How’re we doing? A recent look at our achievements as a region against the goals of our regional NRM strategy.
Across the current regional natural resource management (NRM) plan (NARvis) and our previous regional NRM plan from back in 2005, there are 524 goals, targets and strategic actions. There were 390 listed goals targets and strategic NRM actions in the 2005 plan and 134 in NARvis. A tremendous amount of progress has been made towards achieving these goals. In total, across both plans, 78% of listed goals, targets and strategic NRM actions have been achieved or partially achieved!
As an example, one of the goals under the Aboriginal Custodianship section of NARvis was to undertake 25 management activities on sites of cultural and heritage significance by 2020. This was related to a similar goal in the 2005 plan, to ensure that priority places of cultural and heritage significance are managed for the benefit of future generations. The Aboriginal people and NRM organisations in our region have completely smashed this goal out of the park!
Nearly 200 registered heritage sites have been listed on the Aboriginal Heritage Inquiry System and 65 sites were prioritised in 2007 according to YMAC report ‘Audit of Priority Heritage Sites in the Yamatji Region’. Site audits were completed for all priority sites, and 6 management plans developed by 2009. Works at these and other priority sites have been undertaken through the Midwest Aboriginal Ranger Program (~30 management actions per year), Bundiyarra Environmental Health Program, Capacity-building for Indigenous Prison Inmates project (420 ha across multiple sites) and the various Aboriginal ranger programs run by local Aboriginal corporations and businesses like Kwelena Mamakort Aboriginal Corporation, Western Mulga and Badimia Bandi Barna Aborginal Corporation. Information on how to report an Aboriginal heritage site or damage to a site is now available on the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage website. There is also a government-funded grants program dedicated explicitly to Preserving our Aboriginal Sites.
We are currently updating the regional NRM plan, including drafting new targets under each of the eight themes – Aboriginal Custodianship, Biodiversity Conservation, Climate Change, Coastal & Marine, Community Capacity, Invasive Species, Sustainable Agriculture and Water. We’ve held a series of online workshops with technical experts under each theme throughout February (see group photo from our terrestrial Biodiversity targets meeting).
We will be sending the proposed new targets around for public comment in March. Keep an eye out the online survey – we would love to hear from you.
If you’d like more information about our review of the goals, targets and strategic actions in NARvis and the 2005 plan, or you would like to read more examples of targets being achieved click here.