Girls Rule the Roost!

Spring has been a busy season for the Murchison population of Carnaby’s Cockatoos, with the NACC NRM Biodiversity team completing another trip to the area and successfully banding four female birds and one male!
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2025 marks the fourth year of banding the northern-most population of these endangered, endemic birds. The NACC NRM Biodiversity team were joined by Australian Black Cockatoo Specialists’, Rick Dawson, who has banded thousands of cockatoo nestlings across their range of southwest WA. Also lending a hand were dedicated Birdlife Midwest-Geraldton volunteer (and local Carnaby’s champion) Heather Beswick, Western Mulga Aboriginal Rangers, Shane Baron and Isaiah Mourambine, and station owner Belinda and her team.

After a beautiful night camped at Murchison House Station, overlooking the Murchison River, the team headed out early, welcomed by blue skies and birdsong. Monitoring surveys conducted in the weeks prior meant the team knew exactly which hollows were housing nestlings who should be old enough to band. Nestlings must be at least four weeks old, to avoid the band slipping off the foot and causing injury.

It was fortunate timing, with a few nestlings only days away from fledging (leaving the nest), aged around 75 days. Other data recorded includes weight, sex and which hollow the nestling was in. DNA is also collected in the form of a few feathers. This data is linked to the unique number stamped onto the band, allowing it to be identified, should the bird and band be observed in the future.

Although the banding program is in its fourth year, this is the third trip with chicks successfully banded – the harsh conditions of Spring/Summer of 2023/2024 left Carnaby’s without the resources required for a fruitful breeding season.

Interestingly, this year saw four females and one male receive bands, compared to four males banded in 2022. After moderate winter rains, this year’s cohort appeared in good health, with one chick having already fledged and another only a few days shy of the minimum banding age. Now it’s all eyes to the sky looking for those bands to hopefully observe a Murchison-born cockatoo, or perhaps a visitor from a banding site further south. Hot tip for birders – the band will be on the left foot as all black cockatoos are left-handed!

Thanks to all those who helped make the 2025 banding trip a success, especially Rick for his tireless efforts across the southwest, and the Murchison House Station crew who have worked hard to watch over this special group of birds.

As the weather warms and nesting season draws to a close, the final monitoring surveys for the year are being planned. You can help us learn more about Carnaby’s Cockatoo movements by submitting lucky snaps of a banded bird or logging observations with Birdlife Australia’s ‘Birdata’. Alternatively, take part in a Great Cocky Count happening near you on 12 April 2026!

This project is jointly funded by the Australian Government Natural Heritage Trust and NACC NRM, a member of the Commonwealth Regional Delivery Partners panel. 

Josh Burney – Biodiversity/ Coastal & Marine Project Officer

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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.