Supporting the Moore River Catchment Area

Sermon: Past Projects

ENVF 40165 – Drought Action for Woodland Birds

Funding – Envirofund Project 40165

Project Activity

The landholders within the Midwest Biodiversity Network are keen to see the woodland birds within their region conserved as a matter of priority and as a component of sustainable farmland management, which will result in overall biodiversity conservation outcomes for the Latham region.

The objective of this project is to protect, restore and conserve biodiversity values within the Latham Landcare District by:

  1. Taking on ground action to secure native vegetation.
  2. Taking on ground and strategic action to rehabilitate and restore native vegetation.
  3. Working with partner organisations to develop biodiversity conservation projects and gain necessary funding to implement these projects on the ground.

The first priority is to fence 10.4 km of “key” woodland habitat within the Latham LCD. These remnants are predominately York gum, woodland and acacia shrubland, mallee, salmon and gimlet. All remnants will be monitored and protected within a Woodland Watch Management Agreement and/or Land for Wildlife Covenant.

This project represents the first action taken by the Midwest Biodiversity Network to put this long term conservation project (running now for two years) on the ground as well as the implementation of a joint community biodiversity programme for woodland birds with assistance from WWF Australia, CSIRO and Curtin University.

The Moore Catchment Council is very keen to sponsor this project as it links with our Strategy, “Getting Moore to the Point” and develops outcomes that focus on connecting people with the environment and bridging the gap between government and community.

NHT 013147 – East Moore River And Lower Coonderoo Local Action Plans and On-Ground Action

Funding – Natural Heritage Trust Project 013147

Project Activity

The project was funded by the Natural Heritage Trust (NHT) in 2001/2003 and was targeted at two large adjacent subcatchments, East Moore River and Lower Coonderoo. Its key aims and actions implemented were to:

  1. Reduce the risk of adverse impacts from runoff and floods through improved surface water management. 37.5 kms of water coarses throughout the project area was fenced to exclude stock and prevent degradation. 70 ha of waterways were revegetated to provide a stabilising effect. Monitoring processes have been initiated for all project sites and water quality monitoring systems established by WRC will also be used.
  2. Demonstrate and communicate best practice techniques with regard to surface water management. Four groups undertook catchment plans for the development of LAP’s. The groups involved represented 120 landholders across the project area and grass roots issues were identified through a focus on local and landholder driven solutions. Accreditation courses were held for grader drivers and surveyors.
  3. Implement on ground activities in priority order in subcatchments. Forty four projects were implemented in line with the LAP goals of each subcatchments group, resulting in the protection of 2,835 ha of remnant vegetation and the revegetation of 226 ha. 152,200 seedlings were established. In the Lower Coonderoo, 26% of the revegetated area linked to areas of remnant vegetation and 34% buffered water coarses. In the Lower Coonderoo, $51,780 of NHT funding was spent to implement on ground works, accounting for 41% of on ground works costs. This was matched by $73,267 of landholder funds (59%). In the East Moore, $59,799 of NHT funding was spent to implement on ground works, accounting for 43% of on ground works costs. This was matched by $80,000 of landholder funds (57%).
  4. Monitor rates of change in the adoption of best practice activities and community attitudes. The development of LAP’s and linkage to the MCC Strategic Plan (Getting Moore to the Point) will enable the MCC and landholders to work and monitor progress towards best practice management. The strategies developed at the local level linked to 16 of the 54 strategies contained within “Getting Moore to the Point”.

The project will provide ongoing benefits for the groups who participated in the LAP process, as well as provide information for the NACC consultation process in the development of their regional strategy. Support will be maintained through the co-ordination of project field days and the development of improved linkages between catchment groups and landholders involved in the project.

WAME – Carnaby’s Cockatoo

Funding – WA Minster for the Environment

Project Activity

In 2001 the Moore Catchment Council was awarded a community grant from the Western Australian Minister for the Environment to examine the value of volunteer efforts at rehabilitation work aimed at improving the conservation status of the bird.

Over the next nine months, Professor Stephen Davies and Danika Loomes consulted with community groups with the following results:

  1. Identified most of the groups contributing voluntary effort to improve the conservation status of the bird.
  2. Established contact with statutory and private stakeholders.
  3. Examined the planting techniques used by volunteers.
  4. Measured the natural spacing of mature trees of species significant to the cockatoo.
  5. Outlined future work in relation to the size and distribution of plantings of potential foods plants, the possibility of creating artificial nest sites and the design of end-product promotional material.
  6. Examined the survival of plantings made to benefit Carnaby’s Cockatoo.
  7. Identified the design of a simple, successful artificial nest box for the bird.
  8. Shown that breeding males will travel at least 12 kms to a feeding site connected by a corridor to a breeding area and at least 6 kms to a feeding site separated by open fields from a breeding area.

