DELVEBuying localAdaptive futureAussie fishermen

www.dpi.nsw.gov.au

09

From the Director-General

‘Delve’, being the search for information, is a truly appropriate

title for this publication from NSW Department of Primary

Industries. The work we do in supporting the state’s primary

producers is backed by research conducted by eminently

qualified scientists, delving into all manner of issues impacting on

production and sustainability.

While this valuable knowledge is then shared with primary producers,

much of our work and the role we play is not known to the broader

community. We hope this publication will give a snapshot of just

some aspects of our work to readers that might inspire you to delve

further at our website www.dpi.nsw.gov.au

I hope you find ‘Delve’ interesting and informative, and gain new

insight into the work of our department and the primary industries

we support.

From the Minister

Our primary producers play an integral, but often overlooked

role, in the lives of each and every one of us. The availability of

fresh fruit and vegetables, tasty meats and fish is an accepted

part of our lifestyle. Timber to build our homes, energy and

metals for our infrastructure are also expected when needed. All of

this and so much more is courtesy of our primary industries.

The NSW Government is committed to ensuring safe, adaptive, sustainable

and profitable primary industries. NSW Department of Primary Industries is the

government agency partnering with the state’s agriculture, fisheries, forestry

and mineral resources industries to meet this goal.

This publication has been designed to give you a sample of the broad range

of functions the department plays, along with an idea of the industries we

support. I hope you enjoy it.

ContentsContents

NSW Department of Primary Industries

Communications Branch

516 High Street, Maitland NSW 2320

PO Box 344

Hunter Region Mail Centre NSW 2310

T: 1300 736 122 or 02 4931 6666

www.dpi.nsw.gov.au

© The State of New South Wales through NSW Department of Primary Industries 2009.

National Library of Australia ISSN 1836-6759

The information contained in this publication is based on knowledge and understanding at the time of writing (December 2008). However,

because of advances in knowledge, users are reminded of the need to ensure that information upon which they rely is up to date and to check

currency of the information with the appropriate officer of NSW Department of Primary Industries or the user’s independent adviser.

Recognising that some of the information in this document is provided by third parties, the State of New South Wales, the author and the publisher take

no responsibility for the accuracy, currency, reliability and correctness of any information included in the document provided by third parties.

The inclusion of any product, service or company in Delve, either in editorial or advertisement, does not imply government endorsement.

4 Oils just ain’t oils 5 Sunday roast gets even tastier 6 Biochar revolution 6 Seeding clouds 7 Get to know your forests and parks 7 Fishing fees 8 Wobbegongs released from city beach 8 Nursing shark cannibals 9 Mellow, yellow pasta hits plates and palates 10 ‘Old’ crop gets new future 10 How do fish cross the road? 11 Pretty key indicators to environmental health 11 Half a million bugs – now that’s a collection 12 Adaptation key to future production 14 Helping farmers adapt to climate variability16 Hanging with 100 000 smelly friends 18 Lessening coal’s greenhouse emissions key to future20 Local timber – the better choice 22 Local fishers team with top chefs 24 College turns out new generation of farmers 25 PROfarm short courses 26 Organics in the city 27 Organics in the country 28 LandLearn NSW 29 Comparing apples and Earth 30 What’s on our website 31 What’s happening around NSW in 09?

Production team Leah Flint, Kylie Davies, Carmen Perry, Kellie Lobb, Nicole Edwards and Ross Longley

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delve: to carry on intensive or

thorough research for information

The Hon Ian Macdonald, MLC

Minister for Primary Industries

Minister for Energy

Minister for Mineral Resources

Minister for State Development

Richard Sheldrake

Director-General

NSW Department of Primary Industries

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Extra-virgin Aussie olive oil has a particular fruity tang, suited for drizzling over salads, combining with balsamic vinegar as a dip for crusty bread, or adding some zip to soups.

With a premium price tag, it’s important that consumers know they are getting the real deal, the finest of oils, when buying the extra-virgin product.

NSW DPI runs an olive oil analysis service to ensure that oil labelled as extra-virgin olive oil is the real thing, without any other oils like canola being added.

This type of authentication is important for preserving standards and maintaining consumer confidence.

Extra-virgin oil comes from the cold pressing of olives and contains no more than 0.8% acidity. The tests conducted at NSW DPI’s laboratory in Wagga Wagga are complex, often

Can you taste the difference?Place 8 to 10 drops of olive oil into your mouth. Hold it in your

mouth for a minute, while also inhaling air. Roll the oil around

in your mouth a few times to cover your taste buds, from the

tip to the back of your tongue. Is it sweet, spicy or bitter? Is it

really runny, or thick? You can then spit out the oil!

Like wine, the taste of extra-virgin olive oil is described in a

number of ways. The fruity flavour can taste like fresh herbs,

apples, artichokes, almonds or even flowers! Take a taste today

and put your buds to the test, along with the oil.

Sunday roast gets even tastierSunday lamb roasts across NSW have been getting more delicious and it’s partially due to research work conducted by NSW DPI scientists in Cowra, in the central west.

NSW DPI meat scientist David Hopkins has been recognised by the global scientific community for research that’s contributed to improving the eating quality of lamb and sheep meat.

“Both consumers and industry have been able to benefit from our research into producing tender, tasty meat," Dr Hopkins said.

NSW DPI research has contributed to improved genetics which allows producers to enhance the carcase

composition and eating quality of meat.

“Quality has also been improved by processing techniques and we are continuing work in both those areas."

Market approval of local lamb has been reflected in lamb exports which hit record highs in 2007, while domestic demand continues.

Working from NSW DPI’s Cowra Agricultural Research and Advisory Station (CARAS), Dr Hopkin’s team has extended their research to beef and goat meat quality.

Ingredients:

1 leg of lamb, bone in2 tbsp olive oil3 cloves crushed garlic1 tbsp fresh oregano -

leaves picked, choppedSalt and pepperJuice of 1 lemon

Method:

Remove lamb from fridge about an 1. hour before cooking so that it comes to room temperature. Preheat oven to 1602. oC (140oC fan-forced). Mix olive oil with crushed garlic, 3. chopped oregano, salt and pepper. Massage the olive oil mix into the 4. lamb. Squeeze over lemon juice. Place lamb on rack in baking pan, 5. filled with 2cm of water. Bake for 5 hours, basting with pan 6. juices every hour.

