September 2009

Government of South Australia South Australian Arid Lands Natural Resources Management Board

September 2009 South Australian Arid Lands Natural Resources Management Board Ecosystem Management Understanding (EMU) pilot in northern South Australia Hugh Pringle DISCLAIMER

The South Australian Arid Lands Natural Resources Management Board, and its employees do not warrant or make any representation regarding the use, or results of use of the information contained herein as to its correctness, accuracy, reliability, currency or otherwise. The South Australian Arid Lands Natural Resources Management Board and its employees expressly disclaim all liability or responsibility to any person using the information or advice.

This work is copyright. Apart from any use permitted under the Copyright Act 1968 (Commonwealth), no part may be reproduced by any process without prior written permission obtained from the South Australian Arid Lands Natural Resources Management Board. Requests and enquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be directed to the General Manager, South Australian Arid Lands Natural Resources Management Board Railway Station Building, PO Box 2227, Port Augusta, SA, 5700

Ecosystem Management Understanding (EMU) pilot in northern South Australia

Hugh Pringle

For the SA Arid Lands NRM Board

September 2009

Table of Contents

DISCLAIMER 1

Table of Contents 3

EMU Pilot in northern South Australia 2

The Ecosystem Management Understanding (EMU) Project 4

Background to this initiative 4

Project Description 7

Reporting against specific deliverables 8

Additional activities and outcomes 9

Suggested initiatives 11

Acknowledgements 12

References 13

The Ecosystem Management Understanding (EMU) Project The Ecosystem Management Understanding (EMU) Project was developed through the Gascoyne Murchison Strategy in Western Australia (Tinley & Pringle, 2002). Much of it is built on the ethno-ecological work of Dr Ken Tinley in southern Africa. Ken used local Indigenous Ecological Knowledge to help him build conservation management strategies and plans for iconic National Parks across southern Africa. We adapted this approach to work with pastoralists and National Parks managers.

The fundamental strength of EMU is that is built on strong foundations: local knowledge. EMU is a partnership of knowledge systems within an ethical, nurturing framework that supports land managers to act on what they know needs attention. It is very different to the project I initially got funded through the Gascoyne Murchison Strategy on return from PhD studies. With Ken Tinley’s input the project was transformed dramatically to put people in the centre of NRM (Pringle et al., 2003) as opposed to the “black box”, expert- led project I submitted in 2000.

The EMU Project has passed the local hurdles for trade marking and is under assessment for global trade marking. EMU is a not-for –profit organization and has an ABN and ATFN and is exploring incorporation. Its work in central Australia is currently managed by the NT NRMB and physically hosted and significantly supported by the Centralian Land Management Association as well as the NT Government.

EMU has longstanding active practitioners in Western Australia and Namibia, although neither initiatives have formal EMU funding. EMU is funded in central Australia (southern NT and some northern South Australian properties through its existing NT NRMB hosted project and on potentially five properties – at least two- in far western Queensland through Bush Heritage Australia).

Background to this initiative Anecdotal evidence suggests that a decline in landscape productivity is occurring in central (i.e. northern SA, southern NT and western Qld and NSW) arid Australia’s rangelands with loss of top soil and erosion gullies evident in areas all catchments of the region. For instance, around Alice Springs, aerial photographs from the 1950s and 1980s show erosion gullies on naturally productive, sandy drainage and alluvial plain systems. The same gullies, viewed on recent satellite imagery (including

Google Earth), are clearly visible and show considerable expansion in extent and depth over time, suggesting accelerated soil stripping that is in excess of natural loss. This proposal relates to northern SA and adjacent NT properties.

A number of land managers in central Australia have shown an interest in EMU principles; that led to the development of an EMU process for central Australia. Their point of entry to the program is always their concern over loss of productivity, but non-commercial values become integral to the process once trust and understanding develop between participants and project staff and partners. Major issues are discussed, for example the plight of arid zone wetlands, and inevitably a better outlook for these wetlands is arrived at collaboratively and, importantly, entirely voluntarily. This is very important for central Australia, where features of particular conservation value (e.g. major wetlands) receive no special management. In many cases, these ecologically important places require repair and on-going management. EMU has been successful elsewhere in bringing about targeted management for such special places on pastoral land through blending local expertise with scientific knowledge.

The Ecosystem Management Understanding (EMU) Project’s primary purpose is to introduce pastoralists (and other managers of land) to the ecological management of landscapes and habitats in the outback. Ecological management involves reading and recognising landscapes (the terrain elements), internal and linking processes (function), condition and trend.

