NACC in the spotlight

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CEO Richard McLellan chatting with NRM conference MC (and media legend) George Negus.

I’m just back in the office after a week or so “on the road”, or actually more accurately “in the air’, having attended the biennial National NRM Knowledge Conference and meetings of Australia’s 56 regional NRM groups’ CEOs and Chairs.

It was fantastic to see the smorgasbord of diverse and innovative interventions that the groups are implementing with partners and communities all across the country – with many excellent presentations and posters being showcased throughout the week in Coffs Harbour.

NACC was certainly “front and centre” amid the smorgasbord, as I delivered presentations during the NRM Knowledge Conference on:

  • Our regional Sustainable Agriculture collaborative initiative NARSAN (the Northern Agricultural Region Sustainable Agriculture Network); and
  • NACC’s use of Twitter to reach new audiences and promote the excellent work being done by NACC staff and our partner organisations and communities.

I also presented a poster on the work that NACC and all of the other NRM groups around the country are doing to help combat the scourge of feral cats.

There was a huge amount of interest in NARSAN – so much so that I was asked to present on it again by the Australian Government Department of Agriculture as the special “Sustainable Agriculture” theme case study at the CEO’s meeting at the end of the week. In their introduction, the Department said they were particularly impressed by the innovative NARSAN framework because of the importance it placed on collaboration, because it is driven by the region’s groups, and because it is aimed at helping “to identify current and potential future opportunities for collaboration between all of the groups in the region, and (specifically from NACC’s perspective) how NACC can better work with and support the needs of the key relevant groups and communities in the region.”

The subject even attracted the attention of ABC Rural who interviewed me and, in so doing, helped spread the NARSAN message across the country.

Getting in touch with nature

Hot on the heels of the National NRM Knowledge Conference, I was invited to present – on the subject of Nature and Sense of Place – at the annual FACET (Forum Advocating Cultural and Eco-Tourism) conference in Perth earlier this week.

This provided a great opportunity for me to speak about a subject that is close to my heart – just how amazing our natural landscape is – especially here in the Southwest Australia Biodiversity hotspot – and how important it is to our sense of identity and connection with our country. And the need to look after it!

We are lucky to have so many iconic places, right across our country, that stir emotions of wonder, excitement, imagination and connection that make these places special to us; and which instil the desire to protect them for future generations.

For me, those places are dominated by the Salmon gum, Gimlet and York gum woodlands that I grew-up in around Kellerberrin; and the granite outcrops that are dotted all across the Wheatbelt and Great Southern. I’m sure all of our NACC Notes readers have similar “special places” that they love, and want to protect.

I encourage everyone to know their “special” place or places, to love it, to “adopt it”, and to help protect it for our children, and our childrens’ children …

Richard McLellan, CEO.

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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.