Cover with foil after 3 hours - the lamb 7. should be golden brown by then and you don’t want it to burn! Remove from oven and allow to rest 8. for 20 minutes before carving.Eat and enjoy!9.

Luscious lamb roastLuscious lamb roast

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Suggested side dishes:

• Oven roasted potatoes, kumara,

pumpkin and parsnip

• Steamed vegetables like broccolini,

cauliflower and carrot

• Try a fresh Greek salad with the lamb

in summer

• Don’t forget the mint sauce and gravy!

taking up to seven days to complete. Fatty acid tests need to be accurate to 0.1%!

An increasing range of Australian-grown oils are available, with the Wagga facility having international accreditation for its testing. Having this facility is vital for local olive oil producers, with 50% of the local

product sold overseas, mostly to USA but also to Italy and Spain.

Chemical tests are complemented by sensory tests – smell, flavour and colour – conducted by an expert ratings panel.

And our first rate Aussie oils are generally fresher than imported oils too. So it goes to show, oils just ain’t oils.

Biochar revolution

Thinking about dropping a line off a local jetty, setting a crab pot from a canoe or heading to sea for a day of game fishing? Sounds like great fun, but make sure you pay the NSW recreational fishing fee before you do.

With more than one million people paying the recreational fishing fee every year, it seems the message is out, and more and more people are seeing the benefits of paying up and contributing to the future of recreational fishing.

The fees fund a range of initiatives to ensure healthy fish stocks and awesome fishing for the future.

Today, 23 fish aggregating devices are seasonally placed along the coast. These devices attract pelagic

fish such as mahi mahi and are a hit with those who enjoy big fish sport. But you don’t have to be on the ocean to see, or catch, the benefits.

Tens of thousands of mulloway have been stocked in estuaries like Botany Bay, and millions of eastern king prawns have been stocked into Wallagoot Lake and Back Lake on the south coast.

Artificial reefs have been constructed and placed in key recreational fishing havens such as Lake Macquarie. These are proving a winner for both fish and local divers.

Fees also help fund fisheries officers to patrol waterways, facilities such as fish cleaning tables and measuring stations and a range of other programs.

For more details, check out the recreational fishing pages at www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fisheries or pick up a copy of the recreational fishing guides from your local fishing tackle outlet.

absence of oxygen, generating energy and biochar.

Rather than the carbon in the biomass being released into the atmosphere as CO2 as it would be through normal decomposition or burning, the biochar retains the carbon.

Added to soils, biochar can contribute to soil health and water-holding capacity – potentially increasing the productivity of farming land.

A joint study is underway for a slow-pyrolysis plant on the north coast of NSW. If adopted, such slow-pyrolysis plants could recycle biomass waste from urban and rural areas, converting it into energy and biochar for use in farming and forestry.

Keep up to date with developments at www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/research/topics/climate-change.

Scientists from NSW DPI continue to investigate the potential of biochar to help address climate variability and improve our farming soils.

What exactly is this weird-sounding product? Biochar is a charcoal-like substance produced from recycling biomass during a renewable energy production process called slow-pyrolysis.

Biomass (such as green waste and animal manure) can be recycled by heating to 550oC in the

Fishing fees

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Did you know there is a range of public land types in New South Wales, and that in each of these a range of different activities can be undertaken?

State forests are managed by Forests NSW from within NSW DPI, and provide timber for us to build homes, infrastructure, furniture and more.

But it’s not only good wood that we get from these forests. Managed for a range of benefits including recreation, state forests are great spots for camping, four-wheel

driving, bushwalking and a back-to-basics Aussie bush experience. With more than 400 state forests, there are plenty of tracks to be explored – and your dog is welcome to join you too!

National parks, meanwhile, are areas set aside for their predominantely untouched landscape and nature conservation. Some popular sites have fees, with facilities ranging from electric barbecues, flush toilets and powered campsites through to remote clearings reached only by hiking. There are more than

780 national parks, from the coastal rainforests to outback deserts.

State parks are another example of public land, many of which are on the banks of some of our most scenic waterways. A range of accommodation is provided including caravan sites and cabins.

For more information on land managed by the NSW Government see:

www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/forests

www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au

www.stateparks.nsw.gov.au

Get to know your forests and parks

Some state forests near Tumbarumba are home to cloud seeding generators, which release very small quantities of a seeding agent into the atmosphere to improve cloud efficiency and produce additional snowfall.

The aim is to increase natural snowfalls in the winter, and once

the snow melts in spring, additional water will be available for the generation of renewable electricity, as well as providing additional water release for river systems.

Snowy Hydro Limited has extended its cloud seeding

program thanks to the NSW Government’s decision to extend cloud seeding research to 2014, and to expand the current target area to the north, doubling the size of the project area to approximately 2150 square kilometres.

The project, which began in 2004, is showing great potential to benefit not only electricity consumers, but irrigators, skiers, town water

supplies and the environment, with more snow cover in the mountains helping to address the adverse effects of climate change on the alpine region of NSW.

The cloud seeding generators are solar powered and use a sophisticated communications system across the region.

Cloud seeding technology has been successfully used in the USA for the past 50 years and in Tasmania for the past 40 years, with water utilities continuing to use cloud seeding technology to augment water supply systems.

Seeding cloudsSeeding clouds

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A new, brighter, deep-yellow pasta that meets Aussie tastes and cooking style will be the culinary end product of an improved durum wheat variety bred by NSW DPI.

The new variety has been given the name Caparoi - derived from the Italian word capitano which means ‘leader’.

NSW DPI expects the new variety of durum wheat will be especially sought after by pasta makers.

But the beneficiaries are not just pasta lovers. Farmers are also benefiting from the variety’s improved agronomic performance.

NSW DPI chemist Dr Mike Sissons has examined the variety and found its key attribute to be its excellent yellow pigment content, which translates into a bright, clean yellow semolina and pasta product.

Its cooking properties are also excellent. It produces a pasta that has a firm texture when cooked – one that suits the Australian palate.

