Natural Asset Management - April 2013

By: Natural Asset Management Coordinator, Travis Sydes...

Pestfest 2013 - skill up your pest management staff

The month of May will see the inaugural joint session of the Cape York Peninsula Pest Advisory Forum and the Far North Queensland Pest Advisory Forum.  The event, which has been coined 'Pestfest', has been organised in collaboration with pest animal and weed management stakeholders from across the region.  The three day event from 21 to 23 May will feature two days of forums and one day of technical training and meetings of the Cape York and Far North Queensland Pest Management Advisory Groups.  The focus of the event is getting out there and getting the job done and will feature a comprehensive line up of presenters.  Day one will showcase and examine vertebrate pest management, with a focus on wild dog and feral pig management, as well as the latest in tools and techniques including practical demonstrations and an expert panel session inviting questions from the public.  Day two will provide a detailed overview of the latest in weed management and trends from the across the region including an expert panel discussion.  Day one and two are open to the public.  The final day will provide the opportunity for operational staff to complete technical training (with competencies toward accredited training units) in a range of hands-on learning opportunities.  The training will be provided free as part of the event.  During the proceedings we will convene a joint meeting of the Regional Vertebrate Pest Working Group, the Natural Asset Management Advisory Committee and the Cape York Peninsula Pest Management Advisory Group.

We encourage all Local Governments to support their operational staff in attending the event which will provide great learning and professional development opportunities from the best in business.  We believe the strong focus on practical skills and networking will ensure the event is a success and potentially one which could be convened every two years thereafter.

Coming dates:

NERP Tropical Ecosystems Hub Conference, Cairns, 7-9 May 2013