Track Champions

More than 100 four-wheel driving enthusiasts and members of coast care organisations came together last weekend to discuss effective off-road vehicle management in our fragile coastal environment.
Home 🞂 Newsroom 🞂 Track Champions
More than 100 four-wheel driving enthusiasts and members of coast care organisations came together last weekend to discuss effective off-road vehicle management in our fragile coastal environment.
NACC Coastal and Marine Program Coordinator Mic Payne chats with participants.
NACC Coastal and Marine Program Coordinator Mic Payne chats with participants.

Coordinated by the Conservation Council of WA and supported by NACC, the two-day Tending the Tracks workshop included visits to off-road vehicle “hotspots” and a forum discussing best practices and solutions that would contribute to sustainable coastal land management in the Northern Agricultural Region.

Members of the prominent WA 4WD group Track Care were in attendance, as well as representatives from the WA 4WD Association and various metropolitan 4WD clubs.

The key outcome from the event was mobilising the considerable enthusiam and willingness of members of the off-road vehicle community to actively participate in minimising and managing the impacts of their favourite activity when visiting our precious coastlines. The challenge now is to direct that enthusiam into long-lasting, on-ground actions.

Education, and influencing behaviour were identified as being two key strategies for effective management of off-road vehicle use. Helping people understand how they can enjoy our coastlines without causing harm was agreed by all as a high priority.

NACC Coastal and Marine Project Coordinator Mic Payne said that on-the-surface, “conservationists and four-wheel drivers made for strange bed-fellows”, and yet they had much in common about the coastal environment.

“It was very refreshing to be surrounded by four-wheel drive enthusiasts who are champing at the bit to assist with on-ground conservation and management,” he said.”The vibe was great.”

Bruce Brinkley from the WA 4WD Association reflected on past experiences at the forum, and said it was essential that effective management was applied in order to maintain access to tracks.

“If we don’t look after it, we won’t be allowed in it,” he said.

“Mismanagement of problem areas has sometimes led to track closures, but it often just shifts the problem elsewhere which can result in the formation of new tracks and further environmental degradation.”

Bruce said the Tending the Tracks committee will now work on developing a strategic plan of action for the off-road vehicle community to assist in protecting and managing the coastal environment that they love so much.

Dr Nic Dunlop, Citizen Science Coordinator at the Conservation Council of WA said State and local government’s struggled with the lack of staff and resources to effectively manage the coastal zone environment.

“This partnership between CCWA and the organised and responsible side of the 4WD community will hopefully provide opportunities to improve environmental outcomes and provide some assistance to the coast care groups and traditional owners currently striving to protect the coastal areas north of Perth,” he said.

The Tending the Tracks weekend was made possible through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program.

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.