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TURF  GRASS  ASSOCIATION  OF  AUSTRALIA  (WA)  NEWSLETTER  TGT   S p r i n g   2 0 1 1  

Turf  Grass  TimesTurf  Grass  Times    

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“ To promote education and research for those engaged in the turf grass industry...”

Turf Grass Times

WA Turf Industries Awards 2012Event summary and Award Winners

How Soil Characteristics a�ect Irrigation E�ciencyJohn Forrest explainsGreen Spaces are Good PlacesNo surprises as the experts agreeTurf Spreadable Organic CarbonC.Life announces its product Perfect Rottnest Island Golf Course Makeover

Peter Flemming summarises planned changesPlanning for Perth’s New StadiumTransport plan released

Sports Turf Association (WA) Newsletter

TGT Summer 2013

Turf Grass Times

MEDIA PACK 2017Sports Turf Association (WA) Newsletter

The “Turf Grass Times” is now produced three times per year with a shelf life of 4 months per edition on the lunch tables and manager’s desks throughout the Turf Industry of Western Australia.

The “Turf Grass Times” is an exclusive magazine operating as a newsletter for all Sports Turf Association (WA) Incorporated and Turf Grower Association of WA members and sponsors.

The “Turf Grass Times” is produced wholly inhouse by volunteer contributors of the Sports Turf Association (WA) Inc. The STA(WA) is a not-for-profit organisation representing any person with an interest in turf grass and the Sports Turf Industry in Western Australia. The STA (WA) is closely affiliated with the STA state associations of Qld, NSW, ACT, SA, Tasmania and Victoria.

The “Turf Grass Times” is also distributed widely amongst numerous key government stakeholders and influential Green NGOs through the professionally coordinated efforts of Eva Ricci, Executive Officer, WA Turf Industry.

“A Western Australian publication dedicated to those

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future, TGAA(WA) has identified the need to raise the profile of the turf indus-try within the community and to promote it within schools and at careers expos as a viable career option.

In conjunction with Chal-lenger TAFE the TGAA(WA) is participating in building a database of em-ployers willing to participate in a work experience pro-gramme for those we are trying to attract.

Current students at Chal-lenger TAFE also need work experience.

Certificate students require a two week block or one day a week and diploma students need research projects in the industry.

(Continued on page 2)

The nation wide skill short-age is hitting the turf indus-try.

The issue is being addressed by TGAA(WA) in conjunc-tion with Challenger TAFE and other industry organisa-tions.

The state government has proposed changes to turf education and training in an effort to reduce the problem.

The first proposal is shorten-ing the apprenticeship term from four years to three years.

Other changes include the elimination of the full time and part time Certificate III in Turf. This means that Cer-tificate III will only be avail-able as an apprenticeship.

Existing Worker Trainee-ships, such as the Irrigation Traineeship, also face the axe.

The result will be limited options for upskilling of those currently in the indus-try as well as newcomers to the industry.

The TGAA(WA) has found our members feel strongly that the minimum term of the apprenticeship should be three years with no reduction to the three year (six semes-ter) training component.

The TGAA(WA) has offered to participate in the Horticul-tural Training Council to voice our concerns about the proposed changes.

In an effort to build a larger skill base now and for the

Feature TGAA(WA) to tackle the skills shortage

I n s i d e t h i s i s s u e :

• President’s Report • Profile—Peter Old-

ham

2

2

• Denver Water Sym-posium

• Movements in the Industry

• UWA Research

3 3 3

• President’s Breakfast • Social Cricket Match

• Irrigation Workshop

4 4

5

Bronze Sponsors • Bayer Environmental

Science • Turf Tec • ATI • Nuturf

6

6 6 7

Silver Sponsor • Baileys Fertilisers

7

• TAFE Awards Night • New Members

• John Septimus Roe

8 8

8

Turf Grass Times T u r f G r a s s A s s o c i a t i o n o f A u s t r a l i a ( W A ) A u t u m n 2 0 0 6

U p c om i n g E v en t s :

• May —Tuesday 2nd—Meeting at Challenger TAFE re Education and Training changes.

• May —Wednesday 31st—Spray Work-shop and Seminar

• June—TGAA(WA) Training Information Breakfast (TBA)

• July—Wednesday 12th—AGM

At the National Turf Educa-tion Working Group, TGAA representatives from each state took the opportunity to discuss forming a national executive to have a united voice.

