01/11/2005
- Greening Australia has received an extra $1 million to
continue the successful Exchange: a National Vegetation
Knowledge Service project.
The two-year Natural Heritage Trust funding was announced
today by Australian Government Ministers for the Environment,
Senator Ian Campbell, and Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry,
Peter McGauran.
Exchange is a vegetation knowledge service that aims to
bridge the gap between scientific research and the needs
of natural resource management practitioners.
Senator Campbell said the latest information on our native
vegetation was now more user-friendly with the advent of
the project.
"Exchange is part of the Australian Government’s response
to requests from regional groups for better access to scientific
data on our natural resources," he said.
"Greening Australia’s groundbreaking service has already
produced a number of practical tools and guides, which take
the most up-to-date research and innovation in vegetation
management to rural land managers and property owners."
These tools include a valuable ready-reference guide to
current publications and development agencies, and the new
guides to research and resources: Native Vegetation and
Regional Management and Native Vegetation and Property Management.
These publications are now available online.
Speaking at the Canberra launch of the Exchange service
today, Mr McGauran said it was important to look after our
native vegetation systems as they provided many benefits
to the landscape.
"We know that healthy vegetation is critical to addressing
issues like salinity, water quality and biodiversity. It
also helps us maintain sustainable agricultural, forestry
and pastoral production systems," he said.
"We want to give farmers the best possible information
and sources of expertise so they can continue to carefully
manage native vegetation for their own benefit and on behalf
of the broader community.
"The Exchange service is already providing the most
comprehensive information available in Australia and we
look forward to seeing how it will grow and develop with
this new funding boost." Exchange:
The National Vegetation Knowledge Service
Exchange is a vegetation knowledge service that aims to
bridge the gap between scientific research and the knowledge
and information needs of natural resource management practitioners.
It makes use of Greening Australia’s extensive networks
and expertise.
As Australia’s premier advisers to the community on vegetation
management, Greening Australia and its network of over
350 staff in 80 locations across the country is well placed
to connect practitioners to the full scope of vegetation
knowledge through Exchange.
By linking practitioners to current research and relevant
researchers, Exchange provides the connection needed to
deliver answers to support regional and property vegetation
managers. In so doing it:
• increases the capacity of natural resource managers
to access, apply and generate the information and knowledge
needed to support positive outcomes for vegetation;
• facilitates and supports effective collaboration and
cooperation between regional NRM practitioners, research
and development organisations and government; and
• communicates and promotes innovative and successful
vegetation management practice, on ground outcomes and
research findings.
Exchange does this by:
• responding to enquiries and providing references and
contacts;
• synthesising existing information, such as:
o Bush Tracks: Shortcuts to vegetation information for
natural resource management — a publication and on-line
database of organisations and resources, for natural resource
managers who need to find information quickly
o eBulletin — an electronic collated news and information
service
o Native Vegetation and Regional Management and Native
Vegetation and Property Management are comprehensive directories
of research and resources for vegetation management, at
the property and regional scales. These guides summarise
and direct natural resource managers to the best research
and resources on vegetation management currently available
• the Exchange Incentive Fund — funding regional activities
which allow practitioners to identify and address their
knowledge needs; and
• the web site — Exchange at www.greeningaustralia.org.au
— providing quick access to all of the products and services.
|