This is achieved by working with pastoralists to record their station knowledge in a baseline mapping exercise, followed by ground and air traverses of key areas identified. Management priority areas are then mapped and described, including proposed works on-ground.

A key outcome of EMU at a property and wider landscape level is investment strategies based on integrated assessment of ecosystem patterns and processes, rather than on “silo”, local and single theme projects.

The overlays also help prioritise areas for monitoring the “burning issues”. A simple landscape and habitat monitoring technique is demonstrated during ground traverses augmented by ground and aerial photographs. Key monitoring findings can then be summarised on clear overlays on the station map annually as a permanent record. (EMU is a life-long, inter-generational learning process, not just a mapping workshop!)

A wide range of values and threats to them can be brought into the management system, including key areas for grazing, conservation of biodiversity, cultural heritage, harvesting for craft woods and oils, ecotourism, and so forth.

The fact that a landscape changes, evolves and develops both singularly and in relation to other landscapes is central to the EMU approach. Furthermore, the movement of water through landscapes is pivotal. Wind is equally important in certain landscapes, such as coastal dunes.

Recognising drivers of change, mapping them and then summarising them on a station map has generally had a profound effect on EMU participants. The distillation of their knowledge allows them to quickly see their station land as a whole system of interconnections. This holistic perspective of the outback allows pastoralists to identify and design “best fit” ecological management; a key outcome of this project.

Though initiated and guided by the EMU ecologists, the exercise engenders the reciprocal exchange of knowledge and experience between all participants. The mutual respect that is built in doing so, coupled with a rich diversity of ideas, can build the capacity and enthusiasm for ecological management at an enterprise and local community level (Tinley & Pringle, 2002).

EMU has been used as a foundational project for a number of subsequent strategic initiatives, including:

1. Specific biodiversity initiatives (e.g. wetland, rare flora protection plans) (Dowden et al., 2002; Burke, 2004)

2. Development of the first IPA on a pastoral lease in Western Australia (Ninghan Station, IPA in place)

3. Strategic zoned grazing strategies (McQuie, 2002)

4. Integrated catchment restoration plans (e.g. Roderick River, Murchison River and Upper Gascoyne River initiatives) (Murchison Land Conservation District Committee and the Ecosystem Management Unit, 2002)

5. International environmental certification of three properties (EMS) (Taylor, 2002; Burke, 2005)

6. District feral (northern Goldfields) and weed (southern Goldfields) strategies and integrated on-ground approaches

7. Development of regional integrated (multi-thematic, rather than silo) investment strategies and projects (The “EAGLE” Process) (Pringle et al., 2003)

8. Development of an endorsed model for rangeland NRM within the State Sustainability Strategy for W.A. (2003).

EMU is voluntary and totally confidential; what happens on property stays on property unless the owner releases the information.

Project Description The Ecosystem Management Understanding (EMU) Project’s primary purpose is to introduce pastoralists (and other managers of land) to the ecological management of landscapes and habitats in the Outback. Ecological management involves reading and recognising landscapes (the terrain elements), internal and linking processes (function), condition and trend. This is achieved by working with pastoralists to record their station knowledge in a baseline mapping exercise, followed by air d and then ground traverses of key areas. A simple landscape and habitat monitoring technique is demonstrated during ground traverses augmented by ground and aerial photographs. This is summarised on clear overlays on the station map annually as a permanent record. A range of issues can also be brought into the management system, including key areas for grazing, conservation of nature, cultural heritage, harvesting for craft woods and oils, ecotourism, and so forth.

The objectives of this project are to:

1. Introduce the EMU Process to northern SA through a small group of interested pastoralists, perhaps with some NT neighbours.

2. Commence training of SA project staff in EMU Process and its key ecological principles

3. Support interested pastoralists develop the ongoing, adaptive EMU Management System

4. Develop preliminary strategic projects on 2 pilot properties (e.g. wetland protection, catchment restoration, infrastructure redesign), including identification of potential partners (e.g. Regional Fauna Officer, weeds officer) and funding sources where appropriate

5. Strengthen cross border collaboration at all levels of land management, from paddock to parliament.

Reporting against specific deliverables 1. Hold an EMU Information day with key stakeholders in Adelaide Completed successfully prior to working on-ground. Additional presentation to SAAL NRM Board technical staff regarding the EMU Project, including demonstration of overlay mapping procedure for Bon Bon Reserve.

