This update represents just a handful among the hundreds of NRM projects going on across Australia, made possible through funding from the Australian Government and from respective State governments.
NRM South are working to build back biodiversity at two internationally important wetlands on Tasmania’s east coast through improved monitoring and management to reduce threats to the wetlands and restore its natural flows.
Moulting Lagoon and Apsley Marshes are Ramsar-listed wetlands that are recognised for their rich diversity of plants (including threatened saltmarsh) and as important habitat for waterbirds and fish. Across the wetlands, 114 hectares of saltmarsh habitat is now being positively influenced by the hydrological restoration works, well in excess of the project target of 64 hectares.
Sustainable agriculture in South East Queensland (SEQ) is set to get a boost with a new project headed by Healthy Land & Water (the NRM for SEQ), drawing on their extensive landholder networks throughout the region.
The project has been cleverly designed to address adoption of sustainable land management practices that improve soil health, land condition, and the condition of native vegetation. It will also tackle key threats including declining pasture condition and soil health, hillslope erosion, invasive exotic weeds, inappropriate fire regimes, and grazing management practices.
Gunnedah’s koalas have been in serious decline since at least 2008, largely attributed to prolonged heatwaves in summer and drought, along with infections of chlamydia furthering population declines. North West Local Land Services has partnered with the Australian Government to deliver $1 million worth of investment which aims to increase and enhance koala habitat to provide refugia in a changing climate.
The area between Carroll and Gunnedah adjacent to the Namoi River has been identified as the target are due to its proximity to permanent water and remnant native vegetation. Enhancing these areas will give the koala population the best chance of survival and recovery.
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Northern and Yorke Landscape Board is jointly funding a project to monitor and support the brush-tailed bettong population growth, one of Australia’s rarest marsupials, since their reintroduction to the South Australian mainland after an absence of more than 100 years.
Populations in the Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park in the Southern Yorke Peninsula, SA, continues to grow. Almost half of the 85 bettongs caught by researchers were born on Yorke Peninsula and nearly every female was carrying pouch young.
“It’s wonderful to see these Yorke Peninsula-born bettongs are surviving the juvenile stage and now having pouch young of their own” says Chloe Frick, a PhD candidate at the University of Adelaide.
Learn more about bettongs here.
Image: WWF-Aus / think Mammoth
People may be surprised just how many carbon projects are currently underway in the Gulf Savannah region, with about 15% (or 2,945,579 ha) of the Northern Gulf’s total area under existing approved projects. Carbon farmers are not paid to produce beef or grain, but to instead pull carbon out of the atmosphere and store it away (sequester it) in a stable form such as in trees.
Gulf Savanna NRM are helping increase awareness of carbon farming (or Emissions Reduction Fund projects) in their region.
This month the Territory NRM Threatened Species Team have been working with the Mimal and Warddeken Rangers to look for the white-throated grasswren. Nyirrnyirr in Jawoyn, and yirlinkirrkirr in Bininj Kunwok, the species has cultural significance to the people of the Stone Country, and is also a priority threatened species for the Australian Government.
Surveys for the white-throated grasswren involve walking around the beautiful stone country, playing their call and listening to hear if it calls back. These are called ‘call playback surveys’ and are a common method used for targeted bird surveys. They also use songmeters, an emerging data collection method, which are deployed in the field for a few weeks at a time and record all the sound in the area.
Around 200 Murray crayfish have been released into the river as part of a landmark trial to reintroduce the iconic Australian species back into the South Australian River Murray.
Once common, the number of Murray crayfish declined to a point of virtual extinction as a result of overfishing, the effects of river regulation and declines in water quality. Improved understanding and recent improvements to these conditions mean it’s now time to attempt to bring the species back to South Australia.
“The releases represent an important first step to re-establishing a self-sustaining population of this iconic species in South Australia” said Darren Willis, Team Leader Wetlands at the Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board.
Melbourne Water has been recognised for its commitment to safety, winning a prestigious award at the annual National Water Awards. Melbourne Water won the highly sought after Water Industry Safety Excellence Award for its Epsom Main Sewer Relining project.
Melbourne Water Managing Director Dr. Nerina Di Lorenzo highlighted the water utility’s commitment to innovation and collaboration on its path to net zero by 2030.
“These awards showcase the wide range of innovative projects that Melbourne Water and our partners undertake to ensure we’re protecting our natural resources and servicing our community today, tomorrow and for generations to come.”
Wheatbelt NRM is celebrating a great outcome for its Noongar Boodjar Rangers team. Aboriginal NRM Project Delivery Officer Jermaine 'Bomber' Davis said he is very proud of the Rangers ongoing efforts winning a renewal of their current tender with the Shire of Northam.
Wheatbelt NRM Chief Executive Officer, Dr Karl O’Callaghan said “The Rangers workforce also provides landscape restoration services such as native seed collection, weed control for restoration projects, soil sampling, tree planting, and native fauna surveys and the Northam Cemetery maintenance contract provides all year round employment for the team.”