As another massive month comes to a close, it is important to reflect on the powerful local actions that have taken place in our little corner of the world. 

As you are reading this, Scott Morrison is representing us in the Glasgow climate talks, where he expects to get away with shallow promises and dodgy deals to save face among world leaders, all the while abandoning his responsibility to protect Australia's people and ecosystems.

Meanwhile, we've seen North Queenslanders take real action to stand up for nature in so many wonderful ways. Through meetings, media, submissions, strikes, artworks, clean ups and petitions, people like you have made a real difference, and we couldn't be more proud of our community.

In this edition:

• NQCC Updates:
  
  • Postcard Art Auction
  • Tree Advocacy Update
  • Flying-fox Reform: Media
  • NQCC at the International Rivers Symposium
  • Meeting with Scott Stewart MP
  • School Strike 4 Climate
• Coming Up: 
  
  • Townsville Waterway Forum
  • Green Drinks
  • Trivia Night & Mega Raffle
  • Evening with the Minister
• Online Actions:
  
  • Fix Compostable Packaging in Queensland
  • Stop the Cut of Species Recovery Plans
  • Protect Birds from Mouse Poisons

NQCC UPDATES

As well as the exciting updates below, NQCC has this month made comments/submissions on the Genex Kidston Connection Project and Townsville's proposed animal management laws. While we try our best to stay across development and policy proposals, it certainly helps when supporters like you bring them to our attention. Please continue to be our eyes and ears throughout the region - we really appreciate it!

Postcard Art Auction

This month saw our Postcard Art Exhibition (Nature: the wonder and the tragedy) at Umbrella Studio come to an end with our biennial Fundraising Art Auction.

Thank you to all of our wonderful artists, volunteers, buyers and Umbrella Studio for helping us to raise $4,500 towards our conservation work! We loved bringing the conservation and art worlds together and we are thrilled that each of the 125 artworks found a loving home.

Tree Advocacy Update

Image source: TCC's Public Consultation Report

After approximately six months of engaging with Townsville City Council (alongside other community members and groups) regarding their approach to vegetation protection, residents were given the opportunity to provide feedback on TCC's Draft Public Tree Management Policy.

The opportunity to provide feedback closed on Wednesday 13 October, with 70 submissions received (you can see ours here). We then joined representatives of like-minded community groups to meet with relevant Council staff to discuss the community feedback they received. This was outlined in their Stakeholder Engagement Public Consultation Report into the Public Tree Management Policy. 

Flying-Fox Reform: Media

Local flying-fox carers and advocates responded to a call to action (at short notice), to support our media event in Soroptimist Park.

A landmark report by Cairns and Far North Environment Centre (CAFNEC) and the Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) was released this month, outlining the need for flying-fox roost management reform at a state level.

The report's release was accompanied by media events across the state, as communities publicly expressed their concerns about flying-fox roost management and the failure of State and Federal Governments to adequately manage them. You can view Channel 7's coverage of our local story here. The coverage does contain some errors but captures the overall concerns about how flying-fox roosts are managed in North Queensland.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to spreading the word, whether through providing local stories for our media release, showing up to our snap media event or supporting us on social media. We also appreciate the support we received from CAFNEC, EDO and Queensland Conservation Council. 

The report was released just following the Australian Government's announcement of the removal of 184 species recovery plans nationally. You can have your say about this here or with CAFNEC's submission template here. 

NQCC at the International River Symposium

NQCC Committee Member and volunteer John Connell was invited to attend the 24th International Rivers Symposium, held in Brisbane in late September. This was an invaluable opportunity to introduce an international audience to some of the issues affecting the Burdekin River and to highlight NQCC's role in advocating for an integrated management approach. You can read John's account on our blog, with the link below.

Meeting with Scott Stewart MP

NQCC representatives David Cassells, Crystal Falknau and John Connell with Scott Stewart, Member for Townsville

Last week, NQCC representatives met with Scott Stewart, MP for Townsville, to open a dialogue about some of the issues we are working on.

We gave a comprehensive overview of the issues facing the Burdekin River, to which he was very receptive, having been in direct communication with Glenn Butcher (Minister for Water) on the topic. 

We also presented him with a coffee table book from Our Living Outback entitled "It's in our nature", along with a brief on the Queensland conservation movement's call to double investment in our state's protected areas, to achieve the outcomes promised in the government's protected areas strategy.

Throughout our meeting, Scott expressed general support for our positions and we gained some useful insights to inform our campaigns. We look forward to continuing this dialogue with the Member for Townsville.

School Strike 4 Climate

Isabella, Grace and Xian share their powerful messages at Townsville's School Strike 4 Climate this month

NQCC was proud to be among the supporters who attended the latest School Strike 4 Climate at Strand Park on the morning of Friday 15 October. The students and supporters marched to the Strand Amphitheatre for speeches and then returned to Strand Park to enjoy food, activities and entertainment.

