Gunduwa Regional Conservation Association Funds 5 New On-ground Projects

Home 🞂 Newsroom 🞂 Gunduwa Regional Conservation Association Funds 5 New On-ground Projects

Gunduwa   Regional  Conservation   Association   Inc   has   funded   a  total of $110,600 for 5 new projects in the Gunduwa Regional Conservation Region.

Gunduwa Regional Conservation Association Inc is funded by Extension Hill and Mount Gibson Mining through the Environmental Offset package contained in Ministerial Statement 753.

We would like to congratulate all of these projects and look forward to working with them over the next 12 months and beyond.

Yarra Yarra Catchment Management Group in partnership with Moore Catchment Council, supported by the Northern Agricultural Catchments Council (NACC) have successfully sought funding for reconnecting landscapes in the wheatbelt through revegetation corridors.

The aim is to reconnect landscapes in the wheatbelt through revegetation corridors, linking existing remnants, and thereby increasing the resilience of threatened species

Increasing connectivity in the landscape will enhance biodiversity by benefiting multiple species within these isolated remnants. The project will help protect threatened species, chiefly Malleefowl, but also Spiny tailed Skinks and numerous other bird and animal species which are increasingly restricted to localised pockets of uncleared bushland.

The Gunduwa Young Leaders Project will carry on from last year’s funding to engage 14 people aged between 14 -16 from the Shires of Morawa & Perenjori.

The 14 young people will experience a range of conservation and environmental activities, learn about the importance of the land and biodiversity, and develop their leadership and teamwork skills. They hope that young people may move on to taking on positions on local committees, become advocates for the environment and possibly mentor future young leaders.

North Central Malleefowl Preservation Group was successful also which will aid in the continuation of Malleefowl Field Training and Monitoring.

Their aim is to build on the success of the 2014 Malleefowl Volunteer Support Project which will increase the NCMPG membership and participation in Malleefowl protection in and near the GRCA region. This will include organising the training, conduct field training for volunteers in Malleefowl monitoring that conforms to best practice as described in the National Malleefowl Monitoring Manual, this will allow monitoring of sites for the 2015-2016 season and arrange for the uploading of all data gathered onto the National Malleefowl Database to contribute to the National Malleefowl Recovery Plan.

The collaborative Malleefowl Mound Identification Project has brought together four organisations, North Central Malleefowl Preservation Group, Bush Heritage Australia, Australian Wildlife Conservancy and Bell Family @ Ninghan Station, information will be gathered by aerial imagery (LiDAR) in order to detect Malleefowl mounds in selected areas within the Gunduwa region

LiDAR imagery represents a new more efficient method of searching larger areas to detect mounds.

This project will positively influence conservation research by contributing to one of Australia’s largest species databases. Information gathered will also be a key component in the ambitious Adaptive Management Research Project being run by the University of Melbourne.

Do Climate Refugia Exist on the Conservation Stations in the Gunduwa Region, the Conservation Council WA through its Citizen Science Program has been monitoring climate and ten biotic indicators on Charles Darwin Reserve since 2008. It has become evident that some mammal taxa disappear from the monitored study sites during the frequent extended drought periods but recover in better seasons. This raises the question as to whether climate change refugia exist in this landscape and if so where.

This project will use time series of satellite imagery to identify and map areas to show sustained moisture availability and productivity. This will inform the restructuring of the sampling regime used by the Observatory. If climate refugia exist they will be key features for maintaining regional biodiversity and should be targets for protection and intensive management (particularly of introduced animals)

We also have two projects pending which relate to Pest Management Control and Geotourism.

For any further information please contact Jude Cusworth at info@gunduwa.org.au or 0429 647 506.

Share

We'd Love to Hear From You!

Your feedback is important to us. If you have suggestions, questions, or would like to get involved in Natural Resource Management, please use the form below or contact our Geraldton office. We’re here to listen and help

Contact Us

Geraldton Office

4 Walton Close, Geraldton
Post: PO Box 7168, Geraldton, 6531
Phone: (08) 9938 0100
Office hours: 8:30am to 4:30pm

Forms

Expression of Interest Form 🞂

Suggest a Project Form 🞂

Membership Form 🞂

Donations Form 🞂

Contacts

NACC Board Members 🞂

NACC Staff 🞂

NRM Bodies & Groups 🞂

CEO’s Report

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.