Category: Industry Information

Miscellaneous information

Lower Burdekin Water annual shutdown information

Kalagro

Dear Lower Burdekin Water open water customers,

Please find following the dates for the annual open water shutdown as well as dates for special projects effecting SOME Warrens Gully Pumpstation customers and ALL Plantation Creek Pumpstation diversion customers. More information on the scheduled shutdowns is available on Lower Burdekin Water’s website http://lowerburdekinwater.com.au/notice-board/

ALL OPEN WATER USERS:  Lower Burdekin Water will be completing capital works and maintenance during the annual open water shutdown from Saturday 2nd June 2018 to Saturday 23rd June.  This shutdown coincides with SunWater’s Burdekin Haughton Water Supply Scheme annual maintenance shutdown.  Please see LBW’s website for more information – http://lowerburdekinwater.com.au/notice-board/

OPEN WATER CUSTOMERS – WARRENS GULLY PUMPSTATION – CUSTOMERS DOWNSTREAM OF INKERMAN STATION ROAD: There may be possible interruptions to water supply from Monday 14 May 2018 to 29 July 2018. Please see LBW’s website for more information – http://lowerburdekinwater.com.au/notice-board/

OPEN WATER CUSTOMERS – PLANTATION CREEK PUMPSTATION AND RELIFTS: Water will not be available from Saturday 2 June 2018 to Saturday 7 July 2018. Please see LBW’s website for more information – http://lowerburdekinwater.com.au/notice-board/

Growers should organise their irrigation schedules accordingly.

Ergon Energy Queensland large customer metering investigation

Kalagro

Ergon Energy Queensland large customer metering investigation

  • Investigation

The Queensland Competition Authority (QCA) has launched an investigation into Ergon Energy Queensland (Ergon Retail) for breaching the National Energy Retail Law Queensland Act 2014 by overcharging large regional business customers.

Ergon Retail is legally required to charge its large customers the regional retail notified electricity prices, set by the QCA each year.

However, Ergon Retail has been charging large regional businesses for metering costs, in addition to notified prices, since 1 January 2017.

The QCA has written to Ergon Retail to cease charging these amounts immediately and the QCA has commenced a full investigation.

Based on current evidence it appears that no residential or small business customers are affected–only large business customers consuming more than 750MWh per year are affected.

Any large business customers in regional Queensland with concerns about their bills can contact the QCA here.

Project Catalyst

Kalagro

Project Catalyst supports a network of Mackay, Whitsunday, Burdekin and Wet Tropics farmers who are leading the way in the use of cutting-edge management practices for a more sustainable and productive farming future.

Connecting with growers is the key to sharing the benefits of innovation in farm management practices. Project Catalyst strives to provide a range of opportunities from shed talks to the annual Growers Forum to learn, share and engage with like minds.

Short video of growers forum held in Townsville in February this year can be viewed by the following link.

Energy Savers Plus Program Extension for Agricultural Business

Kalagro

Business Energy Savers Program

Significant cost savings can be realised through businesses pursuing energy efficiency options. Simple changes/upgrades can deliver cost reductions of 30% with paybacks as short as 1 year.

The $20 million Business Energy Savers Program, an initiative under the Affordable Energy Plan, provides free energy audits for agricultural customers and large business customers, and co-contributions to fund energy efficiency upgrades.

The program provides audits for businesses covering a broad range of industry sectors that are vital to our economy, and advice to businesses on how they can reduce their electricity costs by using electricity more efficiently.

It includes the Energy Savers Plus Program Extension (for agricultural businesses) and the Large Customer Adjustment Program (for large electricity users).

Under the Energy Savers Plus Program Extension, 200 additional audits for agricultural customers will be completed. In addition to this, co-contribution grants of up to $20,000 will be made available to assist businesses in implementing the recommendations from the audit.

Expanding on the Large Customer Adjustment Trial, the Large Customer Adjustment Program will deliver an additional 30 audits of large customers and co-contributions of up to $250,000 to help encourage the business to implement the audit recommendations.

The Business Energy Savers Program also provides broader benefits through the development of case studies to assist other businesses wanting to reduce their energy costs by using electricity more efficiently.

MEMBER NOTICE – DAF Innovative New Tools to the Cane Industy

Kalagro

DAF innovative new tools available to the Cane Industry.

New spiked wheel applicator, or ‘StoolZippa’ that closes the gap made by a double disc opener –  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kuhqy9uhEa0&feature=youtu.be  This is an innovative closing wheel prototype that has been developed by DAF to reduce the amount of chemicals leaving cane paddocks. The video shows how precision agriculture can reduce run off of pesticides from the cane field by changing the way the pesticide is applied.

Dual herbicide Sprayer, saving time and money for growers and reducing pesticide loss – https://youtu.be/p3X34CoAckA The Dual Herbicide Sprayer is a spray rig that has been developed by DAF to assist growers in targeted application of pesticides. The Dual herbicide sprayer can apply two different pesticides at the same time, reducing time, effort and costs. As well as improving pesticide application, the Dual herbicide sprayer has been shown to reduce pesticide run off and thereby improve the quality of water leaving the catchment.

Water quality monitoring at Barratta Creek and implications for pesticide use – https://youtu.be/YTO2SfupLsA The Barratta Creek catchment has been the focus of a number of innovative projects aiming to improve the quality of water entering the Great Barrier Reef. DAF together with other partners and sugar cane farmers has looked at the results of water quality testing in this area to guide the development of projects. The video describes some of these projects, including recommendations around the use of Metolachlor and Pendimethalin and the construction of a wetland treatment system.

Les Elphinstone

Manager / Company Secretary

Kalamia Cane Growers Organisation Ltd

Kalagro Ltd

140 Young Street Ayr Qld 4807

PO Box 597 Ayr Qld 4807

Tel:  07 4783 1312 

Mob: 0447 128 312

Email: [email protected]

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ATTENTION – SMARTCANE BMP ACCREDITED GROWERS

Kalagro

HAVE YOU APPLIED FOR YOUR INCENTIVE PAYMENT????

A reminder to all growers, mill owner will provide a one-off incentive payment of 15c per tonne capped at 25000 tonnes. Up until 1/6/18 payment will be based on 2017 tonnage, after 1/6/18 payment will be based on final 2018 tonnage. Incentive is only available during 2017/2018 seasons. The following form & evidence of accreditation needs to be submitted to Wilmar, contact Dave Langham.