Don't forget to put your CLIMATE ACTION NOW signs and stickers clearly on display! The poster-sized stickers look great on wheelie bins, while the corflute signs look great on fences, balconies, letterboxes and in car windows. Haven't got your hands on one yet? Get in touch with Tiff ([email protected]) or order them here. 

Want to learn more about School Strike 4 Climate (SS4C)? You can visit their website or sign up for updates. 

COMING UP

Townsville Waterway Forum
9am Wednesday 10 November

Dry Tropics Partnership for Healthy Waters is pleased to present the 2021 Townsville Waterway Forum: Our Waterways, Our Priorities, Our Futures!

This forum will feature speakers and a workshop to highlight innovative solutions to waterway health and management actions in the Townsville region. This will be an opportunity to hear from experts and engage in discussions whilst networking with other water quality practitioners.

It will be held from 9am-4.15pm on Wednesday 10 November at the Rydges Convention Centre on Palmer St in South Townsville. 

Tickets are limited, so if you are interested, don't delay!

Green Drinks
6pm Friday 12 November

We've really enjoyed coming together at our monthly Green Drinks, and we hope that you can join us in November!

Our next Green Drinks will see us return to The Commonwealth Hotel in South Townsville, where we can catch up over a meal and/or drink and spend the evening in good company. Please join us anytime from 6pm onwards on Friday 12 November, and bring a friend!

NQCC Trivia Night!
6pm Saturday 20 November

Join us for a night of Trivia, games and corruption! 

We will return to the QCWA Hall on Denham St for our famous Annual Fundraising Trivia Night!

Join us from 6pm onwards on Saturday 20 November. A vegan meal will be provided and beverages will be available for purchase.

Bonus points can be awarded prior to the event - three points to the first team to purchase a team ticket (two for the second team, one for the third) and one point for every person who tags us and shares our event on Facebook or Instagram.

After purchasing your ticket/s, please email your team name and the names of your team members to Tiff at [email protected]. If you don't have a team, we will add you to one.

You can also pre-purchase tickets to our MEGA RAFFLE - valued at over $1,800 - which will be drawn on the night! You will be directed to this page after you have purchased Trivia Tickets or you can go directly to the raffle page here.

Evening with the Minister
6.30pm Wednesday 24 November

Join people from communities across Queensland to put important questions to the State Environment Minister and hear about government plans to better protect our precious ecosystems, in a massive online forum.

Put Wednesday 24 November (6.30-7.30pm) in your calendar, to join others who care about Queensland’s beautiful environment and meet with Minister Meaghan Scanlon. Groups across Queensland will be logging on to put questions to the minister and to find out the government’s plans.

Already RSVP'd? Please get in touch and tell us why you're coming along and what you hope to get out of it, so that we can encourage others to join!

ONLINE ACTIONS

Fix Compostable Packaging in Qld

Australian Marine Conservation Society

Compostable plastics are ending up in the ocean and endangering wildlife, because Queensland doesn’t have the facilities to compost them.

The state government is asking for feedback on its first ever Queensland Organics Strategy. This is a rare chance to influence government policy on dealing with food waste and compostable packaging.

USE THE SUBMISSION PREPARED BY AMCS to have your say, or TAKE A SHORT SURVEY about the Draft Strategy via the Queensland Government website.

Feedback and submissions close on 5pm Monday 1 November!

Stop the Cut of Species Recovery Plans

Cairns and Far North Environment Centre

We need everyone to make a submission to the Federal Government Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment to stop the proposed changes to conservation planning decisions, and to not abandon the use of Species Recovery Plans to ensure the ongoing survival of our Spectacled Flying Foxes (and many other threatened species!). 

MAKE A SUBMISSION HERE. You will find all the links you need to either use CAFNEC's handy submission template or to make a submission in your own words. 

Submissions close on 2 November!

Protect Birds From Mouse Poisons

Birdlife Australia

Known as a second-generation anti coagulant rodenticides (SGARs), chemicals such as bromadiolone kill animals by causing internal bleeding. It does not kill immediately or break down after it is ingested, meaning mice who have eaten it can be caught and eaten by other animals. Studies in Australia have found rodenticide in dead birds of prey including Southern Boobook and  Wedge-tailed Eagles. 

SIGN THIS PETITION urging the APVMA to ban the sale of second generation anticoagulant rodenticides in domestic settings and to review regulations to ensure that only licenced professionals are able to use these chemicals. 

Thank you for supporting our work and playing your part in our powerful local (and global) movement.

Yours naturally,

Crystal and Tiff
North Queensland Conservation Council