Issue 108

Dear Chris

We’d like to invite you and anyone who you think may be interested in what’s happening at Wheatbelt NRM to attend our AGM.

Date:  27 October 2011

Time:  10:00 am Morning Tea

10.30 am Start

Venue:  Bridgeley Community Centre

Wellington Street Northam

Everyone is welcome - we just need you to RSVP so that we can cater for you.

At the AGM member groups are being asked to approve some proposed changes to Wheatbelt NRM’s constitution.

The main change removes the specific role of Sub-Catchment Director with some minor changes to ensure consistent language in the Constitution.

Currently if you join as an Associate of Wheatbelt NRM you are asked which one of the 3 sub-catchments of the Avon River Basin: the Avon, Lockhart or Yilgarn, you live in. You could then be part of that Sub-Catchment’s Reference Group. According to our current Constitution each sub catchment reference group is represented at Board by a Sub-Catchment Director. For example Sue Middleton is the current Sub-Catchment Director for the Avon region.  Sue then has one vote at the AGM on behalf of the Avon Sub –Catchment Reference Group.

Last year, we used the sub-regional forums as the Sub-Catchment Reference Groups and we still need to formalise future arrangements.

Sub-catchment Directors and Reference groups were intended to provide opportunity for individual Associates to be involved and to ensure that the diversity of each of the sub-catchments was recognised.  There may be different challenges and opportunities for Natural Resource Management in different areas across the region.

Sub-Catchment reference groups will still have a ‘vote’ at the AGM, but like our Member Organisations they will vote through a registered officer.

This can be a Board Director, an associate or staff member. The Wheatbelt NRM Board will assign the Registered officer.

The number of Board Directors will remain the same and the 3 existing sub-catchment director roles will become general Board Directors.  In line with best practice governance each director comes to the board to make the best informed decisions for the whole of the region and communities.

Unfortunately we have not been able to fill the role of Yilgarn Sub-Catchment Director since Merrilyn Temby completed her service and this is one of the reasons why we believe the change is necessary.

We would appreciate any feedback you have on these changes, prior to the AGM to Natarsha Woods, nwoods@wheatbeltnrm.org.au Natarsha will forward your feedback to the appropriate sub-catchment director.

Alternatively you can email me: chair@wheatbeltnrm.org.au

Regards,

Glenice Batchelor

Click here to view this E-news in your web browser

Events

WHEATBELT NRM FIELD WALKS

Monday 17th October 2011
Commencing at 1pm on the property of George & Pat Hambly
(Qualandary Rd, Brookton ) & continuing at the property of Brian Praetz (North Lomos Rd, Corrigin) at approximately 3pm

HAMBLY FIELD WALK:
Site visit to property to look at 146,000 oil mallees belts planted since 2007 to assist with control of wind erosion.

Presentation by David McFall (Oil Mallee Association) on the design of mallee belts  and future potential uses of Oil Mallees.

Presentation by Dean Revell (CSIRO) on the benefits provided by oil mallee belts in grazing systems.

PRETZ FIELD WALK:
Site visit to property to look at the integration of pasture establishment within tree belts to assist with the control of wind erosion.

Presentation by Brad Nutt (DAFWA) on pasture establishment and the implication of tree belts on subsequent establishment

Afternoon tea to be provided at the property of Brian Praetz
For more information please contact Cheryl Shenton, Shire of Quairading on 9645 0236 or email qshireclc@westnet.com.au to register your attendance.

General News

Successful applicants of the Round 6 of the Soil Conservation Incentive Program announced!

The successful applicants of funding from Wheatbelt NRM’s Round 6 of the Soil Conservation and Incentives Program (SCIP) have been announced. These applicants project’s cover a range of farming practices that will help conserve our soil resource, including planting tree crops, integrating perennial pastures into the farming program, investigating alternative crop management techniques and the use of different soil preparation approaches.

Wheatbelt NRM Program Manager Dr Guy Boggs was enthused with the interest shown by landholders.

‘Round 6 received 64 applications from farmers and grower groups across the Avon Basin, the most applications' received for a funding round since the initiation of SCIP in 2009.

‘The proposal’s submitted were all of an extremely high standard and the final selection of successful projects was a difficult task. In the end, 32 projects were awarded funding, collectively receiving over $400,000 towards the implementation of each project.’  said Dr Boggs.

SCIP has now funded over 100 projects across the Avon River Basin demonstrating techniques that will help address some of the major issues facing our soils. The successful implementation of these projects is no small feat, and the program relies on the on-going support of farmers and assistance from a network of project support officers from across the region, technical experts in each discipline area and project managers from Wheatbelt NRM.

Consultation Report of CFOC Review Released

In February this year the Federal Government invited people to take part in a public discussion about Caring for our Country. Since then, over 4000 community members, stakeholders and governments have provided input through online conversations, formal submissions, video segments, case studies, and face to face meetings.

The key themes from the community consultation are outlined in the in the publications section of this E-news or click on the link below.

Further information go to: www.nrm.gov.au/publications/pubs/the-story-so-far.pdf.

Funding

Bushcare Grants

Do you have a special patch of bush that needs looking after?
Wheatbelt NRM wants to help communities and land holders to protect their local natural areas.

