Halfway Through the Regional Drought Resilience Plan for the Mid West!

Home 🞂 Newsroom 🞂 Halfway Through the Regional Drought Resilience Plan for the Mid West!

Winding up towards the end of 2021, NACC NRM, DPIRD and the Mid West Development Commission are taking a breath and looking back on the progress so far in developing a new drought resilience plan for our region. Read more to find out how you can get involved over the next six months.

It is abundantly clear that the community in the City of Greater Geraldton and the Shires of Chapman Valley and Northampton recognise the role that drought plays in their lives and are working hard to ensure that they are as prepared as possible for the next major drought. There has been loads of interest in the Regional Drought Resilience Planning Program (the RDRP) from farmers, Aboriginal organisations, agribusinesses and local government. We are hoping for a plan that really represents the needs and interest of the regional community when it comes to drought resilience, and positions us all well to take advantage of upcoming funding opportunities under the federal Future Drought Fund (FDF).

The project team have been working hard to make sure that our drought resilience planning activities are coordinated with the other regions in WA (Great Southern and Wheatbelt) that are also developing drought plans in this foundation year of the RDRP. We are in regular contact with the SW WA Drought Hub,  DPIRD, the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation and CSIRO to make sure that we are up-to-date with other drought-related opportunities for our region under the FDF, including tools for accessing Better Climate Information, opportunities for Drought Resilience Leadership Training and Mentoring and grants for Building Resilient Communities and promoting Drought Resilient Soils and Landscapes (closing 11 Jan 2022). And we are looking for ways to link in with, learn from and support the other drought-focused, sustainable agriculture initiative in the region, such as Beyond Reasonable Drought (FDF) and the Chapman Catchment Regeneration Project (State NRM), and through formal agreements with Mid West Horticultural Growers Group, Mullewa Drylands Farming Initiative, Northern Agri Group, Northern Biosecurity Group and Yuna Farm Improvement Group.

We have been out and about in the region over last couple of months and, so far, 196 of you had your say on identifying impacts of drought in our region and reviewing responses that have been implemented in the past. You have engaged through your participation in the Mid West Regional Drought Resilience Project Advisory Group or the Councils of the participating Shires, your interviews with Anna and Rachel at your properties or your attendance at either the recent agribusiness event in Geraldton or the Mid West Aboriginal Ranger Program workshop in Walkaway.

Thank you for your interest and feedback! Over the coming month, after a bit of break over Christmas, we will be using what we have learned from you and our analyses of the available data to write a drought risk assessment to inform the Mid West drought resilience plan. In the new year, we will check with all of you as we begin to identify priority drought resilience projects and pull all of this together into a community-led plan. Until then, have a Happy Christmas and a lively New Year and we will see you in 2022.

For more information, please visit the Future Drought Fund website, DPIRD Drought Resilience Program website, Regional Drought Resilience Planning webpage or contact NACC NRM’s Senior Conservation Planning Officer, Dr Amanda Bourne (0474 652 595; amanda.bourne@nacc.com.au).

This program is jointly funded through the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund and the WA Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development.

Dr. Amanda Bourne – Senior Conservation Planning 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.