Resources for Drought Resilience Plan in the Mid West

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We have recently completed a summary of drought policies and programs in Western Australia and an overview of population demographics  and drought risk priorities for the three LGAs participating in the Future Drought Fund Regional Drought Resilience Planning Program in the Mid West.

NACC NRM, DPIRD and the Mid West Development Commission are working with the City of Greater Geraldton and the Shires of Chapman Valley and Northampton to plan ahead for dealing with drought. Crisis management and financial assistance policies focused on drought response and recovery are commonly used around the world but drought relief packages have been a source of tension in some areas. They are often seen by recipients as ‘too little, too late’ or as over-complicated and difficult to access. Drought resilience measures that promote self-reliance and preparedness are generally preferred by farmers, industry and government agencies. Globally, and in Australia, policies have shifted towards developing early warning systems and proactive risk management strategies that build resilience to drought.

Drought impacts can be significant, affecting communities, the economy and the environment. The last major drought in the region occurred in 2006 and 2007. Reduction in household income, financial hardship and a drop in financial position were three major economic impacts experienced by the local community during the last drought. Environmental impacts included irreversible damage to soil and vegetation, leading to dust storms and a loss of top soil, soil nutrients, organic matter and soil carbon. Social impacts included permanent loss of services in regional areas, loss of employment opportunities and negative physical and mental health impacts. Some existing factors that might make these communities more vulnerable to the impacts of drought include low family incomes, low levels of internet connectivity, high numbers of juvenile convictions and prison admissions, poor air quality and high heat vulnerability (days over 38 degrees).

Very large investments are currently being made into proactive resilience-building activities in order to limit the negative impacts of future droughts. A recent report by Anna Dixon Consulting identifies at least 10 international, 42 national, 20 state and 10 local agencies involved in drought research, preparedness, response and recovery, including the World Health Organisation, ABARES, Western Australian Farmer’s Federation and local grower groups. The report also includes a non-exhaustive list of approximately 50 programs that can support communities to plan and prepare for, respond effectively to and recover from drought, including the World Meteorological Organisation’s Climate Services Program, Rural Financial Counselling Services and Future Drought Fund.  

At the local scale, the main land use in three LGAs participating in the Regional Drought Resilience Planning Program is broadacre agriculture. Agriculture accounts for approximately half the total value of the economy and half of all employment in the Shire of Chapman Valley and about a third of these measures in the Shire of Northampton. The City of Greater Geraldton has a more diversified economy and agriculture contributes to about 5% of economic output and employment. While agriculture makes up only a small proportion of the overall economic output in Greater Geraldton, the size of annual output from this sector is larger than the other two participating LGAs and is valued at $334.74 million. Drought assistance measures in Western Australia (WA) are guided by the National Drought Agreement and a number of state and regional development strategies. To successfully mitigate and adapt to increasingly frequent and severe drought over the long term and increase productivity, this region is looking into alternative production systems and better decision-making tools for broadacre farmers, while also supporting pastoral leaseholders to become more viable by diversifying their income sources.

Map: Land uses in the Mid West region.

For more information, or to view the full report put together by Anna Dixon Consulting, please visit the Mid West Regional Drought Resilience Planning webpage or contact NACC NRM’s Sustainable Agriculture team.

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.