Off-Road Vehicle Management Powers Forward

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Local ranger Paul Robb discussing options with riders of unregistered ORV’s.
Local ranger Paul Robb discussing options with riders of unregistered ORV’s.

Off-Road Vehicles (ORVs) have long been a popular recreational activity in Western Australia, with four- wheel drives, quad bikes and trail bikes being a common sight along our coast. Unfortunately, as these types of vehicles have become increasingly accessible, the threat to our highly valuable coastal ecosystem has increased.

Unrestricted and unmanaged use of ORVs has frequently resulted in destroyed vegetation – leading to loss of biodiversity and increased erosion. Also, reckless use of ORVs is a significant threat to safety for both the public and riders.

Keen to find win-win solutions, the Northern Agricultural Catchments Council (NACC) received funding from Coastwest in 2013 to investigate the establishment of

Local ranger Paul Robb discussing options with riders of unregistered ORV’s.

coastal ORV gazetted use areas (ORVAs), to complement the existing ORVA in Lancelin. There is a need for such areas as many ORV riders approached by rangers express frustration at the lack of legal riding facilities along our coast.

NACC’s Coastal and Marine Program Coordinator Dr Mic Payne, said “Development of well-planned and managed ORVAs will provide safe and enjoyable riding experiences for families and riders alike. While ORVAs are not the entire management solution to the problem, they are a big step in the right direction.”

This project has resulted in an ORVA feasibility study that has identified three candidate areas deserving further investigation. Two of these areas are close to Geraldton while the third is near Jurien Bay. Candidate areas had to meet a range of selection criteria to be considered eligible, including accessibility from urban areas, land tenure, conservation values and potential to fulfil the expectations of the ORV community. In addition, the study documented current ORV ‘hot-spots’ in WA’s Northern Agricultural Region and helped clarify the legal issues surrounding ORVAs.

Key to the success of the feasibility study was comprehensive stakeholder engagement. Input was received from a Regional ORV Working Group (comprising coastal land managers and ORV-group representatives), online surveys targeting community and ORV rider groups, and meetings with other key players such as ORV retail outlets.

With this first stage completed, the next step is to work closely with Local Government Authorities toward development of one or more of these proposed ORVAs. Key issues to be addressed include public liability insurance, resource limitations, on-going site management and facility uptake by riders. On-country visits by local Aboriginal custodians will also determine if the sites can be developed without impacting cultural heritage.

“A good facility development model, such as the Pinjar ORVA, will go a long way to addressing many of these issues,” said Dr Payne.

NACC gratefully acknowledges the assistance provided by all project contributors, particularly from local and state government agencies, coastal community groups, industry representatives and the ORV riders who took part in the surveys. The final report is available at http://narvis.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Off-road- Vehicle-Areas-in-the-NAR.pdf

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In 2020-21 I talked about ‘raising the bar’. In 2021-22 we worked on setting the bar on fire. Over the last 12 months, the team at NACC NRM has not stopped.

The Sustainable Agriculture team has extended the program’s reach through collaborations with grower groups in the regions. Specifically, the Beyond Reasonable Drought project and Grower Group Alliance – South West WA Drought Innovation Hub – Geraldton Node project. The Beyond Reasonable Drought partnership with grower groups supported farmers across the region to improve the environmental sustainability of their agricultural production and drought resilience. The outcomes of this project have been consolidated through our successful Expression of Interest to the South West WA Drought Innovation Hub, with support from grower groups across the region, to host the Geraldton Node of the Hub. The program continues to focus on working with agricultural networks to share technical expertise and provide opportunities that will improve land management practices in agriculture across the region.

The conservation outcomes of ranger teams have expanded through work on several land tenures. Maintaining Heritage sites such as Willi Gulli, Racecourse Paddock and Buller River has long been a priority. During 2021-22, the teams have increasingly focused on threatened species and ecosystems.

To this end, Western Mulga rangers have improved management across 19,000 ha for the conservation of Malleefowl through firebreak and access management. They completed the maintenance of water holes and supported the monitoring of over 90 Malleefowl mounds.

Similarly, the Kwelena Mambakort Aboriginal Corporate ranger team have contributed positively to Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo populations by installing artificial hollows and habitat restoration.

All ranger teams have collected native seed, propagated native plants for restoration, and planted native vegetation in key locations across the NAR. Seed collection provides valuable industry experience and has facilitated the planting of over 100,000 seedlings during the year.   

In September 2021, the NACC NRM team delivered the WA Threatened Species Forum, held in tandem with the National Malleefowl Forum. Given the impact of COVID and the timing of this event, having more than 100 delegates from all over Australia was a significant achievement. The two Forums brought together 12 events over five days and featured 14 local artists, 25 businesses and 36 youth participants.

Following the successful relaunch of our updated NARvis, NACC NRM was invited to help lead a significant piece of strategic planning work for the region with Mid West Development Commission and the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development. With funding from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund, the consortia delivered a Regional Drought Resilience Plan covering the shires of Northampton and Chapman Valley and the City of Greater Geraldton, along with significant technical analysis of drought vulnerability for the South West land division. The development of this plan also included extensive community consultation to ensure that local knowledge and technical advice guided the development of priorities for action.

This planning work links to existing NACC NRM on-ground projects, including Beyond Reasonable Drought and the Chapman Catchment Collaborative regeneration project.

It was a busy year for events with face-to-face events becoming commonplace again. During 2021-22 we hosted events in Gingin, Moora, Dalwallinu, Cervantes, Jurien Bay, Walkaway, Nabawa, Perenjori, Kalannie and Morawa. We supported events in Karakin, Thundellara, Perenjori, Paynes Find, Wubin, Cataby, Warradarge, Northampton, Yuna, Dalwallinu and Dandaragan.

We also supported on-ground works throughout the region, including at the following locations Yuna, Dalwallinu, Dandaragan, Merkanooka, Goodlands, Kalannie, Bunjil, Yardarino, Canna, Kondut, Latham, Kadathinni, Nabawa, Red Gully, Sandy Gully, Waddy Forrest, Devils Creek, Perenjori, Bowgada, Ellendale, Wandana, Namban, Hill River, Warradarge, Gillingarra, Regans Ford and Moonyanooka.

Our region is vast – slightly larger than Tasmania, which for comparison, is serviced by three separate NRM organisations. Covering the NAR region and its many environmental threats is challenging. We continue to focus on partnerships and collaboration to address this challenge. We know that by working with our community through passionate delivery of collaborative on-ground projects and education, the community will value and actively protect our region’s natural capital.

This year we have launched a new Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). The RAP Working Group consulted widely and developed an Innovate RAP which Reconciliation Australia approved in March 2022. The activities to fulfil these commitments are now in full swing.

Sadly, at the end of 2021, we farewelled former NACC NRM CEO Shelley Spriggs, who lost a long battle with cancer. Shelley was an inaugural inductee to the NRM Leadership Honour Roll. I will always be grateful for her guidance and no-nonsense approach, not to mention her passion for life.

While we have said farewell to some, we have welcomed many new faces across all programs, including our Administration team. We have also hosted a school-based trainee from Nagle Catholic College who has been working towards a Certificate II in Conservation and Ecosystem Management. This trial position has been very successful, and we look forward to making this opportunity available again in 2023.

During 2022 we have taken on new projects that align with our organisational and program objectives, and we have successfully completed some great initiatives that support continued conservation and sustainability outcomes. I want to thank the whole team who continue to go above and beyond for the organisation and each other proving their ongoing commitment to our purpose and our values.