Pasta from this new variety is not sticky when cooked and there are minimum losses of starch leaching into the cooking water. For the pasta makers, there has been no compromising the dough properties of this variety - it’s strong. The high grain protein and high semolina yield will also appeal to the pasta manufacturers and millers.

The wheat, developed by NSW DPI in partnership with the University of Adelaide and Grains Research Development Corporation, was the first to be released by the new alliance.

Mellow, yellow pasta hits plates and palates

Method

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large

1. frying pan over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Add to frying pan. Cook for 5 minutes each side or until cooked through. Transfer to a plate. Cover with foil to keep warm. Cook pasta in a large saucepan

2. of boiling, salted water until just tender. Drain. Return to saucepan.Add remaining oil to frying

3. pan. Heat over high heat. Add tomatoes. Cook, tossing often, for 3 minutes or until just tender. Thinly slice chicken. Add pesto,

4. cream and chicken to pasta. Toss over low heat until well combined. Add tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Toss gently to combine. Spoon pasta into serving bowls.

5. Sprinkle with parmesan and serve.

Delicious basil pestoIngredients45g (1/4 cup) pine nuts1 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves2 small garlic cloves, halved60g (3/4 cup) shredded parmesan5 tbsp olive oil

Method1. Preheat oven to 180oC. Spread the pine nuts over a baking tray. Bake in oven for 5 minutes or until toasted. Remove from oven and set aside for 10 minutes to cool.

2. Place the pine nuts, basil, garlic and parmesan in the bowl of a food processor and process until finely chopped. With the motor running, gradually add the oil in a thin steady stream until well combined.3. Store leftover pesto in a jar with a thick layer of olive oil on top to prevent discolouration.

Wobbegongs released from city beach

Chicken, pesto and tomato pasta

Ingredients (serves 4)

2 tbsp olive oil

3 chicken breast fillets

400g pasta

500g cherry tomatoes, halved

2/3 cup basil pesto

2/3 cup cream

Salt and pepper

60g shaved parmesan cheese

and toasted pine nuts, to serve

Seven wobbegong sharks bred in captivity were released in waters off Manly Beach in Sydney in late 2008.

Well-camouflaged bottom dwellers, wobbegongs are found in oceans off Australia, usually in depths of up to 50 metres.

Many divers see wobbegongs as ‘friendly’ sharks, as although they can grow to up to three metres in length, they do not attack unless provoked. That’s fortunate – as they have a mouthful of small sharp teeth that grip tightly, even through wetsuits.

Sold as boneless fillets or flake, wobbegong forms the basis of

many fish and chip shop menus, with this shark being part of our NSW commercial fishery.

So why put the sharks back into the ocean rather than onto the cleaning table? The seven wobbegongs were radio-tagged so that their habitats could be monitored. A number of their wild cousins were also tracked to see how they acted in comparison with their aquarium-bred counterparts.

The aim of the Australian first study is to develop a good understanding of the underwater lifestyle of these fish, enabling populations

to be effectively managed and to ensure wobbegongs remain on menus and in the ocean.

While wobbegongs can be caught by licensed commercial fishers, recreational fishers are no longer permitted to keep these sharks.

Cannibalism isn’t that uncommon in the animal kingdom, but for some species like the grey nurse shark, bringing an end to this practice in just a few animals could assist in the very survival of the species.

The critically endangered grey nurse shark has a bizarre way of reproducing. Each female has two wombs capable of producing 30 to 40 embryos at a time. So what’s the problem? The embryos eat each other in the womb until only one or two remain!

NSW DPI scientists have been working on the creation of an ‘artificial womb’, with the aim of applying the technique to grey nurse sharks in the future – keeping the hungry cannibals separate from one another.

After four years of development, late- stage wobbegong shark embryos were transferred into a specially developed womb, with fluids matched to the fish’s internal chemistry.

The embryos remained in the ‘womb’ for a few weeks, before six shark pups were ‘born’ into a tank. The progress of these sharks will be monitored for a year.

It’s a world first, although moving to grey nurses is quite some years away. Pregnant sharks would be subject to a caesarean section to remove early-stage embryos before cannibalisation began – this first trial was completed using late-stage embryos.

NSW DPI has produced a guide to assist

commercial fishers to identify sharks, but it

is also a fascinating guide for anyone with an

interest in sharks. See www.dpi.nsw.gov.au and search for ‘sharks

and rays’.

Nursing shark cannibalsNursing shark cannibals

NSW DPI scientists will continue with the innovative research program, aiming to boost the grey nurse population beyond the 500 estimated in the waters off the Australian east coast.

And while ferocious in utero, grey nurse sharks in the ocean are placid.

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‘Old’ crop gets new future Pretty key indicators to environmental healthA fast-growing plant that can be used to make paper, textiles, building materials, soap, animal feed, skincare products and biofuels. A plant that requires little or no pesticides, no herbicides, little water and controls erosion.

Sounds like a farmer’s dream? This plant is a reality and is in fact one of the oldest crops known to humans. In recent years it’s gained a reputation for the more alternative uses of one of its cousins, marijuana.

It is industrial hemp.

In 2008, the NSW Government introduced legislation to allow industrial hemp to be grown in the state. Unlike marijuana, industrial hemp has lower levels of the psycho-active ingredient tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

Growing to about five metres in height, the fibre of the hemp plant is one of the most valuable parts. It is commonly called bast, which refers to the fibres that grow on the outside of the woody interior of the plant's stalk, and under the outermost part (the bark).

Delicate and gorgeous, for many people a fluttering butterfly evokes memories of summer afternoons and time spent outdoors.

But insects such as butterflies are more than just bright and pretty – they are often key indicators of the health of local environments.

Entomologists are scientists who study the nature and habits of insects. NSW DPI entomologists are working on a range of projects.

Biosecurity is one area of focus.

The technical and scientific input of entomologists is essential in keeping potentially devastating pests and diseases from crossing our borders.

Other projects are focused on insects such as wasps and the important role they play in cropping by keeping pest insects at bay. They are tagged as ‘beneficial’ for being either predatory or parasitic on other species.

