Give me a home among the gum trees

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They can provide a wind break, control insect and pests, help fight rising water tables, prevent soil erosion, and provide valuable seeds.

They are the Eucalypt Woodlands of the Western  Australian Wheatbelt, and sadly, they were recently dubbed ‘critically endangered’.

The Australia Government’s Department of Environment has recently listed the Eucalypt Woodlands of the Western Australian Wheatbelt as a critically endangered ecological community under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation 1999 Act (EPBC Act).

woodlands
Picture: Wheatbelt Tourism

The Eucalypt woodlands, as they are more commonly known as, are characterised by a range of eucalypt species, including iconic wheatbelt trees such as Eucalyptus salmonophloia (salmon gum), E. loxophleba subsp.loxophleba (York gum), E salubris (gimlet), E. longicornis (red morrel), E. wandoo (wandoo) and various species of mallet, among other eucalypt species.

The understorey is highly variable, both in structure and species composition, and can be shrubby, herbaceous, grassy, chenopod or samphire dominated, or almost bare.

Eucalypts form an integral part of the Australian identity with the bush and the Wheatbelt Woodlands, a signature natural asset that characterise the broad Wheatbelt landscape.

They are important to local communities, landholders, Indigenous people such as Noongar and Yamatji people. They also provide vital habitat for our region’s unique flora and fauna (some of which are now threatened, such as the Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo).

Eucalypt woodlands were formerly widespread, occurring as extensive stands, across the wheatbelt.

Due to intensive land clearing, the woodlands now exist as mostly small, widely scattered fragments. Woodland trees are no longer replacing themselves in many sites, and the loss of woodland tree cover has contributed to serious problems of salinity, erosion and altered local climate patterns.

What we are doing?

Since NACC’s inception in the early 2000’s we have been working in partnership with local farmers to protect the Wheatbelt Woodlands. And as chance would have it, NACC’s CEO, Richard McLellan, launched WWF’s Woodland Watch in 2000.

Woodland Watch, was a unique working partnership between WWF, NACC, Wheatbelt NRM, state and federal government, rural landholders and communities across the Northern Agricultural Region and the Avon Basin of WA’s Wheatbelt.

Woodland Watch flora survey data is lodged on DPaW’s FloraBase website for easy and open public access to all data http://florabase.calm.wa.gov.au/wwatch

NACC has continued to work with NAR farmers over the years, and still today, to protect woodlands through our Biodiversity Program and remnant vegetation incentive schemes.
Stay tuned to NACC Notes and NACC’s Facebook page for more information about what this TEC listing means for the Wheatbelt Woodlands and the people in our region.

 

“The Wheatbelt of Western Australia is pure eucalypt county.
The landscape is dominated by its distinctive outlines on the hilltops, on granite outcrops, on the broad valley floors, on the sandplains and around lakes. They are ever present…”
(Extract from Eucalypts of Western Australia’s Wheatbelt, by Malcom French)

 

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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.