Blues for the Bush

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“A night to remember, after a day few will forget.”

It was a weekend of wild flower vistas, sweet sounds and sensational flavour for more than 1400 people who attended this year’s Blues for the Bush festival.

NACC is proud to be part of the Northern Agricultural community and even prouder to support local community events such as this one, and over the weekend, NACC staff put on their dancing boots and headed out to Charles Darwin Reserve to celebrate and support the event.

The 2016 Blues for the Bush was a unique opportunity to enjoy the friendly folk and warm country hospitality of the vibrant community that lives and works in Perenjori as well as meet some visitors to the region.

Some of our favourite highlights from the eclectic regional event included:

  • Celestial Delights: On Friday night early comers were delighted by an evening under the stars with choral music by the eight piece Giovanni Consort
  • Challenge of Change: The tent was overflowing all day and everyone’s story was filled with enthusiasm, passion and an eagerness to share their knowledge of what they have achieved in managing their landscapes. This came through time and time again as each speaker spoke about their own experiences and innovations.
  • NACC Information Stand: Friendly NACC staff were constantly on the go, as festival goers visited our stand for information about projects, the region and to check out our new interactive coastal erosion model.
  • Guided tours of Charles Darwin Reserve: these popular tours were booked out early and the lucky ones were able witness the raw beauty of the Reserve and get insights into the diverse challenges involved in conservation.
  • Early morning twitching: A handful of bird watchers braved the early morning cold and were delighted with releasing a spiny-cheeked honeyeater from the mist netting.
  • Make and Do Tent: This was the place to get crafty with bush flower arranging, canvas painting and weaving up-cycled material.
  • Bush tea and yarn: The best way to get a taste of bush hospitality over a cuppa, cake and bush poetry.

Gunduwa Business Manager (and NACC NRM Officer) Jude Sutherland said: “I would just like to thank everyone for coming out to the Charles Darwin Reserve on Saturday and sharing a memorable event, although it was a bit chilly throughout the night the day surpassed all expectations and I thank you all for your willingness to be a part of such a great event.”

Some of the presentations from the event will be placed on the Gunduwa Website soon.

NACC looks forward to supporting future Blues for the Bush events and many other local events throughout our spectacular region.

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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.