NACC prominent at the NRM Science Conference in SA

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A warm breeze swirled around a marque at the University of Adelaide as the haunting sound of tapping sticks began echoing across the lawn, drawing the crowd into the first plenary session of the 2018 South Australian NRM Science Conference. The following heartfelt “Welcome to Ghana Country” by Timaru was equally moving and the scene for the next two days is set.

This year’s SA NRM Science Conference had a theme of ‘Science for Policy in a Changing World’

The first keynote address was presented by Professor Kristofer Helgen, who opened the scientific proceedings with accounts of the cute, cuddly and undiscovered of New Guinea and the Andes – inspiring the seed of adventure hiding, or not hiding, in all of us. Professor Helgen also set the perfect scene for the conference, emphasising the reality of NRM and indeed environmental science as a whole, that we really know so little about our natural world.

Showcasing the NACC NRM region

NACC’s attendance at the Conference was precipitated this year by an invitation to our CEO, Richard McLellan, to be a keynote speaker and panel member at the conference. Saying that he was “honoured” to have been invited to be the Conference’s dinner speaker, Richard, as always, used the opportunity to encourage delegates to “do more good”.

Recounting his vast global experiences, Richard encouraged all those in attendance to follow his five tips to become a “SAPP” –  a Science And Policy Person (a ‘mandatory’ new acronym that Richard said he invented just for the conference). These were to:

  1. Be confident of your abilities, they’re probably unique. (And don’t always follow the guidelines).
  2. Understand that you (everyone) can make a difference.
  3. Think big (Richard once launched a book – the Living Planet Report, no less – from the International Space Station).
  4. Be optimistic. Focus on the light at the end of the tunnel.
  5. Keep a sense of humour. Don’t take yourself too seriously.

In closing his motivational address, Richard encouraged the crowd to “never let it rest”, to take a leaf out of the verse inscribed on the back of every old Furphy Water tank, and settle in for the ‘long haul’ that is NRM science, ‘Good, better, best, Never let it rest. Until your good is better, and your better best.’

Some of the great work on science and NRM being achieved in the NACC NRM region was also on show in the form of two graphic posters about local work being done on Malleefowl and on the Abrolhos — put together by NACC Biodiversity Program leader Jessica Stingemore.

Day 1 of the conference was Adelaide’s hottest April day on record, a poignant backdrop for the Climate Change concurrent sessions also held on day 1. Unfortunately, that record didn’t stand for long, with temperatures on Day 2, easily surpassing the previous day’s maximum and serving as a timely reminder of the need for urgency in our actions.

Not surprisingly, Climate Change was a hot topic at the conference. Speaking during a panel session entitled “Social, economic and environmental sustainability in Natural Resource Management”, Richard stressed just how important he thought it is for NRM to embrace the science that can help land managers, especially farmers, adapt to changing climatic, environmental, economic, and social conditions.

“I measure true sustainability in the bush by what is happening to our rural communities – the land stewards who are bearing the brunt of these changes. If we lose farmers, we lose so much capacity to look after our biodiversity, to protect and provide ecosystem services,” he said.

Spurred-on by tweets from a host of keen Twitter aficionados, the #SANRM18 trended strongly over the two days, spreading far and wide the range of important messages from ‘How to pitch science communication’ to ‘Measuring changes in NRM Skills and Knowledge’ – all the way from Mick Davis at the City of Kalamunda in WA.

The perfect close to the conference was the launch of the new NRM ‘tool’ in the form of a Threatened Species monitoring toolkit. The “Monitoring Threatened Species and Ecological Communities”, produced by National Environment Science Program (NESP) Threatened Species Recovery Hub, was launched with inspiring messages from its co-editors, and a rousing and personal response from Dr Matthew Ward, Director of Conservation, NRM and Protected Areas Policy, SA Department of Environment and Water.

Speaking at the launch, Richard said that NACC is looking forward to utilising the new resource, and to working with NESP and TSR on Threatened Species conservation in the lead-up to next year’s Threatened Species Forum in Geraldton. “We’ve got some exciting plans being hatched,” he said.

NACC Program Development and Innovation Manager Katherine Allen, who also attended the conference, said the conference had provided an excellent opportunity to share the good work being achieved at NACC, as well as to access some of the latest science being applied to NRM around the country.

“We’re proud of where NACC is situated in this space, but we also committed to continual improvement, so I’ll be returning home with lots of new thoughts for ensuring we’re doing the best possible job with available resources,” she said.

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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.