Home -> Environmental Sustainability -> Programs

All BSES research, development and extension takes place with a view to preserving our most precious resources: the landscape, water, rivers and reefs.  However, we do have several programs aimed specifically at helping industry adopt practices and use products that reduce the impact of sugar production on our environment.

COMPASS 

COMPASS stands for COMbining Profitability And Sustainability in Sugar.  COMPASS was designed by BSES with input from many organisations including CANEGROWERS, the Queensland Environmental Protection Agency and SRDC.

COMPASS is a self-assessment process that lets growers evaluate all their farming practices - from chemical handling to harvesting - and rate them against established best-practice standards.  COMPASS also helps growers develop action plans to address any areas where they find they need improvement.  
COMPASS is a voluntary process, yet hundreds of growers have completed COMPASS and feedback is excellent.  BSES and CANEGROWERS aim to have 30% of the industry complete COMPASS in 2003.

eCompass

BSES Limited and CANEGROWERS have converted the COMPASS paper based workbook to an on-line self assessment resource tool (eCompass). This resource tool is only available to CANEGROWER members, and BSES Limited service fee payers. The resource tool provides a series of assessment modules based around each element of the paper based workbook.
  
eCompass is a powerful resource tool that will help you assess the economic and environmental sustainability of your farming practices. eCompass allows you to compare your farming methods with industry best practice. By identifying areas that need improving, eCompass will help you plan and take practical steps to make your farm a more profitable business, and minimize any off-site environmental impacts. eCompass technology allows you to save your work at any time during your assessment so you don’t need to complete the entire assessment at once. When your completed assessment is submitted an email alert will be received by your local extension officer. The extension officer will make contact with you to discuss your assessment and action plan development. The action plan module allows you to assign and prioritise tasks.

eCompass will provide you with a scored summary report per assessment, and scored full assessment report.
We hope you find eCompass user friendly, and benefit from utilising this on-line resource tool.

RWUEI 

RWUEI stands for the Rural Water Use Efficiency Initiative, of which BSES is a key participant. The initiative has made important headway in all areas concerning the sugar industry's use of precious water, including minimising the loss of rainwater due to soil compaction, examining and adopting more appropriate forms of irrigation like trickle-tape, and adopting cost-effective but vital monitoring equipment to reduce water wastage during irrigation.

For more information, contact:
Eve McDonald, Communications Manager
Ph:  07 3331 3340
Email: eMcDonald@bses.com.au