#PeopleOfNRM – Lizzie King

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This month we are saying goodbye to one of NACC NRM’s awesome team players, Lizzie King! Lizzie has been a part of our Sustainable Agriculture team for almost 14 years, and in this edition is chatting about the highlights of her time with NACC NRM.

How did you find yourself in Perenjori, WA?

I’m originally from the UK, and grew up in rural Leicestershire. After finishing Uni I spent a year traveling around Australia. At one point I was working at the Coorow Pub, which is where I met my now-husband Geoff. He followed me back to the UK before persuading me to come and join him on his family farm near Perenjori back in 2007.

How did you get into Sustainable Agriculture?

I’ve always been interested in the environment and knew that was the field I wanted to work in.  When I first moved here I didn’t have much knowledge or experience in Agriculture but have learned so much living on the farm and working in natural resource management.  I find sustainable agriculture really interesting and inspiring – especially working on projects that provide benefits for both the environment and for farm productivity.

How did you get started with NACC NRM?

I started working with NACC NRM back in 2008, when I got a job as an NRM officer with the Yarra Yarra Catchment Management Group, which was funded through NACC, and involved working with the rest of the NRMOs around the NAR and others on the NACC team. In 2013 the funding structure changed, and I have worked for NACC NRM since then, in a variety of roles, before ending up working on the Sus Ag team as a Regional Agriculture Landcare Facilitator.

Tell us about your major career highlights at NACC NRM!

Looking back there are a lot to choose from. It was great to be part of the team that brought the first bioblitz to the Midwest. I have enjoyed having the opportunity to work on several projects from start to finish, it is really satisfying to see a project idea come to fruition and turn into great on-ground outcomes. I have also enjoyed supporting farmers and others in the community to bring their project ideas to life. It was a highlight to help put together a successful proposal for some demonstration sites with Geraldton horticulturalists, to plant flowers next to their crops to encourage beneficial insects and hopefully help reduce the reliance on pesticides. One of the best things about working with NACC NRM has been the incredible variety within the job, and the opportunities to work with different groups and individuals.

What is your vision for the future of Sustainable Agriculture?

This is a hard question because I think we have a great agricultural industry, with some of the best farmers in the world in our region. I would like to see the industry be more open-minded about different practices as I think there is more than one way to farm successfully, and that different management techniques don’t have to be mutually exclusive. I would like to see a shift in thinking from always trying to maximise yield, to looking at overall profitability. For my third wish, I would love to see more funding go toward the Ag Department with greater opportunities for extension throughout the State’s farming regions!

I also hope that in the near future we see more work and research looking at the nutrient density of the crops we grow, and the links between soil health, gut health, and mental health.

What do you think makes the NAR such a special corner of the world?

The region is beautiful. Working in NRM gives you an appreciation of the incredible biodiversity we have here, and everybody knows how special our wildflower season is. But I think what makes it most special to me, are the people. The people who live on farms and in rural towns still have an amazing sense of community and it is quite special to be part of that.

What’s next for you?

After nearly 14 years (minus 3 for babies!) working with NACC, I am taking some time out of work to concentrate more on family commitments and our farm business. I love NRM and Sustainable Ag so I’m sure I’ll still see lots of people out and about, and if you can’t find me I’ll be at home in the garden or reading books!

The team at NACC NRM would like to collectively thank Lizzie for her hard work over the years, and for always being a great team player. We wish her well as she closes this chapter and embarks on the next.

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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.