This update represents just a handful among the hundreds of NRM projects happening across Australia, which are made possible through funding from the Australian Government and respective State/Territory governments.
Thirty-six First Nations People met in Rockhampton in February to establish a collective Traditional Custodian-led voice to address representation and participation in Cultural Natural Resource Management.
Two representatives from each of the 17 First Nation groups in the Fitzroy region, connected by Tunuba (the Fitzroy River Basin), were invited to participate in a workshop. The invited First Nation representatives, a working group comprised of First Nation representatives from three groups in the region, and independent consultants met to collaborate and define the vision, goals and functions, governance structure and terms of reference for the regional voice.
The workshop was an important step towards ensuring that First Nations People are intrinsically involved in protecting and caring for Central Queensland.
Critically endangered Western Ringtail possums will be able to travel safely across Cape Naturaliste Drive in Dunsborough, WA. A new rope-bridge has been installed by South West Catchments Council (SWCC). SWCC conducted spotlighting surveys and worked with the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, and City of Busselton to find the best location for the bridge.
While the possums seem very present within the Dunsborough area, they are in fact at risk of extinction due to human settlements being built throughout their limited habitat range. The rope-bridge will provide a link between the Marri Reserve to bushland preventing predation, car strikes and electrocution by powerlines. It will link diverse genetic groups of the Western Ringtail possum.
The soil moisture probe network in Wimmera, Victoria, is to be expanded, with dryland farmers, agronomists, plant breeders and emergency services among those that will benefit from the extra 72 moisture probes.
Wimmera CMA are coordinating the region-wide installation of probes and stations across 30,000 square kilometres with funding received from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund.
Data collected from the probes will provide real time readings to farmers, including soil moisture, air temperature, soil temperature, dew point, humidity and rain fall.
A Glenlofty prime land producer said “with the extensive network we’ve got, even if the data is not right on your place, you can still glean good local information that helps with your decisions”.
Pictured: Soil moisture probe and weather station
Applications are now open for Green Adelaide’s popular Youth Coastal Ambassadors program, with students in years 8 and 9 encouraged to apply. The program sees 32 students accepted for a free, 2-day program, which runs in Port Noarlunga during the April school holidays. The program is for students who are passionate about Adelaide’s coast and marine environment and helps them to learn about and help look after it.
Topics covered in this year’s program include marine ecology, environments and organisms of the Adelaide coast, pathways for study and marine conservation and Tirkandi – Country, Culture and Connection with Burka-Senior Man Karl Winda Telfer.
Image credit: Stefan Andrews, Ocean Imaging
Murray Local Land Services has warned Murray landholders to watch for and report locusts, due to the abundance of grass and vegetation available this season.
Locust activity has been slowly increasing across the Murray, with some banding already observed. Bands are small at this stage and likely hard to see due to the amount of vegetation in paddocks, however reporting is essential to manage the issue.
Local Land Services biosecurity staff are trained in the identification of locust biology and control, and are available to help landholders implement control measures with advice and pesticides.
Around 30 exhibitors from across Australia will arrive on Kangaroo Island in early March for the KI Farming Tools and Tech Field Day at Cygnet River Racecourse.
Organised by the Kangaroo Island Landscape Board (KILB) and Agriculture Kangaroo Island (AGKI) the free, tech-focused event will highlight the latest cutting-edge tools and tech in the agricultural world.
The event will include demonstrations of the Australian Wool Industry Catch and Drag Module that reduces physical effort for shearers, as well as virtual presentations from AgriWebb, CiboLabs, P2P Agri and MaiaGrazing during the event.
A roundtable with community, regional and government representatives on Waiben (Thursday Island) has continued dialogue from last year’s Ministerial Roundtable on Climate Change in the Torres Strait.
The Roundtable was an important step in establishing the Torres Strait Climate Centre of Excellence which builds on cooperative climate action for First Nations Australians.
Torres Strait Regional Authority (TSRA) Chairperson Napau Pedro Stephen AM said the meeting reaffirmed a shared commitment to progress the federally funded Centre, which will connect traditional knowledge, lived experience and Western science to design and identity climate action in communities across the Torrest Strait.
Read more about the work being done here.
Pictured: Roundtable representatives on Waiben
Revegetation of the Kolan River bank near Avondale is underway to prevent erosion and reduce sediment flowing into the Great Barrier Reef. The Burnett Mary Regional Group (BMRG) received funding from the Australian Government’s Reef Trust to improve water quality, restore habitat and protect endangered species.
Indigenous-owned enterprise Gidarjil Development Corporation is revegetating the site using mangrove plants and seed stock grown at their Burnett Heads nursery. Green Solutions Wide Bay supplied mulch for spreading on top of the bank to slow weed growth, promote soil health, and retain moisture.
A group of project staff from NRM South, the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens, and volunteers from Threatened Plants Tasmania are visiting a small parcel of rough, windswept coastline near Southport to collect fresh seed from an exceptionally rare plant species known as Southport heath. The coastline is the only place in the world Southport heath grows in the wild, meaning it’s under serious threat from factors including weeds, root rot disease, fire and browsing.
To protect this species, a select number of Southport heath plants were caged back in 2021 giving them a chance to recover and set seed, which is now being collected by project staff.
The seeds will be stored at the Tasmanian Seed Conservation Centre as an additional insurance to protect the genetics of this endangered plant.