CEO Blog: A Year of Highs & Lows

Home 🞂 Newsroom 🞂 CEO Blog: A Year of Highs & Lows

Last week, NACC NRM held our 2023 Annual General Meeting where staff, board, members, and community came together to reflect on the 2022-23 financial year. I would like to share with you a recap of the year; a journey filled with challenges, milestones, and the unwavering spirit that defines NACC NRM.

The past financial year presented NACC NRM with a unique set of challenges and opportunities. One of the standout achievements was the successful delivery of our five-year funding program, the Regional Land Partnerships, thanks to support from the Australian Government. This was a groundbreaking model for all NRM organisations across Western Australia and Australia. We are proud to share that we managed the associated risks effectively, delivering an extensive range of proposed project services.

While we exceeded most project goals, one ambitious target remained elusive: having the Malleefowl delisted as a threatened species. However, our efforts had a positive impact and contributed to the species’ trajectory in alignment with national-scale conservation ambitions.

Our engagement with the Australian Government’s five-year procurement program was an educational journey. It not only allowed us to gain invaluable insights, but it also provided opportunities to grow as an organisation. We are grateful for the lessons learned and the ways in which these lessons have empowered us to better serve our community and region.

In October of 2022, we realised a long-standing dream – a permanent base of operations in the NACC NRM Enterprise Hub. This move, however, was bittersweet. We celebrated our achievement, moving into the building while still mourning the loss of our beloved Corporate Services Manager, Mr. Tom Maina, who was passionate about this strategic idea.

The Enterprise Hub is not just a building; it represents strategic opportunities. It provides us with a space to transition between programs, while acting as an asset for generating revenue to support future regional NRM projects. We aspire to develop the Hub into a community centre for NRM and environmental innovation, with plans for exciting events, workshops, and more.

In November of 2022, NACC NRM was recognised at the Mid West Chamber of Commerce & Industries Business Excellence Awards. We were grateful to have been presented three awards; the Aboriginal Engagement award, Not-for-Profit award, and most momentous, the Business of the Year award. Receiving these awards was a reminder of the NACC NRM team’s hard work and achievements, made possible through support from our members, partners, and community.

The past financial year was full of achievements. From safeguarding endemic threatened flora species to confirming the northernmost breeding population of Carnaby’s Black Cockatoos, our efforts were fruitful. We also continued our support for coastal biodiversity and ecosystems. Additionally, our focus on natural capital and carbon markets will empower us to provide better support to landholders facing emerging challenges.

As we move forward, we remain dedicated to our purpose: ensuring that the Northern Agricultural Region community values and actively protects our natural assets. We are prepared to navigate the challenges that lie ahead in the 2023-24 financial year. Our efforts in the realm of natural capital, environmental social governance, and nature markets will create opportunities for positive environmental outcomes in the region.

NACC NRM CEO Katherine Allen with NACC NRM’s current Board.

This year’s AGM saw us farewell two current NACC NRM Board Directors, Robert Keogh and Miriam Stanborough. We extend our thanks to Rob and Miriam who have each made valuable contributions to NACC NRM during their term on the Board, and wish them all the best in their future endeavours. In particular, I would like to acknowledge Dr Robert Keogh’s contribution as Chair of NACC NRM from 2015 to 2022.

Following their departure, we are pleased to welcome two new Directors, Will Easton and Catherine Galli, whose four-year term on the Board commenced at the AGM.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to our members, the Board, and the NACC NRM team for their unwavering support. Your commitment and resilience have been instrumental in making our journey through the 2022-23 financial year a success, despite its complexities. Your continued support is greatly appreciated; thank you.

Check out the 2022/2023 Annual Reports webpage for a full rundown of the financial year.

Katherine Allen – CEO

Share

We'd Love to Hear From You!

Your feedback is important to us. If you have suggestions, questions, or would like to get involved in Natural Resource Management, please use the form below or contact our Geraldton office. We’re here to listen and help

Contact Us

Geraldton Office

4 Walton Close, Geraldton
Post: PO Box 7168, Geraldton, 6531
Phone: (08) 9938 0100
Office hours: 8:30am to 4:30pm

Forms

Expression of Interest Form 🞂

Suggest a Project Form 🞂

Membership Form 🞂

Donations Form 🞂

Contacts

NACC Board Members 🞂

NACC Staff 🞂

NRM Bodies & Groups 🞂

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.