Insects can also be used to monitor the health of ecosystems. Ants and leafhoppers have been used to

monitor the environmental health of regeneration efforts after bushfires and mining.

Entomologists believe more than 220 000 insect species call Australia home, with just 86 000 currently identified. So, it seems there’s a lot of exciting work ahead for researchers examining the good, the bad and the ugly of the insect world!

Half a million bugs – now that’s a collectionDo you have ants in the kitchen? Bogong moths in the lights? The odd roach or two in the shed? These are the insects we have learnt to live with.

Now consider for a moment 560 000 insects in one room — fascinating for some, a skin crawling nightmare for others!

Orange, in the central west of NSW, is home to one of the largest and most comprehensive agricultural insect and mite collections in Australia. The important reference collection assists researchers and farmers to determine how best to live productively side by side with our six-legged friends.

Lovingly pinned, slide-mounted or preserved in alcohol and labelled with details of where and when each specimen was collected by NSW DPI’s entomology staff, these collections represent a physical record of agricultural insects in NSW since 1890.

Just like the insects at home, there are the good, the bad and the plain ugly when it comes to agricultural insects.

One of the nasties is the plague locust. Swarms of plague locusts can extend over many kilometres, consuming or damaging all vegetation in their path. Migrations of over 500km overnight are not uncommon. Each year emergency

management teams monitor and control plague locusts to protect our crops and vegetation.

Not all insects are bad; in fact some are beneficial to the environment and humans. Some are predators or parasites of pest insects, helping to keep their numbers down. And some pollinate our crops, while others help to recycle nutrients back into the soil.

And the ugly? Well that’s a matter of personal taste.

Hemp bast fibres are strong and have a range of applications, from clothes and handbags through to ropes, canvas and carpet backing. Fine paper, newsprint and cardboard are other end products, along with biodegradable alternatives for plastics.

Industrial hemp is a brand new crop for NSW. NSW DPI will work with farmers to determine whether it can become an alternative broadacre summer crop, supporting a viable local industry.

This may sound like a riddle, but it’s no laughing matter.

Our native fish need a variety of habitat types to breed and feed. But how do they get across roadways, barriers and other obstructions along the way through rivers, streams and between estuaries?

NSW DPI has been working on a ‘Breaking Down the Barriers’ project which has improved access to over 500 kilometres of upstream habitat in rivers and streams stretching from Taree down to Gosford, in our central coast.

Weirs, road crossings and floodgates were installed to allow the fish to get through. Unlike trout and salmon, native fish struggle to jump over even small barriers.

Construction of four rock-ramp fishways have mimicked natural stream conditions by providing a series of pools that allow the fish to gradually swim up and over the barrier.

Our native fish, like the recreationally important Australian bass, are now breathing a sigh of relief and are enjoying their freedom to travel upstream.

The success of this project and others such as ‘Bring Back the Fish’ are a result of a collaborative effort and funding involving the federal government’s Natural Heritage Trust and coastal Catchment Management Authorities. Environmentally minded councils, keen recreational anglers and willing landholders also helped with the fish-friendly designs.

How do fish cross the road?

Photo by Scott Nichols

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It’s official, an international panel of climate scientists has confirmed the earth’s climate is changing.

Scientific modelling of various emissions scenarios, for the next 20 years tell us that it will be hotter – between 0.6°C and 1.8°C – with inland areas expected to have higher temperatures than coastal areas.

Rainfall patterns will change. Some areas can expect up to 10% less rainfall, while others up to 5% more.

In the hot extremes, heatwaves and heavy rainfall events will become more frequent, and there will be more hot days and warm nights and a moderate decrease in frost.

So what has caused it? There is consensus that this has been caused by increasing emissions of carbon

dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, generally from human reliance on burning of fossil fuels for our energy needs and the expanding population.

These emissions have caused a thickening in the ‘blanket’ layer of gases of the earth’s atmosphere. This has caused the ocean and land temperatures to become warmer at unprecedented rates, and it’s the extent of further warming that has people concerned.

For our primary industries, this gradual warming will pose challenges as well as provide new opportunities.

As consumers, our favourite foods might become more abundant or less available, or be available at different times of the year as the

traditional planting or breeding seasons become longer or shorter depending on the weather.

Extreme weather events may impact crops and our timber and seafood industries, and result in less supply and therefore increased prices for the foods and products we currently enjoy.

Consumers are becoming increasingly informed about sustainability issues, with climate change another aspect to consider when making responsible purchasing choices.

NSW DPI is investing resources in assisting primary producers to adapt and respond to a changing climate, so that we can continue to enjoy the food, fibre and energy created by our primary industries in a sustainable way.

Climate research by NSW DPIClimate change is one of the most significant challenges currently facing society.

Forecasts of changing weather patterns present primary industries with particular challenges in how to predict, adapt to and mitigate against the impacts of a changing climate.

It is clear that all primary industries will be substantially affected. It is critical, therefore, that a concerted effort is made to mitigate emissions from all sectors, including the primary industries sector. Also, knowing that some change is inevitable, primary industries must develop capacity to adapt to a changing climate.

Reducing emissions (as part of an international approach) would prevent some of the worst-case scenarios of climate change occurring in Australia. All NSW primary industry sectors have a role to play in reducing emissions. Mitigation options include capture and storage of carbon dioxide emissions from power stations; reduction in methane emissions from ruminant livestock; management of crop, pasture and forest systems to enhance carbon stocks in vegetation and soil, and to reduce nitrous oxide emissions; and use of agricultural and forest biomass for bioenergy.

NSW DPI continues to conduct research into both mitigation and adaptation strategies to limit emissions and assist with developing

new systems that are sustainable in the face of a changing climate.

The focus is on developing predictive capacity to better understand the likely impacts on key NSW primary industries at the regional scale; enhancing ability to mitigate emissions in all primary industry sectors; and developing capacity for adaptation to climate change in all primary industry sectors.

For more detailed information see www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/research/topics/climate-change/key-issues

Adaptation key to future production

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Helping farmers adapt to climate variability Helping farmers adapt to climate variability

NSW DPI is investing resources in assisting primary producers to adapt and respond to climate change. By educating landholders and industry about the predicted changes in the climate, it’s hoped they will become better equipped to make decisions about the future of their businesses and livelihoods.

