2 MB 03 Jun 2015 Narvis Strategy Summary Document
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
narvis.com.au Vision for the Northern Agricultural Region of Western Australia NARvis Online What is NARvis? NARvis is the Natural Resource Management Strategy for the Northern Agricultural Region (NAR) of Western Australia. Rather than a traditional printed document, NARvis (short for NAR Vision) is being presented as a website with interactive maps and content. narvis.com.au Please share the website link with your friends and colleagues. The NARvis website is packed with information and research on the NAR and strategies to manage the region’s natural resources. The site includes: » Climate modelling projections. » Interactive maps with geospatial datasets highlighting things like conservation corridors or mining tenements. » Local Government Area (LGA) profiles. » Research reports and case studies. » Photo galleries of each LGA. » Directory of Natural Resource Management (NRM) community groups in the region. » Ability to comment or ask questions about any aspect of the strategy. » Ways to make a difference and improve our natural resources as an individual, land manager, community group or government agency. » Information on carbon farming and government carbon policies. » Grants directory including grant writing tips and tools. COVER PHOTO Graeme Gibbons Greenough River Mouth 2 About NARvis NARvis is a regional plan created with input and support of State Government agencies, local councils, community groups and land managers. It has been designed as a tool for these stakeholders to identify and prioritise NRM investment in the NAR and promote collaboration across all levels. It is an update of the 2005 Regional NRM Strategy. Northampton NARvis is, and will continue to be, a work in progress that will evolve to meet community and stakeholder needs. NARvis objectives How targets and regional aspiration were set Chapman In line with national, state and regional priorities, NARvis The targets and regional aspirations identified in NARvis Valley is a tool to support stakeholders throughout the NAR to: have been drawn from the extensive research and effort that went into developing the previous 2005 Strategy. Conserve and enhance our natural resources through » These targets were refined with input from state agency sound NRM planning. Greater and subject matter experts, tested through a series of Geraldton » Identify priority landscapes for carbon plantings and community workshops, and are presented in this document. strategies to build landscape integrity and guide Regional Aspirations are long term goals, a vision of how adaptation and mitigation actions to address climate the community would like the Region to be. change impacts on natural ecosystems. Morawa The Targets are medium term goals (about 5 years) which Develop sound, logical and practical management Mingenew » we as a regional community hope to achieve. Houtman actions that will improve the condition of key natural Abrolhos Irwin resources and will lead to enhanced on-ground One of the main differences from the previous strategy is outcomes. that the Regional ‘targets’ are separated into Regional Aspirations and Targets and are no longer grouped by Three Perenjori Promote a broader understanding of the importance of Springs » theme (water, land, biodiversity etc). It was felt that investing in NRM in this region and to develop a landscape scale benefits were more likely to be achieved framework for such investment. using this framework. Carnamah » Integrate and coordinate NRM activity both across the region and with state and Australian Government Coorow partners. Have your say Dalwallinu You can provide input at future community consultation workshops or give feedback directly by making a comment Who developed NARvis? at the bottom of any page of the NARvis website. Development of NARvis has been coordinated by the Moora Dandaragan Northern Agricultural Catchments Council (NACC) with funding from the Australian Government and in-kind and technical assistance from the State Government. NACC has drawn on both expert advice and community Victoria input in the creation of NARvis. Community members will Plains continue to be a key element of the process as it continues to develop. NARvis would not be possible without the Gingin energy, knowledge and commitment of local people who have invested in it. 4 Population Distribution 2013 Figure 1 Geraldton 60 % Gingin 8 % Irwin 6 % Dandaragan 5 % Northampton 5 % Moora 4 % Chapman Valley 2 % Dalwallinu 2 % Other Coorow 1 % Mingenew 1 % Perenjori 1 % Three Springs 1 % Victoria Plains 1 % People & Economy Carnamah 1 % PHOTO The NAR stretches from Two Rocks to Kalbarri and covers approximately D. Lucas 7.5 million hectares of farming and fishing grounds to the north and Lone fisherman north east of Perth. It is home to two national biodiversity hotspots, over Jurien Bay 200 conservation reserves and a unique diversity of flora and fauna. Employment by Industry Figure 2 Did you know? People Economy Over 70 per cent of all The NAR is the traditional land of two Agriculture and mining are the dominant Agriculture 29.32 % tonnage and 100 per Aboriginal groups. Yamaji (also spelled industries in the NAR. Agriculture in the Construction 8.13 % cent of iron ore exported Yamatji) people are the Traditional Owners region contributed approximately $4 billion Education 7.9 % through Geraldton Port of land and coastal waters extending north to the Western Australian Economy between Retail 6.77 % goes to China. from the coast at Green Head, to Onslow 2011 and 2012. Other significant Mining 6.27 % and the Ashburton River. Noongar people economies in the NAR include tourism, Public admin 6.04 % The Yamaji and the Noongar are the Traditional Owners of land south of fishing and aquaculture. Hospitality 5.93 % people are the Traditional Coorow and Lake Moore. In the NAR there Health 5.33 % Owners of the NAR. are at least six distinct Yamaji language Transport 4.99 % City of Greater Geraldton groups and at least two Noongar Employment Manufacturing 4.55 % has the largest population language groups. Wholesale 3.02 % in the NAR. Approximately 30,000 NAR residents Not specified 2.91 % The NAR supports a population of around (almost half) are employed in the work Professional 1.91 % 64,000 people, with approximately 60 force. The main industries of employment Admin 1.44 % per cent of the population residing in the are agriculture, forestry/fishing and Finance 1.05 % City of Greater Geraldton (Figure 1). Many mining, along with services (which Utilities 0.9 % LGAs that are dependent on agriculture are includes construction) and retail related Realestate 0.8 % declining in population, while coastal areas industries. A breakdown of employment Information 0.36 % are experiencing growth. Australian Bureau by industry is shown in Figure 2. Recreation 0.33 % of Statistics data indicates that coastal LGAs experience on average a growth rate of 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 1.1 per cent per year, compared to inland LGAs which see an annual average growth rate of just 0.3 per cent. According to Western Australian Planning Commission forecasts, the population of the NAR will reach 82,000 people by 2026. 6 Managing Our Land Resources Dryland salinity Mining and basic raw materials » The Department of Agriculture and Food WA » Exploration and mining licences for minerals and (DAFWA) and the Department of Water (DoW) petroleum resources are administered by the Department promote a number of strategies to manage dryland of Mines and Petroleum under the Mining Act 1978. salinity, including planting of saline tolerant species. » Mining operations in sensitive environments require » Technical support for salinity management is also approvals under Part IV of the Environmental Protection being provided through the DoW’s Engineering Act 1986 to manage impacts on biodiversity values Evaluation Initiative. and landscapes. This includes having mine closure plans which address rehabilitation of mine sites. The assessment of mining proposals does not, however, Agricultural productivity and land degredation consider the cumulative impact of mining proposals at a landscape scale. » DAFWA has recently released the Report card for sustainable natural resource use in agriculture. The report demonstrates that productivity is driven by three primary factors: climate, land characteristics Contamination Land Use and land management. » The Contaminated Sites Act 2003 requires that sites known or suspected to be contaminated with substances at concentrations which risk harm to human PHOTO Agriculture Conservation reserves Biosecurity health, the environment or any environmental value, must be reported to the Department of Environment N. Gay The NAR covers an area of over 7.5 million Some of the region’s native vegetation is DAFWA manages the Biosecurity and Agricultural » Regulation (DER). Farm friendly cattle hectares with 70 per cent of the land used protected in conservation reserves such as Management Act 2007. DAFWA requires biosecurity infrastructure for mixed farming activities. Around 93 per state forests, national parks and nature services to be delivered through a regional network » DER maintains a database of known and suspected cent is used for cropping, and the remaining reserves. In fact, the NAR contains several of volunteer groups focusing on the areas of animals, contaminated sites in Western Australia and 7 per cent is used for pastoral leases. unique conservation reserves. plants, invasive species, borders and farms. guidelines for assessment and management of sites. Did you know? Kalbarri National Park is one of the most Broadacre agriculture is the visited national parks in WA. More than main land use in the NAR. Infrastructure and industry 800 species of wildflowers bloom from late Development and infrastructure winter through early summer, with numerous The area between Green Major arterial roads such as the Brand and » Rural planning should be consistent with State species found only in the coastal cliff tops Head and Jurien Bay has Great Northern Highways help connect Planning Policy 2.5: Land Use Planning in Rural and gorge country in the Park. the largest number of rural towns to Perth, while the Region’s Areas and the Rural Planning Guidelines.