Demonstrating innovation in agriculture in the Northern Agricultural Region

Over the past four years, farmers, grower groups, and industry groups have been working with NACC to demonstrate innovation and sustainable farming practices on agricultural land across the Northern Agricultural Region.
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Over the past four years, farmers, grower groups, and industry groups have been working with NACC to demonstrate innovation and sustainable farming practices on agricultural land across the Northern Agricultural Region.

Funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program has enabled NACC to provide grants ranging from $4,000 to $30,000, and support 36 farm demonstration projects across 103 sites, and 85 different properties in the region.

Cover crop in a citrus plantation in February 2016. Photo credit: Neil Lantzke

“It has been an incredibly successful project,” said NACC Sustainable Agriculture Project Manager Sarah Jeffery who coordinates the demonstrations.

“I feel so incredibly lucky to have been involved in helping to get new and innovative projects off the ground.”

Throughout this project, some $814,254 has made its way back to the community to catalyse and support sustainable agriculture outcomes.

Incorporating lime into acidic sandplain subsoils on Will Browne's property as part of WMG project. Photo credit Ben and Sean Plozza
Incorporating lime into acidic sandplain subsoils on Will Browne’s property as part of WMG project. Photo credit Ben and Sean Plozza

NACC has worked with individual farmers, as well as with local and regional groups including the Liebe Group, West Midlands Group, Evergreen Farming, North East Farming Futures, Mingenew Irwin Group, Moore Catchment Council, WA Citrus, Southern Mango Growers, Western Citrus Alliance, and a number of businesses including Energy Farmers Australia, Spartel Pty Ltd, and Equii. The collaborations have also involved state and national organisations, such as Greening Australia.

Projects that have been funded over the last four years have included perennial grasses, liming, biochar, nitrogen leaching, poultry litter compost, dung beetles, and native grasses and shrubs.

Seeding at the VRT trial in Buntine. Photo credit: AFGRI Australia, Liebe Group and Mike Dodd

“These grants have enabled groups and individuals to innovate and share their knowledge with others – to help overcome some of the challenges that agriculture faces in the NAR,” said Sarah.

“Continued innovation and sustainable use of our natural resources in the farming sector will ensure we can successfully farm into the future, and that agriculture will continue to be a key driver in the region’s economy”

For a full list of projects and available reports see the NACC Demonstration page at: https://www.nacc.com.au/project/farm-demonstrations/

This project is supported by NACC through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program.

 

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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.