The work NSW DPI is conducting is timely and relevant to the challenges our primary producers face in response to a changing climate.

For example, in the agricultural livestock sector, research is being conducted to determine how farmers might best mitigate the contributions of their business to greenhouse gas emissions, particularly in an effort to reduce methane emissions from livestock.

Methane is produced through the digestion process in cows, resulting in a release of gas through the animal’s mouth. Methane has a longer lifetime in the atmosphere and absorbs more radiation, and so has what is called a ‘higher global warming’ potential than carbon dioxide.

Research is being conducted to find out if there are particular genes responsible for higher feed efficiency (and less gas), and in the future, cows may be selectively bred so that methane emissions may be reduced.

Feed bases for the dairy industry are also likely to be impacted by the changing climate and this could result in increasing feed costs to the farmer – potentially passed on to consumers.

New summer-adapted forage species are being suggested to overcome possible feed supply gaps.

Increasing temperatures are already reducing the period for rye grass growth, creating feed supply gaps. Higher temperatures can delay sowing and reduce early winter production, and rising temperatures in spring could mean the growing period is reduced.

Strategies for dealing with heat stress in cattle may include crossbreeding to obtain a cow more suited to a hotter environment, avoidance of stock mating in the hotter part of the year, and provision for shade and sprinklers.

A host of water use efficiency projects have been conducted in relation to irrigated agriculture sectors such as the dairy pasture, horticulture and viticulture industries. NSW DPI is working with farmers

to improve irrigation management and water use efficiency, and is researching the interaction of water and fertiliser use. Physical protection structures for high-value crops (for example shade cover for broadacre irrigated vegetables) are also being investigated.

New opportunities for farmers have opened in the area of carbon farming and land rehabilitation.

The trialling and development of new land management practices can result in more carbon sequestration in the soils to remove carbon dioxide from the

atmosphere while improving crop and pasture productivity.

You can find more information on all our current climate related research at www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/research/topics/climate-change

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Being in the midst of a sea of 100 000 family and friends is hard to imagine. Think of the Royal Easter Show or perhaps an open air music festival and you get the picture of just how many make up this number. But imagine living with 100 000 others, hanging out together all day every day…

In Inglebar State Forest, a native forest on the north coast of New South Wales, a colony of grey-headed and black-headed flying foxes screeches and flutters. Leathery wings flap in the breeze and squawks abound as the creatures jostle for a sleeping position or preen their fur.

At dusk, they spiral into the sky and circle their camp before flying off for the night’s foraging.

Forests NSW ecologists keep a close eye on this camp, just as they do with sightings of any rare and threatened animals uncovered during forestry operations.

At its peak, more than 100 000 flying foxes were tallied in a gully of moist brush box in the state forest near Macksville. As the forest was to be selectively logged for timber, areas around the colony were protected. Harvesting took place in 2007 and early 2008, outside of the critical breeding season.

After logging, 100 000 flying foxes remained in the camp, demonstrating how effective guidelines for the protection of special native animals can be.

State forests are managed for a range of values, with efforts made to maintain or even enhance habitat for key species.

Ecologists and their teams work in forests across the state conducting seasonal surveys. The efforts are made day and night, during fine weather and torrential rain, along tracks and through hard-to-penetrate scrub.

A range of techniques is used. For owls like the powerful owl, sounds of other owls or the noises made by tasty possums are used to elicit a response. Staff are trained to recognise the various calls. They can also recognise scats (poos) and other evidence of animals like scratches on tree trunks.

A range of traps is also employed, set overnight to safely catch micro bats or small marsupials. Those caught are weighed and measured before being safely set free.

Spotlighting is also used to find an array of animals, from tree-dwelling gliders to creek-side frogs.

The information collected during these surveys contributes to forest management. Before harvesting takes place, measures are implemented to protect the habitat of rare and threatened species. The critical areas are marked on harvest plan maps, ensuring contractors and supervisors know the location of the habitat and other features.

And back to Inglebar. Imagine the smell of these creatures! Way, way worse than toilets at a music festival. Some days are tougher than others for the intrepid ecologists.

Hanging with 100 000 smelly friendsHanging with 100 000 smelly friends

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“But imagine living with 100 000 others, hanging out together all day every day…”

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Photos by Howard Spencer

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There’s a lot of energetic debate going on about the role coal will play in our power supplies in the future. In NSW, it seems coal will play a major role in our domestic and industrial electricity supply for many more decades. Today, it provides 90% of our electricity, with alternative options not yet at a scale to be viable alternatives.

But with climate change a recognised reality, the NSW Government is committed to reducing the state’s greenhouse gas emissions. An interim target of Year 2000 greenhouse gas emission levels by 2025, and a long-term target of a 60% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, have been set.

As coal-fired electricity generation is one of the major sources of emissions, exploring options to reduce and capture these emissions is underway. Coal contributes about 2% of global primary energy demand, second only to oil (35%), and is used to produce 39% of the world’s electricity. Coal is also the key requirement for the production of two other building blocks of modern society – steel and cement.

While increasing the combustion efficiency of coal would help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, significant reductions in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from coal-

fired power stations can only be achieved by capturing carbon emissions before or after the coal is burnt, then safely storing it. This is known as carbon capture and storage (CCS). Assessing potential sites for the safe storage of CO2 in NSW is a priority for NSW DPI.

Carbon dioxide could be captured from large point sources, such as fossil fuel power plants, and stored, instead of being released into the atmosphere as occurs in most plants today. If applied to a modern conventional power plant, it’s estimated that carbon capture and storage could reduce CO2 emissions into the atmosphere by more than 85%.

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The most promising method of storing CO2 captured from coal-fired power stations is geosequestration. In this process captured CO2 is compressed into a supercritical state (so it performs like a liquid) and is then pumped into geological formations such as deep saline formations, depleted oil and gas fields, unmineable coal seams, and deep ocean masses.

In Victoria, a geosequestration plant is already underway, designed to demonstrate the safety and security of the transport, injection and storage of CO2.

The NSW Government has set up a Clean Energy Fund to support renewable energy and clean coal research. A Clean Coal Council, reporting to Parliament has also been established to help drive reform measures even further.

