Have you started making plans for Arboriculture Australia's 2012 annual conference, this is the largest education event dedicated to both the Urban Forest/Environment and Utilities in the Asia Pacific Region. 

This year’s event will be held in Hobart starting with the Australia Tree Climbing Championship preliminary events on Friday 27^th April and the masters on the 28^th April.  This event will be held in Saint David's Park, Hobart.

On Sunday 29^th April, Arboriculture Australia will be presenting the 2 hour workshops which are always booked out, so get in early.

Sunday night will see the welcome reception. This will be held in a venue overlooking the river in a very relaxed environment.

Monday 30^th April will see the first full day session of the conference, both the Urban Foresters and Utility Arborists will be delighted with the conference rooms, maybe the best we have ever had.  With international and Australian presenter, the education offered will again be first class.

The traditional Annual Dinner will be held on Monday night, this is arboriculture biggest networking session, spend time with peers, friends and the speakers over a 3 course meal.

Tuesday 1^st May will see another day of intense education, with the evening set aside for delegates to enjoy some of the other venues around this unique city.

On Wednesday 2^nd May we will be lining the buses up for a great tour, we are heading to Mt Wellington to take in the splendid views and then heading out to the world renown Tahune Forest Airwalk, this is truly great place to visits and when you make the counter leaver viewing platform bounce, it gets a bit hair raising.

Arboriculture Australia is very pleased to announce the speakers for the 2012 Conference and workshops to be held April 29, 30 May 1 2012.

The APTCC preliminary events will be held at Saint David’s Park Hobart on the 27^th April with the master’s challenge being held on 29^th April 2012. 

The ISA ITCC has announced that Australia will once again host the 2012 Asia Pacific Tree Climbing Championships. 

Ensure your country’s chapter or organisation gets your entries in early.

This will be the third time since the inception in 2008 that we have hosted this event.  The venue is yet to be announced but the APTCC will take place sometime after the ATCC being held in Hobart. 

Arboriculture Australia was the key player in establishing this event in the Asia Pacific Region which is now reconsider on the international calendar for Tree Climbing Championships. 

The competition will be held on 10th March 2012 at Sullivan Memorial Park, corner Dry Dock Road and Fraser Drive South Tweed Heads.

The Gold Coast Airport is 10 minutes away and the townships of Coolangatta and  Kingscliff are also 10 minutes away from the park.  Please go to the NSW TCC page under events for more information

We would like to thank the QAA for their assistance to Arb Aust with this event. 

The destructive plant disease myrtle rust has been found in Victoria for the first time, at a retail nursery on the Mornington Peninsula.  The disease poses a threat to Victoria’s nursery and forestry industries, as well as to publicparks and gardens and native forests.  Department of Primary Industries (DPI) Incident Controller, Gordon Berg, said a report of suspected myrtle rust was made by nursery staff and later confirmed by DPI diagnostic tests.

Mr Berg said it was not known how the disease reached Victoria but, given its current widespread distribution in New South Wales and Queensland, it will not be possible to eradicate it.   Since the first Australian detection in New South Wales in early 2010, it has spread to far north Queensland and has been found on over 150 different plant species.

DPI should be notified immediately of any plants in Victoria suspected of being infected with myrtle rust.

All members of the Myrtaceae plant family are potential hosts of myrtle rust. It attacks young, soft, actively growing leaves, shoot tips and young stems, as well as the fruits and flowers of susceptible plants.