Various recommendations were also made, some of which include:

  1. Corridors should be planted to connect breeding sites with feeding sites. Uncleared salt creeks are adequate corridors. Nesting birds will travel at least 12 kms each day along such corridors to feed.
  2. The birds will use artificial nest sites. These should be erected in areas where there is ample food but few nest sites, for example in young plantations.
  3. Large gum trees should be widely spaced when planted, with seedlings 15-20m apart, to ensure rapid, vigorous growth.
  4. Small headlands at the corners of paddocks, omitted from cropping but able to support three or four large gums should be targeted for the planting of future nesting trees.
  5. Large gums should be planted within remnants but at their edges.
  6. When volunteers come into the field to plant several experienced planters should accompany them and the layout of the planting should be clear before planting starts.

As a result of this project, a separate grant has been applied for to trial artificial nests and monitoring continues of bird numbers through banding chicks as well as colouring chicks’ tails. If you would like more information on Carnaby’s Cockatoo, please request a copy of the final report or contact Birds Australia.

NHT 013146 – Improving Surface Water Management In The Upper Moore River Catchment Extension

Funding – Natural Heritage Trust Project 013146

Project Activity

The Natural Heritage Trust (NHT) funded the project in 2001/2003 and key aims and actions implemented were to:

  1. Maintain the momentum developed in the original project (NHT 2000). Fourteen individual on ground works projects, covering an area of 952 ha were implemented as part of this project. The on ground works component of the project enabled a positive effect and participation from a range of landholders.
  2. Expand the number of landholders actively involved in the project. 48 landholders were involved covering 14 separate projects. 75% of landholders who were allocated funding were involved in the LAP workshops. One of the successes of the project was the involvement of the Moora-Miling Pasture Improvement Group in a planning workshop for the development of their LAP, therefore reaching a broader audience of landholders than initially anticipated.
  3. Reduce the risk of future flooding events in Moora and upstream catchments. Implementation of 218 ha of revegetation works, increasing the area of effective water use in the project area and the stabilisation and revegetation of 26.5 km of creek lines covering 175 ha to reduce the level of erosion and slow the flow rate of water movement through the catchment. The Moora Miling Pasture Improvement Group also identified future strategies to increase water use at the farm and catchment level over the next five years.
  4. Demonstrate and communicate best practice techniques with regards to surface water management. The LAP workshops provided a forum for information exchange and identification of management techniques. Two groups undertook catchment planning for the development of LAP’s, representing 60 landholders across the project area.
  5. Implement on ground activities in priority order in subcatchments. 15 individual projects have been implemented across the project area. This resulted in the protection of 442 ha of remnant vegetation and the revegetation of a total of 509 ha. 49% of the revegetated area linked to remnant vegetation and 34% of the revegetation works were for the revegetation of waterways. $35,832 of NHT funding was spent on on-ground works accounting for 39% of the costs of the on ground works. This was matched by $56,924 of landholder funds (61% of on ground works).

LAP workshops had a strategic focus, drawing on the experience of landholders to identify key catchment priorities to address in the future. The two main groups involved in the catchment planning phase were Miling LCD and the Moora Miling Pasture Improvement Group. The Moore Catchment Council was happy to establish stronger links with these groups which will not only assist MCC to implement strategies as discussed in “Getting Moore to the Point” but also assist NACC in the development of their regional strategy.

NHT 993211 – Improving Surface Water Management in the Upper Moore River Catchment

Funding – Natural Heritage Trust Project 993211

Project Activity

This project was funded by the Natural Heritage Trust (NHT) in 2000/2002 and was initiated as a result of the flooding which devastated the township of Moora in March and May 1999. The project consisted of four components as detailed below with some of the relevant actions implemented:

  1. Reduced risk of future flooding events by: Establishment of a flood forecasting system (4 river level stations and 4 rainfall stations), evaluation and design of flood control measures, implementation of flood control measures in the catchment and the Moora town site.
  2. Demonstration and communication of best-practice techniques with regard to surface water management: Evaluation of existing technical and economic feasibility information on surface water management, establishment of demonstration sites that show the economic and environmental benefits of contour banks, remnant vegetation management, revegetation, high water use crops, perennial pastures, oil mallees and pines.
  3. Co-ordination and planning of on ground actions in strategic sub-catchments upstream of Moora by: Consultation with landowners identifying strategic sub-catchments and formation of working groups, preparation and publication of local action plans and the monitoring and evaluation of the local action plans.
  4. Monitoring and evaluation of the affect of the project: Conduct surveys of community attitudes and current surface water management practices in the catchment before and after the project.

Highlights and Milestones:

  1. Completion of seven Local Action Plans – four were identified to be completed. Commitment to on ground works with 117,200 seedlings planted and 13,500 planted at a demonstration site (a total of 130,700 exceeding the target of 100,000); 129 kms of grade banks constructed and 57.426 kms of fencing completed.
  2. Individual revegetation plans produced for each of 17 properties that were planted with project seedlings. Plans included aerial photographs of sites, species list and pre-planting treatments.
  3. Completion of an inventory of surface water management practices for each sub-catchment including deep drainage, drainage, contour banks, fenced vegetation and alley lines. This information was compiled in a map based format on GIS together with a CD.
  4. Water and Rivers Commission completed all the installation and operation of flood forecasting system as well as completion of monitoring and evaluation of flows in project area on the Moore River.
  5. All identified support from Agriculture WA and Shire of Moora was provided.