Meanwhile, $22 million has been invested by the government in these initiatives, including a $5 million pilot carbon capture plant on the NSW Central Coast, through a joint initiative by Delta Electricity and CSIRO.

The research-scale Post Combustion Capture (PCC) pilot facility is capturing greenhouse gas emissions from the Munmorah Power Station, using ammonia absorption technology.

It’s the first time such technology, which can be used on new or existing power stations, has been used in Australia, with a range of experimental trials to determine the potential to adapt the technology to NSW coal and power station conditions, capturing up to 5000 tonnes of CO2 a year.

This project, in conjunction with the search for carbon geosequestration sites by NSW DPI,

should provide the base for a $150 million demonstration-scale carbon capture and storage project in NSW by 2013. Studies of the Sydney Basin and Darling Basin Reservoir carried out by NSW DPI reveal that, like Victoria, NSW does have potential for CO2 storage.

For more information see: www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/minerals/resources/coal/low-emissions-coal-technologies

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From floorboards to pergolas, gardening edging to furniture – timber is a big part of our everyday living. But have you ever considered the origin of the timber you are using?

Australian-grown timber is the best choice when buying timber and timber products.

Timber is natural and is one of the oldest known building materials sourced from our environment. Timber boasts natural characteristics, is durable,

can be recycled and best of all has stunning attractive features.

Timber is renewable. Forests NSW manages over 2 million hectares of native forests and plantations, with around 2% harvested for timber each year. Part of the role of Forests NSW management is to ensure that our timber resources meet our needs now and for future generations. Around 7 million seedlings are planted each year to renew our plantations, while native forests regrow after harvesting disturbance.

Timber is environmentally friendly and sustainable. NSW state forests are sustainably managed, and this management complies with strict environmental regulations ensuring issues such as biodiversity, water quality, cultural heritage and scenic landscapes are protected during forestry operations.

Timber production in Australia is subject to world-class regulation that consumers can trust. The Australian Forest Certification scheme enables all users and consumers of timber products to choose stock from sources that have been certified as being derived from sustainably managed forests. The scheme works on an Australian Forestry Standard and a Chain of Custody system which verifies the process as it progresses

from log to finished item.

Timber stores carbon. We know that trees absorb carbon dioxide from our atmosphere, but research has revealed that the carbon actually remains locked up in the trees and is stored in timber products. In Australia, wood products store an estimated 230 million tonnes of carbon. Harvesting and replanting trees within our managed plantations means that our state forests continue to absorb carbon and help in combating climate change.

Timber offers local job opportunities and helps grow the economy. There are around 15 000 jobs generated by forest industries in NSW, mainly in regional areas.

Think before you buy. There is no guarantee that imported timber has been harvested legally, and its production may have resulted in destroying forest ecosystems, threatening endangered species and impacting negatively on the environment.

It may have also been produced at the expense of local communities. Buy Australian or check certification before choosing your decking or construction timbers.

For more information on forest management and timber production in NSW see:

www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/forests

Buy and build

Aussie style

Grab some radiata pine and build

a billycart; lay some stunning

blackbutt flooring; construct

a cubby with cypress pine

walls; entertain on a brush box

verandah; or take up woodwork

and craft furniture from our

unique river red gum

Local timber – the better choice

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Local fishers team with top chefs

With so many Aussies living close to the coast, it’s no wonder that seafood is a favourite fare at barbecues, dinner parties and our best restaurants.

We are certainly fortunate to have access to fresh, tasty and sustainable seafood brought to us by local fishers.

NSW DPI has recently supported the first-ever campaign staged to raise awareness and appreciation of these local fishers and the role they play in bringing in their prized catch.

Targeting seafood consumers, the initiative was designed to draw attention to the part these fishers

play in regional communities and the many other benefits that come from the commercial fishing business.

Eden-based fisher John Jarvis was one of the faces of the campaign, emphasising the changes that have been made in the industry since he started in the business 27 years ago.

‘Nowadays it’s all about fishing smarter – catching species with healthy populations,’ John said. ‘And people are also buying their seafood smarter, too. They’re more knowledgeable about what they’re buying and what they’re eating.

‘Plus, they want to know where it came from and that it was caught in a sustainable way. You couldn’t get better water quality and sustainability practices than here in Australia.’

The seafood industry employs 4000 people in NSW, many in small family businesses that rely on high levels of skills and local knowledge learnt over many generations. Such businesses are a vital part of coastal towns like Eden and Coffs Harbour.

Commercial fisher Paul Bagnato says fishing is a way of life.

‘If you’re born a Bagnato, you’re born a fisherman,’ Paul says simply. Before his father and his six brothers moved to Australia in the late 1950s, his family were fishing in Calabria, Italy.

‘It’s not just a job, it’s what we live for,’ Paul said. ‘We’re all 110% comitted to making sure people keep getting fresh, top quality local seafood on their plates today, tomorrow and in the future.’

The campaign used local fishers and renowned chefs to serve tasty recipe ideas using fish that might not have been high on the shopping list in the past. By selecting seasonal seafood, consumers can contribute to the viability of local businesses, rather than choosing imported products.

The campaign was initiated by the Sydney Fish Markets with a grant from the federal Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. NSW DPI was a proud supporter, along with industry body Seafood Experience Australia.

See www.aussieseafood.com.au for more recipes and details.

Paul Bagnato

Flathead and cuttlefish with garlic, tomato and chunky breadBy Peter Evans from Hugos

Ingredients (Serves 4)

¼ cup olive oil

8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 tbsp chopped long red chilli

4 anchovy fillets

¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

400g Flathead fillets, skin off, chopped into large pieces

2 cups canned tomatoes, cruched in the hand

¼ to ½ cup of sparkling or plain water

Salt flakes and freshly ground pepper, to taste

250g Cuttlefish, cleaned, scored and cut into 2.5cm strips

2 thick slices ciabiatta bread, toasted and torn into pieces

MethodAdd the oil, garlic, chilli and anchovies to a cold frying 1. pan.

Place over heat and cook until the garlic starts to turn 2. golden.

Add parsley and flathead and cook fish for 30 seconds 3. on each side.

