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Fitzroy Partnership for River Health News!

March 2017 edition....

2015-16 Report Card set for release
The Fitzroy Partnership for River Health team is pulling together a mammoth dataset and preparing for the release of the next annual 2015-16 waterway health report card.  This is the sixth report card for the Basin and a scheduled release date of Thursday 22 June 2017, has been set all going well. The Rockhampton launch will be followed by a series of regional activities that will promote aquatic ecosystem, drinking water and agricultural use results. 

Partnership explores Integrated REMP talks 
Resource sector companies are currently investing into Receiving Environment Monitoring Programs (REMP) as part of Environmental Authority conditions.  This is implemented on an individual operation basis and resulting in duplication between companies.  Many of the sites monitored are also dry most of the year, meaning that sampling may not occur for some of these ambient programs due to sites being dry in all but the wettest of seasons.

The Partnership is exploring opportunity to facilitate implementation of an integrated REMP that will consolidate monitoring and realign sampling to sites with permanent water.  The proposed approach will not only add value to current investment of individual companies to these monitoring programs to meet statutory obligations, but also feed directly to the annual ecosystem health report card and reduce the burden of the current arrangements for collection, analysis and data entry.

The new program proposes to deliver a more robust environmental monitoring program for the Fitzroy, with the potential for reduced costs for regulated entities, coordinated data collection and a more comprehensive dataset.  The goal of the Fitzroy Partnership for River Health in negotiating this proposal is to help provide a more complete picture of waterway health in the Fitzroy Basin. For more information please contact Nathan Johnston at Nathan.Johnston@riverhealth.org.au

National Report Card Network raises bar 

Fitzroy Partnership for River Health is facilitating a fledgling National Waterway Report Card Network, with several teleconferences held in recent months and a workshop held in Brisbane on 21 and 22 March 2017.  The National Report Card Network is an informal forum where representatives from waterway report card initiatives meet to raise awareness of their activities; exchange knowledge and ideas; learn from each other; and explore opportunities for collaboration to deliver organisational goals and operational efficiencies.

At the workshop, the Network explored various items including marketing, report card thresholds and weightings, leveraging benefits of technology, cultural reporting, collaboration opportunities and communication. According to Fitzroy Partnership Chief Executive Officer, Nathan Johnston, "Our individual waterway initiatives will gather strength when we continue to collaborate and take advantage of opportunities to build awareness and efficiencies between our programs."

To learn more about the network visit http://riverhealth.org.au/national-report-card-network/
Nathan Johnston and CQUniversity's Dr Nicole Flint (left) present the HeART of the Basin Scholarship to Julie-Ann Malan. 

2017 HeART of Basin Scholarship announced
In February 2017 the Fitzroy Partnership awarded the second annual HeART of the Basin Scholarship to CQUniversity Masters of Research candidate Julie-Ann Malan to contribute towards research project, 'Off-stream watering for riparian protection and improved water quality.'

The Scholarship offers $2,000 towards research expenses to support CQUniversity students contributing to advancing our knowledge of waterway health in the Fitzroy. Julie-Ann's research will complement that of Mr Evan Chua, 2016 Scholarship recipient on 'Development of Toolbox for fish health in aquatic ecosystems with coal and gas industries in the Fitzroy Basin' and continue to advance Partnership's vision of providing a clearer picture of waterway health in the Fitzroy Basin. 

Enviroscore: Online report card solution
Five years on from the official launch of the Fitzroy Partnership, a new initiative to progress the vision of the Fitzroy Partnership and ensure ongoing viability is being launched. Enviroscore Online has been established to help cement the Partnership's increasing presence as a leading provider in the online environmental report card solution marketplace.  Enviroscore Online will apply social enterprise principals and offer services that automate the creation of stunning environmental online report cards and products.  
This cost competitive service is being offered and made possible by leveraging Fitzroy Partnership's ongoing investment in automated data management, assessment and visualisation for our waterway report card suite to deliver appealing online products to similar organisations.  The team have already delivered online report cards for Great Barrier Reef Water Quality Protection Plan Report Card for 2015 and the Mackay-Whitsundays Healthy Rivers to Reef Partnership Report Card. 

To discuss how Enviroscore Online may assist you to create appealing online environmental reporting products please contact Nathan Johnston at Nathan.Johnston@riverhealth.org.au 

2017 Care for Creeks Bursary now open
Community engagement is a strategic priority of the Fitzroy Partnership, with a number of initiatives underway to support increased awareness in the community of the importance of healthy waterways in the Fitzroy Basin.  On 16 March, Fitzroy Partnership launched the 2017 Care for Creeks Bursary at a Reef Guardian Network meeting in Rockhampton, calling on school and community groups interested in science and waterways to apply to receive up to $1,000 in equipment and training. To find out more information and to apply for the 2017 Care for Creeks Bursary please visit our website at http://riverhealth.org.au/links/news/bursary_entry_form/ 
If you would like more information about joining the partnership please contact:

Nathan Johnston - Executive Officer
P: 07 4999 2821 | M: 0400 221 055 | E: nathan.johnston@riverhealth.org.au
 
Address:
Fitzroy Partnership for River Health
Level 1, 80 East Street
PO Box 139 Rockhampton, QLD 4700
 
FBA is the current host organisation of the Fitzroy Partnership for River Health.

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