Cyclone Seroja: The Road to Recovery

Home 🞂 Newsroom 🞂 Cyclone Seroja: The Road to Recovery

Our thoughts are with everybody throughout the Northern Agricultural Region who have been impacted by TC Seroja. If there is anything we can do to help, please get in contact with your RALF team.

There are a few avenues currently available for financial relief, each with its own eligibility requirements. We have compiled some details here for you:

The Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment (AGDRP) provides one-off financial assistance to eligible Australians adversely affected by Tropical Cyclone Seroja.

The rate of AGDRP is $1000 per eligible adult and $400 per eligible child. This support is available for people who have been seriously injured; have lost their homes; whose homes have been directly damaged; whose major assets have been directly damaged; or are the immediate family members of a person who has died as a direct result of Tropical Cyclone Seroja. You have until 15 October 2021 to lodge a claim for AGDRP in the local government areas of Carnamah, Chapman Valley, Greater Geraldton, Mingenew, Morawa, Northampton, Perenjori and Three Springs. The easiest way to apply is to contact the Australian Government Information Hotline on 180 22 66 for claims assistance.  For more information on eligibility, visit the Services Australia website: https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/tropical-cyclone-seroja-april-2021-australian-government-disaster-recovery-payment

As part of Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements WA (DRFAWA), relief measures are available to assist in meeting the needs of primary producers whose assets or primary production business has been affected by a disaster for which the DRFA have been invoked. It does not replace private insurance but may be helpful for some instances:

https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/emergency-response/disaster-recovery-funding-arrangements

There are several eligibility requirements, but there is assistance in certain cases for:

  • Professional advice (reimbursement of fees where advice was sought as a direct result of the disaster)
  • Interest rate subsidy -may be available for new loans to repair/replace assets that have been damaged or destroyed. 
  • Freight subsidy- Reimbursement to the primary producer to a maximum of 50% of the costs of transporting any of the following items as a direct result of the disaster; Livestock, Fodder or water for livestock, and Building or fencing equipment or machinery. 
  • Fencing reimbursement

See here for further information: https://www.dfes.wa.gov.au/recovery/Pages/Primary-Producers.aspx. Submissions are to be made online, by the 14th October 2021.

Western Power have extended their regular outage payment, doubling it for those who have been without power for more than 48 hours due to the cyclone. The rebate is now $160. Claims need to be submitted online:

https://www.westernpower.com.au/faults-outages/make-a-claim/extended-outage/

Widespread damaged remnant vegetation has occurred as a result of Seroja, and extensive work will need to be done for vegetation to regenerate. We have spoken to Ian Pulbrook of Greenoil Nursery in Mingenew, who had a couple of suggestions for land managers who have lost a lot of trees through remnant vegetation patches on their properties. There has been a lot of seed dispersal as a result of falling branches and trees, which given the right conditions should germinate and kick start the bush land recovery process. If you’re keen to help this along, excluding stock from the areas where you can until new saplings are bigger will yield benefits. There is also likely to be a large flush of weeds through thes areas.If you are able to carry out some weed control in the bushland later this yearwill also reduce the weed seed bank.

For anybody already thinking about planting trees in 2022, we are more than happy to provide advice where we can. If you have areas of remnant vegetation that you would like to protect please get in touch with NACC NRM to see if your area fits the criteria for fencing or revegetation incentives under some of our current projects. 

Blaze Aid Assistance for fencing

Blaze Aid have provided assistance for fencing and have passed on a message from their incredible team.

Hi everyone, Blazeaid will be setting up a base camp at Yuna to assist farmers, initially to restore fencing. Please register with the Shire or with us directly if you would like our help, particularly if you have stock to contain. We’re compiling information about the areas that are affected and plan to start working on May 1st. If we have sufficient volunteers, we will help farmers with anything they need.

We are looking forward to working with the community.

Kind regards,

Ed- 0427614540 

Judy- 0427614546

If you would like Blazeaid to help in your community, please contact Ed or Judy. They will need to establish somewhere locally to set up a base camp so speak to your community too.

From our farms to yours, we wish you a speedy recovery and a smooth seeding season.

Annabelle Garratt & Lizzie King – Regional Agriculture Landcare Facilitators

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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.