The Wheatbelt NRM Bush care Grants will support community organisations and individuals to manage and undertake on ground works which will manage remnant bush and protect the important biodiversity values of the region.

Grants are available up to the value of $15,000 for works including revegetation, fencing of remnant bush and pest control.

Closing Date:
To be considered for funding applications must be received or postmarked on or before 15th October 2011. Applications received later than this date will be assessed individually pending adequate funds (if any) remaining from the assessment.

Applications close 15th October 2011.

Application form
Click here to download the application form

For more information
Please contact Mick Davis on 9690 2250 or email mdavis@wheatbeltnrm.org.au

Be Natural Landcare Grants

Landcare Australia and Be Natural are pleased to launch a $125,000 grants program that will provide funding to voluntary environmental community groups across Australia. This grants program will enable groups to continue their great work in tackling local environmental issues by providing funding to help with the continuation of on-going projects.

The Be Natural Landcare grants program will provide grants of up to $5,000 to 25 local groups to help with the projects which have not received funding in the last 12 months. Through the grants program, groups will also be encouraged to find innovative ways of attracting more volunteers to their group and projects.

The grants are open to any community, environmental volunteer group that falls under the Landcare umbrella including Bushcare, Dunecare, Rivercare, ‘Friends of’ groups, and groups of farmers that embrace sustainable farm management.

Applications for the Be Natural Landcare grants will close on October 10th. Please see links to the grants criteria and application forms below.

Click here to download the Be Natural grant criteria

Click here to download the Be Natural grant application form

Click here for more information.

Opportunities

Community Assessors

Community Assessors

various locations, Australia-wide

Be your community's voice on sustainable resource funding.

Community assessors play a vital role in helping decide where funds should be invested under a variety of Australian Government sustainable natural resource management initiatives.

Community assessors need to have broad local community knowledge and networks, together with either:

• detailed knowledge of or experience working with natural resource management in Indigenous communities
• extensive experience working or volunteering in a natural resource management role
• technical or scientific understanding in the areas of environmental protection, conservation or sustainable agriculture (including practices to abate the emissions of greenhouse gas from the agricultural sector or bio-sequestration of soil carbon).

Further information: www.daff.gov.au/communityassessors

Applications close 8am Wednesday 26 October 2011.

Publications

Caring for our Country review - The Story So Far

Caring for our Country is an Australian Government initiative that aims to protect and manage our environment and productive lands sustainably.

In February 2011 the government invited people to take part in a public discussion about Caring for our Country - what works well, what we can do better, or completely new ideas.

Since then, we have heard from over 4000 community members, stakeholders and governments through online conversations, formal submissions, video segments, case studies, and face to face meetings.

The Story So Far - consultation summary report (PDF - 2.7MB)

ABARES Report – Options for On-farm Mitigation of Greenhouse Gases in Australia

The Australian Bureau of Agricultural & Resource Economics & Science (ABARES) recently released this report which while general in nature should provide a useful resource. It covers issues such as;

• Land use patterns in Australia
• Sources and sinks of rural greenhouse gases
• Options for on-farm mitigation
• Emissions abatement potential
• Challenges for mitigation and incentives

To download the publication please click here

Focus On

Avon Arc Environmental Planning Project - outcomes released

Summarised presentation by Dr Elizabeth Kington

The Avon Arc Environmental Planning Project aimed to develop water management planning and policies for the rural towns that directly impact on the Avon River, ensuring priority asset protection, particularly in the face of recent peri-urban development pressures on the river system

Key Outcomes

• Towns in the Avon Arc are point source contributors, delivering approx. 8% of total total phosphorus in the Avon River at Toodyay (Northam ~4.2%, Toodyay ~ 1.1% and York ~ 2.5%).
• Combined, the 3 towns generate total phosphorus equivalent to approximately 110,000 ha of agricultural land.
• Avon Arc towns deliver 100 x the nutrient load per unit area when compared to agricultural land.
• The Mortlock River has a high concentration of nutrients compared to other tributaries, however the nutrient discharge per unit area throughout the Avon Arc is consistent and a function of landuse.
• The Mortlock system delivers the same nutrient load per unit area as the rest of the Avon Arc, it’s just less diluted.

Summary of outcomes

• Towns are significant contributor of nutrients and in particular total phosphorus.
• Where proposed urban and peri-urban development  (whilst highly unlikely all proposed developments will come into effect) in the future proceeds it is likely to result in potential doubling of total phosphorus discharge from towns.
• Nutrient discharge from agricultural land ocurs at a low level of concentration, and appears not to be greatly influenced by rainfall variation within the Avon Arc.  Nutrient discharge from agricultural land is likely to be simply a function of landuse.
• River pools within towns and downstream are eutrophic.  The river and in particular river pools are important in buffering nutrients and remobilisation of sediments during large river flows is likely to be significant.
• Implementation of better urban water management within new developments is critical to achieving positive outcomes for nutrient management.

This project is a partnership between the Department of Water, WA Planning Commission, Shires of Toodyay, York and Northam and Wheatbelt NRM with works performed by Hydrogeologist Matt Guirado.