NACC flying high after successful national audit

The Board and team at NACC NRM are on “cloud nine” this month after the organisation was ranked among the best NRM groups in the country during a recent assessment and audit of its operations by the Department of the Environment and Energy (DEE).

The audit assessed the standards of NACC’s delivery of the Australian Government’s National Landcare Programme across a wide range of performance criteria – including organisational governance; financial governance; regional NRM planning; community participation and engagement; monitoring and evaluation, and reporting.

The assessment and subsequent audit is being undertaken with all 56 NRM organisations across Australia using a standard Performance Framework for Regional NRM Organisations.

NACC CEO Richard McLellan said he was confident before the assessment and audit that NACC was operating at a very high standard, but was extremely pleased and proud of the results of the assessment and audit.

“I’m really proud of the team at NACC – who deserve the credit for the organisation getting such an excellent result,” he said.

“The high levels of performance recorded in all the assessed criteria in the audit are a direct result of the high levels of passion, professionalism, dedication, and accountability put in day-after-day by all of the team. I’m extremely proud of them.”

Mr McLellan said the aim of the audit was to validate NACC’s initial assessment against 20 standard criteria, and to identify specific areas of excellence that could be shared with other regional NRM bodies in the NRM sector’s quest for continual improvement.

NACC scored “20 out of 20” in the initial assessment – which was confirmed by the independent audit according to the Department: “It can be concluded that NACC currently meets all audited expected practices,” said the auditors in their final report.

Rolan Deutekom, NACC Social Science Research Officer / MERI Coordinator, who coordinated the audit exercise from NACC’s end said it was quite “an in-depth exercise” that drilled-down into many of the organisation’s policies, processes, delivery and outcomes.

“I’m pleased to report that NACC passed with flying colours,” he said.

Mr Deutekom said it took significant time and effort to compile the requested evidence to support the assessment for the audit, but that it was reaffirming for the organisation to be able to so comprehensively inform the federal government just how well the organisation was performing.

“This fits well with NACC’s values of accountability, professionalism, and excellence,” he said.

“I’m proud to state that I work for an organisation where no points of improvement were noted, and instead, best practices identified.”

The latter included the development of the NACC NRM region’s Regional Plan (NARvis) http://www.narvis.com.au/; its environmental monitoring app Photomon http://www.nacc.com.au/project/beach-photo-monitoring/; its high levels of community engagement; and its use of communications – especially its use of social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter to engage and inform its audiences, and to extend its activities and operations.

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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.