online survey is also open to all operators and stakeholders in the region to gauge responses to tourism‐related issues and inform the State of the Region Report. Existing tourism strategies and market research including visitor survey data, tourist perceptions and accommodation data will be reviewed by the consultants, along with audits on the region’s tourism experiences, products and infrastructure. The report, due for completion in November, is part of state‐wide reform arising from the review of regional tourism completed by Tourism Tasmania last year. The review proposed the creation of four Regional Tourism Organisations across Tasmania: North West (including the North West Coast, King Island and Western Wilderness) North, East and South.
For information regarding the regional tourism industry transition, contact Ian Waller on 6431 6285 or via email on iwaller@cradlecoast.com
Tourism Tasmania’s Regional Tourism Initiative website: http://www.tourismtasmania.com.au/regional_initiative
Briefly Cradle Coast NRM with the help of local ornithologist, Hazel Britton, and 100 community volunteers will be taking to the region’s beaches for the next 4 weeks to count resident shorebirds.
This will be the fourth count since the program began in early 2010 targeting beaches between Stanley and Narawntapu National Park. Data from the project is helping to inform conservation works.
Red‐capped Plover eggs in a nest
Did you know? The nest and eggs of Red‐capped Plovers are well camouflaged along the high‐tide mark. When next at the beach, please walk on the wet sand to protect our region’s beach‐nesting birds.
Red‐capped Plover. Photo by Derek Murray