Enhanced extension coordination is a new program being developed as part of the Queensland Government’s Reef Water Quality Program, managed by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF). A key element of this new program is the development of a training program that will further improve the skills and capability of those providing extension services to farmers. This training will be open to anyone working in this field, including industry development officers, researchers, agricultural advisors, agronomists and consultants.
Reef Alliance
Enhanced Extension Coordination
What is extension?
Extension is the process of enabling change in individuals, communities and industries. You might not even call yourself an extension officer, but instead an industry development officer, researcher, advisor, agronomist, consultant or perhaps something else.
What is the Enhanced Extension Coordination project?
A change to land management practices is essential to meet water quality targets for the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) catchment areas. This project will improve coordination, collaboration and communication across different producer and extension networks to increase adoption of agricultural land management practices leading to improved water quality.
Regional Coordinators have been appointed to collaborate with extension networks throughout the six GBR Natural Resource Management (NRM) regions to identify ways to better apply and tailor extension services to meet required needs and recommend other services that can support whole-of-farm outcomes.
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Regional Extension Coordination team
This project will interact with a wide range of Australian and Queensland government funded projects, particularly those delivering on-ground services to producers to ensure minimal duplication and maximum impact.
Contact your local Regional Extension Coordination team member here.
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Regional Extension Networks
Improved coordination, collaboration and communication will value add to existing and future extension work, removing duplication or clashes. The regional extension planning process and associated funding will help deliver relevant and prioritised projects. There will also be capacity building activities for networks to increase their knowledge and understanding around generic extension skills and also industry specific technical skills.
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Regional Extension Plans
Regional Extension Plans have been developed to improve coordination and collaboration to enable more efficiently targeted delivery of agronomic extension advice to producers. A collaborative approach will enhance local capacity and ensure producers can easily access information, technology and technical support leading to improved water quality and profitability of the sugarcane, grazing and horticultural sectors.
Regional Extension Coordinators have developed the Regional Extension Plans in collaboration with Regional Extension Coordination Groups made up of local extension service providers in their respective natural resource management regions.
Cape York
Regional Extension Plan
Executive SummaryWet Tropics
Regional Extension Plan
Executive SummaryBurdekin Grazing
Regional Extension Plan
Executive SummaryBurdekin Sugar
Regional Extension Plan
Executive SummaryMackay Whitsundays
Regional Extension Plan
Executive SummaryFitzroy Basin
Regional Extension Plan
Executive SummaryBurnett Mary
Regional Extension Plan
Executive SummaryPosters
Enhanced Extension Coordination in GBR Program Achievements
Enhanced Extension Coordination in GBR Program Training and Capacity Building -
Funding
The Queensland Government’s Reef Water Quality Program has supported the Enhanced extension project through $3 million funding for coordination (over three years).
In addition, an extra $2.5 million has been allocated for Flexible and Peer to Peer projects in the Reef catchment (over two years). Please contact your local Regional Extension Co-ordinator for more information.
What skills are needed?
A Reef Extension Training Needs Analysis (TNA) was undertaken in October 2018 to guide both the range and the form of the training and development activities to build the capacity of extension service providers in the Great Barrier Reef catchments, as part of the Enhanced Extension Coordination program. Over 150 people responded and the results are summarised in this executive summary. To receive the full report, contact John James (contact details below).
Stay in touch
To hear when new training courses are available, please subscribe to our Enhanced Extension eBulletin.
Training subsidies
To help you grow your extension and technical skills, the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) is offering subsidies for those working in the Reef catchments to cover the registration cost of approved courses. You (or your employer) will still need to cover your salary, travel and accommodation.
Just follow these three-steps…
- Register your interest in receiving a subsidy for attending a suitable Reef-related training activity, using the Reef Extension T&D database.
- Follow the instructions in the email you then receive, registering and paying for the course upfront.
- Once you’ve successfully completed the training, apply for the refund using the Reef Extension T&D database.
If you have any questions, please contact:
Dr John James
Manager (Reef Extension Training Development)
Department of Agriculture and Fisheries
Telephone 07 4529 4125 or 0417 617 572
Email john.james@daf.qld.gov.au