For details, read Peter Rus-coe’s President’s Report on page 2. National Turf Education Working Group at the WACA

Feature TGAA National Body

will be emptied in Novem-ber, volumes recorded and the leachate analysed. The project will help indus-try understand plant water use, irrigation practices and the environmental impacts of using effluent water for irri-gating turf.

Leah Boxshall, UWA Sports Park’s wicket curator and this year’s winner of the Chipco Best Student Award, is now studying her Certifi-cate IV in Horticulture. As part of Certificate IV stu-dents are required to com-plete a research project. Leah’s project involves tracking water through the soil profile.

The project is an extension of studies of the environ-mental impact and the effect on turf of effluent water used to irrigate parts of UWA Sports Park.

Six lysimeters have previ-ously been installed at UWA Sports Park – three in areas irrigated with effluent water and three in areas irrigated with ground water. Last irri-gation season saw a total of only seven litres of leachate collected from the lysime-ters.

Leah hopes her study will determine that the small amount of leachate is a result

of the turf using the water rather than it accumulating somewhere in the soil pro-file.

In order to do this Leah has installed soil moisture access tubes within one metre of the existing lysimeters. She uses these to record the soil mois-ture content at vari-ous depths using the Sentek Diviner 2000 on a weekly basis. During intensive cold fronts she also takes recordings between rain events and will look at how the water travels through the soil pro-file.

With the assistance of fellow workmate Tom Marsh, she also keeps detailed re-cords of the weather including rainfall, evaporation and wind details.

With her report due in December the lysimeters

The total rainfall for January to July this year was 215.6 mm, making it the driest such period on record, al-most 340 mm below the av-erage of 555 mm. The previ-ous record was 304.5 mm in 1940.

It has also been the driest winter on record so far. The total for June and July was 105.6 mm compared to the average of 350 mm. In addition, July had 81 mm of rain, less than half of the

average of 171 mm, the sixth driest July on record. It appears that the need for Leah Boxshall’s research has never been more evident.

Caption describing picture or graphic.

Feature In search of water—Leah’s divine project

Turf Grass Times T u r f G r a s s A s s o c i a t i o n o f A u s t r a l i a ( W A )

W i n t e r 2 0 0 6

U p c o m i n g E v e n t s :

• WACA’s Turf Wicket Seminar—August 30th

• TGAA(WA) Social ING Cup Day/Night Cricket—November

I n s i d e t h i s i s s u e :

• President’s Report • Lark Hill 2 2

• Appointments in the Industry • Upgrading Your Skills • UWA Research

Update

3

3

3

• 2006 AGM Wrap • Breakfast Meeting • Spray Application

Workshop

4

5

5

Silver Sponsor • Boya Equipment

6

Bronze Sponsors • Ellenby Tree Farm • Western Irrigation • For Sale—Wilron Turf

6 7

7

• New Members • Membership Re-newal • RSVP’s • Your Association • Dowerin Field Day

8

8

8 8 8

Climate A dry 2006

Leah Boxshall using the Sentek Diviner 2000 to track water through the soil profile.

his young charges there Shane Woewoden and Simon Black going on to win Brownlow Medals.

Cricket was another passion for Kerry.

He played for CBC and also coached numerous teams.

In his last days, Kerry still got a lot of joy from his race-horse Princess O'Lara plus his two poodles Zoe and Raf-ter.

Kerry will be missed by so many.

We knew Kerry Coates as the Grounds Manager at Methodists Ladies College but more importantly he was the dearly loved husband of Cheryl, the loving father of Michelle, Richard and Dee, the fond stepfather of Robert, Dwain and Julie and the dear grandfather of Jayden, Luke and Samuel.

In October 2005 Kerry was diagnosed with the ugly and incurable disease Motor Neurone.

Sadly in September 2007 Kerry lost his battle with MND passing away peace-fully at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital.

Outside of his Grounds Man-ager’s life Kerry Coates was a much loved sportsman who had a career in football and cricket spanning more than 30 years.

Sport dominated Kerry's life.

When he played football in Tasmania he won their equivalent of WA's Sandover Medal.

Here in WA Kerry played for the East Fremantle Football team, playing in the 1974 Grand final and has been awarded life membership of their club.

Kerry also coached the East Fremantle Colts with two of

Kerry Coates pictured here with Ross Whiteman, Eddie Maguire and Allan Border at the launch of Kerro’s Crusade, a celebrity charity walk from Perth to Albany to raise money for Motor Neurone Disease.

