Lots of learning at the 2017 State NRM and Coastal Conference

It’s just as well the WA State NRM and Coastal Conference only comes around every two years, as there’s a lot to learn and absorb from the intense four days of presentations, posters, meetings, events, exhibits and corridor conversations.

NACC was once again well represented at this year’s conference, with all of the NACC presentations and contributions being well received by delegates. It was great to see so many familiar faces from the region on show at Curtin University – with a number of colleagues from local NRM, Landcare and Coastcare groups also in attendance. NACC provided assistance for some of our local community representatives to attend the conference – including Jude Sutherland from the Yarra Yarra Catchment Management Group and Anna Maxted of the Mingenew Irwin Group. Jude and Anna’s attendance was supported by NACC’s Regional Landcare Facilitator Stanley Yokwe, through funding provided by the National Landcare Programme.

Chuffed to have been asked to wear a “Gold Hat” @ #NRMcoastWA17 – to report back in the final plenary re the conference & state of NRM in WA pic.twitter.com/zplKmmY8Tx

— Richard McLellan (@RichardMcLellan) August 29, 2017

NACC CEO Richard McLellan, who chaired one of the sessions and presented a final plenary summary of the conference, said it was an excellent conference – and a very good one for NACC and our partners in particular. Richard singled-out for praise, the team at Moore Catchment Council – who took-out the Landcare Community Group Award at the WA Landcare Awards.

Richard also saluted long-term NACC partners Batavia Coast Maritime Institute (at Central Regional TAFE) who won a Coastcare Award for On-ground Coastal Management.

The team from Batavia Coast Maritime Institute.

NACC’s very own national award-winning Coastal and Marine team was also finalist at the Coastcare groups section of the WA Awards – but was unfortunately pipped at the post on the night. Program leader Mic Payne said it was an honour just to be a finalist, and thanked the WA Landcare Network for their nomination.

A number of NACC staff gave presentations, for example on Estuary Monitoring, Boxthorn removal and Aboriginal engagement and participation, – or presented conference posters – along with other partners from the region, including the Carnamah Landcare Group (Paulina Wittwer), Moore Catchment Council (Rachel Walmsley), the Conservation Council of WA (Nic Dunlop), the Batavia Coast Maritime Institute (Maryke Gray and Colin Johnson), and the Yarra Yarra Catchment Management Group (Jude Sutherland). (See Jude’s reflections on the conference here.)

Richard expressed thanks to everyone from the NACC NRM region who represented our collective effort in NRM, Landcare and Coastcare, biodiversity conservation and sustainable agriculture. He especially singled-out Carnamah landcare Group convenor Paulina Wittwer, who said during her presentation: “We couldn’t operate without NACC. They’re a great support.”

Other key delegates included NACC partners from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Programme, WA state government agencies, the WA Landcare Network, and all seven WA NRM groups (NRM_WA).

Key Take-home Messages

In his summation of the conference, Richard said there were a number of recurring strong messages over the four days of the conference, which included:

The importance of having Aboriginal people participating and partnering in NRM, reconnecting to country and bringing their unique perspective to NRM.
The power of story-telling, of sharing knowledge, experience and lessons learned.
The need for work to be done at multiple scales: Local, Regional, State and National.
The importance and power of collaboration, of partnerships and working together, and the need for cross-regional collaboration on landscape-scale activities.
The power of Passion and Perseverance – especially by the many volunteers and community members who support landcare and Coastcare groups.
The massive cumulative impact of local groups and individuals. “Every little bit helps.”
The need to communicate the value and the benefits of our natural capital, and our efforts to better protect and manage it.
Coastal Hazard Risk Management (CHRMAP) continues to dominate coastal conference content as planners across the state come to grips with the implications of rising sea levels and increasing storm intensity predicted by climate change.

WA Threatened Species Forum

With the conference over at the end of last week, the NACC team’s attention immediately swung-over the WA Threatened Species Forum – which will be held in Geraldton this week – 7-8 September – at the Queens Park Theatre.

See details here, or follow the event via NACC’s Facebook and Twitter accounts, the latter via the event hashtag: #TSforumWA

Tagged BCMI, NACC NRM, WA State NRM Conference

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CEO’s Report

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.