- Overview
- Our Future
- Our History
- Reconciliation Action Plan
- AGM
- Uluru Statement from the Heart
NACC NRM was originally established in 1995 as Northern Agricultural Integrated Management Strategy (NAIMS) and incorporated under that name in 1998. In 2002, NAIMS changed its name to Northern Agricultural Catchments Council. This is still our official name, however we prefer NACC NRM for all public-facing communications and material.
NACC NRM is one of 54 regional Natural Resource Management (NRM) organisations around Australia, and one of seven in Western Australia.
Regional NRMs were established in the early 2000s by the Australian Government to deliver community-based projects to strategically address environmental degradation at a regional or landscape scale.
Regional NRM Groups were originally established with support from the Federal Government to implement NRM activities across Australia. At establishment, each Regional NRM worked extensively with the regional communities to develop a detailed Strategic NRM Plan identifying the natural assets and their threatening processes across the entire region, and identified management actions required to maintain the health of the assets into the future.
NACC NRM (as NAIMS) originally developed an integrated natural resource management strategy for the Northern Agricultural Region. We now call this NARvis and has evolved from a hard copy document to an online, interactive website. Over time, our role has evolved to include delivering parts of the strategy.
We are the custodians of NARvis (www.narvis.com.au) and take responsibility for promoting and updating it as and when required.
We are a membership-based organisation available to anyone with an interest in the region. Membership is free and we maintain a community focus across the organisation. We recognise that change to improve environmental health has to come from the whole community.
We collaborate with farmers, community groups with any interest in natural resource management activities, Traditional Custodians, local government, industry and government.
In its first seven years (2001-2008) NACC NRM’s work was largely funded through two programs: The National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality (NAP) and the Natural Heritage Trust II (NHT). In turn, those programs were funded through a bilateral agreement between the Australian and Western Australian Governments. The body of work encompassed the priority management interventions identified in the NAR Regional NRM Plan. This work was implemented over three Investment Plans through 20 programs encompassing 117 projects across the region. Average Annual funding during this period was $8-9m.
In 2008 the Australian Government replaced the NAP/NHT programs with the Caring for Our Country program and did not enter into a bilateral agreement with the WA State government. NACC NRM’s annual funding reduced to just under $4m per annum.
As of June 2013 funding for Caring for Our Country program finished and was rebadged as the National Landcare Programme (NLP). This funding enabled continued delivery of NRM projects through to 30 June 2018.
Following a tender process, in July of 2018 a new program, funded under NLP, badged ‘Regional Land Partnerships’ was negotiated between Federal Government and NACC NRM to deliver NRM services via a procurement model. Under this model, NACC NRM has continued to deliver NRM project services for the Federal Government under Regional Land Partnerhsips. In addition, we have delivered outcomes under a range of other state and Federal government programs including Threatened Species Strategy (Cth), Environment Restoration Fund (Cth), Indigenous Advancement Strategy (Cth), Future Drought Fund, State NRM Program (State), Preparing Australian Communities – Community Led (Cth) and Coastwest (State).
What’s behind the name?
NACC is short for the Northern Agricultural Catchments Council. The name represents the holistic nature of the work the organisation does in protecting and repairing the landscape.
A catchment is the area of land that ‘catches’ water, and over which water flows from rainfall, into a river or other wetland. Every piece of land in the world is part of a catchment.
NACC is a representative group of the catchments in the Northern Agricultural Region which include the: Murchison, Hutt, Bowes, Chapman, Greenough, Irwin, Hill and Moore.
Taking a ‘whole of catchment view’ which incorporates all the elements of the landscape (and coast if the catchment runs into the sea) is critical to securing the future of our precious natural resources.
As the pressures facing our environment continue to grow, support of our natural resources is crucial and clear planning for that support is essential.
NACC’s Purpose, Way and Impact Statements
NACC NRM’s Purpose is to ensure that the Northern Agricultural Region community values and actively protects our region’s natural capital, consistent with the Visions and Goals of NARvis.
Our Way, is Catalysing Community Conservation through passionate delivery of collaborative on-ground projects and education.
Our Impact will be that the health of the natural resources and environment of the NAR are improved.
NACC’s Organisational Culture and Values
In delivering our strategic plan NACC NRM will continue to uphold with the highest regard, our positive organisational culture and our commitment to our organisational values.
Passion – For delivering our Purpose, Way and Impact, and for making a lasting positive contribution to our region’s precious and unique natural environment.
Collaboration – Encompassing both teamwork within the organisation, and partnerships with external organisations and the wider community in working towards shared outcomes.
Leadership – Demonstrating initiative and innovation aimed at ensuring that we and our communities thrive and adapt to ever-changing circumstances.
Respect – Acting with integrity, for our natural environment, for colleagues and partners, and for others within the wider community.
Impartiality – Remaining impartial in the way in which we conduct our business and interact with individuals, groups and government and in so doing make informed decisions based on balanced and sound scientific information.
For over a decade NACC has been steering the region towards a sustainable, healthy future. NACC will continue to work in partnership with the community, industry and government to ensure we maintain a vibrant and prosperous region.
The Northern Agricultural Catchments Council (NACC) is one of 56 regional Natural Resource Management (NRM) organisations around Australia, and one of six in Western Australia.
Regional NRMs were established in the early 2000s by the Australian Government to deliver community-based projects to address environmental degradation at a regional or landscape scale.
In the Northern Agricultural Region (NAR) a number of farm and catchment groups had already begun to collaborate across boundaries and, in 1995, formed the Northern Agricultural Integrated Management Strategy (NAIMS). NACC was formed from NAIMS in 2002.
At establishment, each Regional NRM worked extensively with the regional communities to develop a detailed Strategic NRM Plan identifying the natural assets and their threatening processes across the entire region, and identified management actions required to maintain the health of the assets into the future.
In its first seven years NACC’s work was largely funded through two programs: The National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality (NAP) and the Natural Heritage Trust II (NHT). In turn, those programs were funded through a bilateral agreement between the Australian and Western Australian Governments. The body of work encompassed the priority management interventions identified in the NAR Regional NRM Plan. This work was implemented over three Investment Plans through 20 programs encompassing 117 projects across the region. Annual funding averaged $8-9m.
In 2008 the Australian Government replaced the NAP/NHT programs with the Caring for Our Country program, did not enter into a bilateral agreement with the State government, and reduced the funding to just under $4m pa.
As of June 2013 funding for Caring for Our Country program finished and was rebadged as the National Landcare Programme that continued baseline funding for another four years at NACC.
The Directors of NACC NRM have heard the call from First Nations representatives and resolved to support the Uluru Statement from the Heart. We accept the Statement’s invitation for all of us to work together for a better future that connects all Australians.
Click here to read NACC NRM’s endorsement of the Uluru Statement from the Heart.