Add the tomato, water, salt and pepper and cook 4. until the flathead is just cooked through, then add the cuttlefish.

Add the bread and allow it to soak up the oil.5.

Serve on a platter.6.

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City kids who dream of horses and freshly tilled paddocks can turn this dream into a reality with a year or more of study in the Hunter Valley.

Through its agricultural colleges, NSW DPI offers a range of programs and courses designed for students in Years 10, 11 and 12 who want to have a future in primary production.

Tocal College, CB Alexander Campus, is just two hours from Sydney, yet a lifetime away from the hustle and bustle of the big city.

Full-time, part-time and distance education courses are offered at the college, located near Maitland.

A one year, full time Certificate III in Agriculture equips students for a life on the land – working in industries including beef cattle, sheep, dairying and horses. Students live on campus and experience farm life at the College.

That’s one of the unique aspects of Tocal – it is a commercial farm run by students. There are more than 100 stock horses, 1500 cattle, 200 dairy cows, 300 sheep for wool and meat production, and four poultry sheds turning out up to half a million meat chickens each year.

Students live on the Tocal property, with fees covering tuition and board and lodging.

College turns out new

Hands-on experience with farm machinery and cropping and tilling complement the work with livestock.

Managing the landscape is a large part of the courses, with property planning and total catchment management studied.

Business management skills, being vital for farmers, are covered at Tocal.

Student Hugh is enjoying his studies at Tocal, coming straight into the college after completed the Higher School Certificate.

“As agriculture provides people with food, by going on to manage and produce crops, meat, milk, I’ll

generation of farmers

be directly supporting people with food”, Hugh said.

“In regards to the environment, modern education has made me aware of the detrimental impacts of some of the practices we have been using in agriculture, but I’m also aware of the ways to fix, support and sustain the environment through correct and sustainable practices.”

Look out for Hugh and a new generation of ‘Tocal’ farmers over the next few years.

For more information on joining students like Hugh, see www.tocal.nsw.edu.au

PROfarm short coursesHow do farmers, rural businesses, local government and the community keep up to date with the latest in training and education? They enrol in a PROfarm short course.

PROfarm short courses are specially designed by NSW DPI to provide vital training and practical skills to meet the ever-changing demands of today’s farming and agribusiness sector.

There are over 100 different courses to choose from, delivered around NSW by our highly skilled staff.

On-demand courses are available and can be tailored to the specific needs of individual groups.

Many courses are subsidised to reflect the public benefits provided by the adoption of more sustainable farming practices.

Popular courses include farming in a changing climate, organic farming, practical beekeeping skills, weeds and their control, better bull buying, horse handling, and off-road four wheel drive training, just to name a few.

There’s sure to be a course to suit any landholder or farm worker. Many courses are also beneficial to city dwellers, who love the land and all it has to offer, in areas such as identifying native plants and weeds, and traditional timber construction.

If you are interested visit www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/profarm for the full list of courses, and enrol today.

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Start your own ‘no dig’ organic vegetable garden

Add a thick layer (20 cm) of loose 6. straw or sugar cane mulch to the garden and another layer of fertiliser, and then top it off with 10 cm of compost.

Water the garden until it's wet 7. but not soaking.

Plant your seedlings!8.

You will need to add more mulch and organic matter to your patch as it breaks down. Keep topping it up and you will have fresh vegetables in as little as eight weeks.

‘No dig’, doesn’t mean ‘no weeds’! You will have to keep an eye on your patch and remove weeds. Mulch will help keep them at bay.

Suggested ‘easy grow’ vegetables:

Silver beet, squash, peas, potatoes, tomatoes.

Choose a flat spot in your yard 1. that gets at least five hours of sun each day. You can make this garden straight on top of your lawn without digging up the grass. If space is limited, try using a barrel or other large container.

Create a border at least 20-25 2. cm high around your ‘patch’ using bricks, logs or planks of Australian timber.

Start with a 5 mm layer of 3. cardboard or newspapers. Overlap each page of paper so that weeds can’t penetrate.

Place a layer of lucerne hay pads 4. on top, leaving no gaps, to a height of 10 cm.

Follow with some good organic 5. fertiliser (e.g. manure from chickens, horses or cows) to a height of roughly 2 cm (make sure you wear gloves).

Organics in the cityOrganics in the city

If you don’t have lawn, why not try

to grow vegetables in pots, old tin

cans or any other container you can

think of? Just choose a sunny spot

and remember to water regularly.

Herbs are a great way to start off.

Organic farming systems are best described as farming systems that do not use artificial chemicals.

Some, consumers are increasingly looking for nutritious organically grown food free of chemical residues, in addition to the environmental benefits. The local and export markets for organic foods are expanding by about 16% each year.

Organic farmers aim to achieve a totally integrated production system where increased biodiversity and a balanced soil ecosystem encourage plant and animal health.

Organic farming practices increase humus levels in the soil, leading to improved water-holding capacity. The practices reduce pH fluctuations and increase long-term soil fertility. Synthetic compounded fertilisers, pesticides, growth regulators and livestock feed additives are excluded from these farms, resulting in benefits to the environment and to human health.

Localised resources such as plant and animal waste are used, with the aim to maintain the genetic diversity of the agricultural system and its surroundings, including the

protection of plant and wildlife habitats.

NSW DPI is working with farmers to develop effective organic farming practices, increasing the sustainability of these local businesses and reducing costs to consumers.

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www.landlearnnsw.org.au

Your web window to the world of primary industries, focused programs and resources for schools. Find out about excursions, classroom resources, courses, careers and events. Play games, download photos and watch videos.

Free photos

Over 200 images are now available on Flickr for free. The new photo library for schools contains a wide range of images ideal for downloading and pasting into assignments and presentations. Go to www.landlearnnsw.org.au/image-library

Welcome to LandLearn NSW, the statewide

schools education program about primary

industries. LandLearn NSW aims to build

the capacity of teachers and students to

participate in informed discussion and

decision making about the production,

consumption and management of primary

products and natural resources in NSW.

