30 May
2006 - The Hon Greg Hunt MP, Parliamentary Secretary
with ministerial responsibility for the Australian
Bureau of Meteorology and Senator the Hon Bill
Heffernan, Senator for New South Wales today announced
that the Bureau, in collaboration with the NSW
Department of Primary Industries and Northern
Rivers Catchment Management Authority, will hold
Climate Seminars at Wollongbar on 13 June 2006.
"The aim of the seminars
is to raise the level of public understanding
on climate issues including climate variability
in NSW , the latest on climate change, current
climate conditions and outlooks for the Northern
coastal region of the state," Mr Hunt said.
"The workshops will also
better inform people in the local agricultural
industry how to access weather and climate information
related to farming and fruit production."
"I congratulate the Hon.
Bill Heffernan for both his commitment to the
workshop and to the provision of weather services
to Wollongbar and the surrounding region."
Senator Heffernan said: "Australia
has one of the most variable climates among major
agricultural exporting countries. An understanding
of this variability and the implications of climate
change is a necessity for farmers."
"Similar seminars have
been held in Parkes, Cobar, Wagga Wagga and Cootamundra
and the Bureau of Meteorology plans to visit major
centres throughout rural NSW over a three year
period."
Mr Hunt said that sugar ane
farmer Robert Quirk, winner of the 2005 McKell
Medal for excellence in natural resource management,
will be speaking at the seminar on the topic of
'Innovative farming practices to mitigate the
impact of Climate Change.'
The Australian Bureau of Meteorology,
with support from the Northern Rivers Catchment
Management Authority and the NSW Department of
Primary Industries, will conduct the seminars
in Wollongbar at the Hudson Room, Wollongbar Agricultural
Institute on 13 June at 9.30am-12.30pm and repeated
at 6pm-9pm. Bookings are not required but further
information can be obtained via telephone to 02
9296 1555 or by email to enrol-nsw@bom.gov.au.