Feature In Memory of Kerry Coates

I n s i d e t h i s i s s u e :

• From the President 2

• Profile—Heath

Stewart

• Appointments in the

Industry

3

3

• Wicket Seminar 4

• Water Forum

• UWA Research

Update

5

5

• Bronze Sponsor—

Western Irrigation

6

• Silver Sponsor—

Lovegrove Turf Services

7

Turf Grass Times T u r f G r a s s A s s o c i a t i o n o f A u s t r a l i a ( W A ) S u m m e r 2 0 0 7

U p c o m i n g E v e n t s :

• Cricket Social—Wed 19th Dec.

• President’s Break-fast—Feb

• Field Tour—April

• TAFE Awards Night—April/May

• AGM —July

All fields are growing in well.

The civil engineers for the project were Marsh Civil and Lovegrove Turf Services undertook the planting and growing in the turf surfaces. The new surfaces will be

welcomed by both staff and students who, in the past, had to endure very wet and muddy football games and

flooded out athletics carni-vals as a result of the clayey soils the ovals were previ-ously built on.

Guildford Grammar School has undergone some exten-sive construction and recon-struction over the last year. Under the ‘One Campus’

project, the school sold some off-campus land to fund the new work.

The new work includes re-construction of the main football ground (Roberts Oval) which will include a new four strip wicket block. In the past Roberts Oval had

severe drainage problems so the new ground has been built on a sand profile with subsoil drainage.

The construction of the new and second football ground

(Pexton Oval) replaces the previously off-campus oval. The new Pexton Oval is built

on half a metre of sand on the clay sub-base of the river flats.

The Department of Environ-ment required the school to conduct a Nutrient & Irriga-tion Management Plan to address the risk of pollution of the adjacent and environ-mentally sensitive Swan River.

In the winter of 2006 both football ovals were planted with kikuyu stolons. The new hockey field was also planted with kikuyu stolons this summer.

The main oval, Roberts Oval, from where the pavilion and grandstand will built. The new stand will have views over

Roberts and the oval behind the stand.

Feature Guildford Grammar School

I n s i d e t h i s i s s u e :

• President’s Report 2 • Living on the edge 3 • UWA Research Project • Profile—Sam Butler

4

4 • President’s Break-fast 5

Bronze Sponsors • Holman Industries • Mowfix

• Pro-Core

• Wilron

6

6

6

8 Gold Sponsor • Lawn Doctor

7

Turf Grass Times T u r f G r a s s A s s o c i a t i o n o f A u s t r a l i a ( W A ) A p r i l 2 0 0 7

U p c om i n g E v e n t s :

• Regional Seminar—April 4 • Ellenby Tree Farm & Lawn Doctor Bus Trip—May 30

• TGAA(WA) AGM & Golf Day —July 11

The newly constructed Pexton Oval on the river flats.

united body, under the name

of the Turf and Landscape

Industry Association Inc.

(TLIA), of which the TGAA

(WA) is a member.

On behalf of all the stake-

holders, Mr Ray Moir from

TLIA, has written to the

Hon. Eric S. Ripper outlining

the impact a total sprinkler

ban would have on our in-

dustry.

Mr Moir stated how the in-

dustry is involved in research

on water use at UWA and is

proactive in educating con-

sumers on efficient watering

techniques. The minister was

also made aware of our am-

bition to reduce water use as

new and better products

come onto the market.

Mr Moir has requested a

meeting of industry delegates

with the minister to discuss

the future of water resources

in WA and to assist with

public education on efficient

water use.

Are we going to suffer total

sprinkler bans?

Apparently so. If the winter

of 2007 is as dry as 2006

then a total sprinkler ban is

likely for next summer, ac-

cording to Dr Jim Gill, Chief

Executive Officer of the Wa-

ter Corporation.

Dr Gill, has lauded Kwi-

nana’s desalination plant as

responsible for staving off a

total sprinkler ban this sum-

mer.

Dr Gill believes tapping into

the South West Yarragadee

Aquifer will ensure that a

total sprinkler ban will not be

enforced irrespective of the

rainfall next winter.

The Water Corporation has

planned for the future and

has some initiatives in place.

However, not all of these

projects have been signed-

off by government, including

the South West Yarragadee

option.

The Corporation’s planning

includes two stages – 2006-

2009 and 2012-2020.

The planning for 2006-2009

is made up of three core pro-

jects: Desalination (45GL);

Water trading in the Harvey

region (17 GL); and South

West Yarragadee (45 GL).