Video case studies

A range of educational videos produced by NSW DPI are available on the LandLearn NSW website, including agricultural case studies which link a typical family meal with the farmer who produced the food. Go to www.landlearnnsw.org.au/production-chains/video-case-studies

Become a fan

For those who are part of the social networking site Facebook, you can now become a fan of LandLearn NSW. Becoming a fan will enable you to keep up to date with the latest news and programs for schools.

Excursions

Forest excursions (Sydney & •Gosford)

Farm visits (Tocal near Paterson, •Yanco, Camden)

Royal Easter Show (Sydney)•

Field day (Tocal)•

Fishing workshops (statewide)•

Weed Warriors (statewide)•

www.landlearnnsw.org.au/educators/face-to-face

Comparing apples and EarthComparing apples and Earth

Suggestions: Provide the students with a copy 1. of the activity to take home to do with their families. Discussion points will be 2. directed by the purpose for using the activity and the year level of students. Experience and feedback from teachers suggest it is more effective to save the discussion to the end of the activity.

Discussion: What is the key message •underlying the activity?What actions can students take •to care for their patch of this precious Earth: ...as individuals, as a class and school, with their families, in their community?Compare apples and Earth •to introduce the concepts of sustainability, without using the word (which is so difficult to define). Produce concept maps based on discussion.Introduce topics or themes •around natural resource management, agriculture, farming and food production in NSW or a specific region, feeding the world, landcare and environmental management.

Use as a prompt or example for •students to produce a game, puzzle, poster or other means to deliver a similar message.

Just how much of the Earth’s surface is needed for growing food and fibre for a world of people? A teacher guided activity.

Materialsapples (or substitute, e.g. •potatoes)chopping boards or plates•knives•

What to doStep by step, teachers should read the instructions to the students for them to follow. It is more effective if they do not have the instructions in front of them. The activity can be done in pairs, or it can be demonstrated by the teacher and one or two students, depending on circumstances and age.

Slice an apple into quarters. 1. Set aside three of the quarters, as they represent water on the Earth’s surface. Cut the remaining quarter in 2. half. Set aside one of the halves as uninhabited deserts, swamps and the Arctic and Antarctic areas.Divide the remaining piece 3. into quarters. Set aside three of the pieces for land that is too rocky, wet, hot or poor for crop production.The remaining piece is 1/32nd 4. of the original apple. Peel this section. The peel represents the thin layer of soil that is available for producing all of the world’s food and fibre crops.

Risk alert: Use of knives, especially with

younger students. A demonstrator

could cut one apple and students eat an

approximate amount.

Originally created by California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom.

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Use of our natural resources to produce food and fibre is essential. Careful management of the environment through improved knowledge and technologies is necessary to ensure we will always have those natural resources to use without causing environmental damage, such as loss of biodiversity and declining health of rivers.

,

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NSW DPI’s website contains a huge amount of fascinating information.

Go to www.dpi.nsw.gov.au

Going fishing? Check out our pages on recreational fishing while you pay your recreational fishing fee. Knots and rigs; bag and size limits; safety tips and tips for releasing your catch. Search for ‘recreational fishing’.

Trying to get a handle on coal and the part it plays in the NSW energy mix? Interested to know what other minerals we mine? How royalties are collected and what they are worth? Search for ‘resources and investment’.

Did you know that water is our most critical and vulnerable resource? Farmers manage 76% of the land in NSW and a similar proportion of the state’s developed water resources. If you want to read about what producers and NSW DPI are doing to make changes, search for ‘water’.

Heading to the bush? Look at our pages on exploring some of the hundreds of state forests across NSW. From collecting mushrooms in pine forests, four-wheel driving up a steep mountain track or camping in a spot completely alone. Search for ‘forest recreation’.

Puzzled about bioenergy, carbon trading, methane and carbon dioxide, carbon sinks, soil carbon, biofuels and the plethora of other initiatives talked about in the media concerning climate change? Search for ‘climate change mitigation’.

Details about farm tours, forest excursions, science events, classroom resources, games, careers and courses for teachers can be found on our site. Search for ‘LandLearn’.

Did you know Belgenny Farm at Camden Park (just on the outskirts of Sydney) is the birthplace of Australian agriculture and the original home of John and Elizabeth Macarthur? The site is run by NSW DPI for a range of purposes including special events, functions and education. Search for ‘Belgenny Farm’.

Sydney Royal Easter Show 9-22 April www.eastershow.com.au

Murrumbidgee Farm Fair 21-22 April www.murrumbidgeefarmfair.com.au

Tocal Field Days (Paterson) 1-3 May www.tocalfielddays.com

Primex (Casino) Field Days11-13 June www.primex.net.au

Sydney Timber and Working with Wood Show 19-21 June www.workingwithwood.com.au

Mudgee Small Farm Field Days 24-25 July www.arec.com.au

Sydney International Boat Show 30 July–3 August www.sydneyboatshow.com.au

Ag-quip Field Days (Gunnedah) 18-20 August www.farmonline.com.au

Henty Machinery Field Days (near Wagga Wagga) 22-24 September www.hmfd.com

Australian National Field Days (Orange) 20-22 October www.anfd.com.au

Farming Small Areas Expo (Sydney) 13-14 November www.farmonline.com.au

Special Days•WorldForestryDay21March•NAIDOCWeek5-12July•NationalTreeDay2August•NationalThreatenedSpeciesDay7September•NationalLandcareWeek7-13September•NationalWaterWeek18-24October

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www.dpi.nsw.gov.au

Field Days are like large trade shows relating to the agricultural industry. Get up close to farm machinery, see demonstrations, seek information, trial new products or get a taste for the rural lifestyle.

NSW DPI participates and supports many events throughout the year.

Here are a few where you can visit us to gather industry information and learn how primary industries are important in our daily lives.

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Contact us:Fisheries: 1300 550 474Agriculture: 1800 808 095Mineral Resources: 1300 736 122Forestry: 1300 655 687NSW DPI Head Office: 02 6391 3100

w w w . d p i . n s w . g o v . a u

Profitable produ

ction

Adaptive managem

ent

Sustainable in

dustries

Vibrant communities

Profitable pro

duction

Adaptive management

Sustainable indu

stries

Vibrant communities

NSW Department of Primary Industries – partnering with industries to ensure food, fish and timber production and mineral resources development.