The 2012-2020 planning

includes Desalination Two,

Wellington Dam and Aquifer

Recharging.

Perth has experienced a dra-

matic long term decrease of

water flowing into its dams.

The Water Corporation’s

website shows the average

inflow per year over certain

periods:

1911-1974—338 GL pa

1975-1996—177 GL pa

1997-2005—114 GL pa

2006— 23 GL

The turf industry has been

lobbying government as a

Feature Total sprinkler bans?

I n s i d e t h i s

i s s u e :

• From the President

• Appointments in the

Industry

2

2

• Soluble Fertiliser Ban

• Profile—Jason Poore

3

3

• WACA Wicket Seminar

4

• TGAA(WA) Cricket Social

• UWA Research

Update

5

5

Gold Sponsor

• CJD

6

Bronze Sponsors

• MEY

• Bayer

7 7

Silver Sponsor

• Lovegrove Turf Services

8

• For Sale 7

Turf Grass Times T u r f G r a s s A s s o c i a t i o n o f A u s t r a l i a ( W A ) S p r i n g 2 0 0 6

U p c o m i n g

E v e n t s :

• UWA Turf Research

Facility Open Day —

Nov 28

• President’s Break-

fast—February 15

• Regional Seminar—

April 4

• Ellenby Tree Farm &

Lawn Doctor Bus

Trip—May 30

• TGAA(WA) AGM &

Golf Day —July 11

Watering turf with scheme

water—it could

become a thing

of the past.

There are two projects cur-

rently being established at

UWA’s Shenton Park field

site. The Kikuyu Nitrogen

Fertiliser and Renovation

Management project was

designed and set up in 2004.

Its main aim is to optimise

nitrogen application rates

and mat control practices of

kikuyu grass for Australian

conditions.

This project

will continue

till 2008 and is

proudly spon-

sored finan-

cially by the

TGAA(WA).

(Continued on page 5)

The University of Western

Australia’s Turf Research

Programme officially

launched its most current

research projects on Wednes-

day 14th December 2005.

The launch was opened by

Dr. Jim Gill, CEO, Water

Corporation, who then

handed the project overviews

and site inspection guidance

to the

UWA Turf

Research

team led by

Drs. Louise

Barton and

Tim Col-

mer.

Established

in 1995 in

partnership

with the

West Aus-

tralian turf industry, the

UWA Turf Research Pro-

gramme aims to develop best

management practices for

turf that are science-based.

This will ultimately contrib-

ute to the sustainable devel-

opment of the Western Aus-

tralian turf industry and a

healthy environment for all

Australians.

Challenger TAFE was close

to losing up to five fulltime

teaching positions in 2006.

The Department of Educa-

tion and Training had pro-

posed that funding to amen-

ity horticulture be cut by

25%.

Industry groups, including

the TGAA(WA), lobbied the

Minister for Education and

Training, Ljilijanna Ravlich,

who reinstated funding.

A 25% cut could have re-

sulted in the abolishment of

the turf certificates 1, 2 and 3

but it was anticipated that

apprentice numbers not be

affected.

It also meant that Challenger

TAFE would no longer be

able offer evening classes,

leaving no avenue for up-

skilling for unqualified peo-

ple in the industry. The cuts

would also have affected

many other aspects of the

amenity horticulture indus-

try. (Continued on page 2)

Research UWA Turf Research Project

I n s i d e t h i s

i s s u e :

President’s Report

Profile—Geoff

Stephens

2 2

Denver Water

Symposium

Movements in the

Industry

3 3

TGAA(WA) WACA

Social

4

UWA Kikuyu

Research Project

5

Bronze Sponsors

Pro-Core

Mowfix

Wilron

6 6 6

Gold Sponsor

Lawn Doctor

7

Silver Sponsor

Holman-K Rain

8

Feature Turf TAFE Funding Cut

Turf Grass Times

S u m m e r 2 0 0 5 / 2 0 0 6

U p c o m i n g

e v e n t s :

• February—

Wed 8th

President’s

Breakfast,

Kings Park

• March—

Wed 22nd

Irrigation

Workshop

• May—Spray

Workshop

• July—AGM

T u r f G r a s s A s s o c i a t i o n o f A u s t r a l i a ( W A )

Overview of the UWA Turf Research Project field site with the kikuyu

plots on the left of the irrigation channel.

A Western Australian publication dedicated to those engaged in the WA Turf Industry since 2001.

Turf Grass Times