2. Hold an EMU Baseline Mapping workshop Two property-level mapping exercises were conducted, the first at Todmorden Station and the second in Adelaide with the previous owner of Bon Bon Reserve. Further mapping of Bon Bon was done with the resident caretakers and Janet Walton (SA Arid Lands NRM officer) during property visits.

3. Hold follow up two day site visits on all interested participants’ properties Follow up visit completed at Bon Bon Reserve and Todmorden has requested a follow up visit at a more convenient time when Hugh Pringle returns from Africa. March through to May is a very busy time for pastoralists in the Marla Oodndatta region with mustering and branding activities, so unfortunately Todmorden was pre- committed and couldn’t alter the work schedule to coincide with a follow up visit.

4. Synthesise all information to date and identify management priority areas and describe their salient features and potential future activities to address the issues Completed for Bon Bon Reserve and Todmorden Station. A very detailed report on Bon Bon Reserve is being reviewed by Bush Heritage Australia with a view to making it available to SAAL NRM Board (but not to be circulated widely). The detailed report on Todmorden Station is the property of the lessee and it is up to him whether he chooses to release it similarly. This is as agreed specifically in developing this project.

Numerous key issues and three priority management areas identified from the original Bon Bon mapping with ex-owner Paul Bligh have been demonstrated in person to members of SAAL NRM Board by Hugh Pringle in Adelaide.

5. Develop simple, map-based Priority project plans for each property (these are confidential and stay on property unless the pastoralists offer to make them public)

A key project for catchment restoration has been identified for Todmorden Station, which will be developed further in August/.September, potentially as a major district

pilot. Two projects have been identified and developed as preliminary project proposals for Bon Bon Reserve.

6. Provide a draft EMU Manual for properties and a draft EMU Delivery Manual for project staff A manual for EMU land managers is held by Bush Heritage Australia’s Ecologist Dr Hugh Pringle and will be provided to Todmorden during the follow up fieldwork. An additional draft manual, targeting EMU delivery officers is also held by HP. Janet Walton (SA Arid Lands NRM officer) has been provided with the draft manuals. They are not for circulation as they need more work under the NT NRMB project, which ends at the end of the year.

Ecosystem Management Understanding (EMU) has been successful in applying for Trademark status, which is in the appeals stage (none so far). While EMU Directors have no qualms at all about supplying its materials to SAAL NRM Board (as it did to the WA ESRM staff who replaced EMU in WA), the formal use of our Trademark is not permitted without our formal consent, as per IP legislation. That is, we are quite happy to have parts or all of our materials used, but not under the “EMU” banner without our consent.

7. Submit a report to SAAL NRM Board and NT NRM Board.

This report. A copy of the detailed EMU report for Bon Bon Reserve will be provided once it has been internally reviewed by Bush Heritage Australia. A confidential report on Todmorden Station has been prepared and delivered to Douglas Lillecrapp, along with shape files of flights and ground traverses and their photographic record. The same will be provided to Bush Heritage Australia for Bon Bon Reserve.

Additional activities and outcomes 1. Presentation to the Oodnadatta Marla NRM Group Dr Hugh Pringle presented at the SAALNRM “Grass with Class” workshop on the topic of managing for grass at landscape and catchment scales. Despite having the graveyard shift (the last talk of a pretty intense, very successful day), the talk was followed by some lively discussion. At the meeting, Douglas Lillecrapp confirmed his interest in developing a pilot catchment restoration project. San Jolly (Productive Nutrition) and Dr Hugh Pringle discussed a landscape smart approach to plant nutrition sampling that could add value to her previous local work if pastoralists wish to continue that initiative. The idea

being that different landscapes offer different nutritional opportunities through seasonal cycles and may be a really strong basis for developing landscape and nutritionally smart grazing strategies.

2. The owners of Crown Point Station are keen to conduct EMU once they have bedded it down on their adjacent NT properties of Lilla Creek, New Crown and Andado.

3. There is interest in participating in EMU from a number of other land managers, including :

a. Evelyn Downs, Coondambo, De Rose Hill, Lambina, Wirraminna Billa Kalina Stations and Witjira National Park (DEH)

b. Simpson Desert National Park Rangers (the Finke flood out, athel pine issues and EMU neighbours upriver in the NT)

c. “Pit Lands” Rangers

4. This project has allowed the EMU Project to become better understood in SAAL NRMB, to the extent that it is now a formal partner in a Caring for our Country funding proposal, which if successful will see EMU rolled out in the Marla Oodnadatta and Kingoonya districts west of Lake Eyre.

5. Janet Walton has commenced training in EMU delivery and ecological principles and shows great promise as an EMU officer. She has both the people skills and an innate appreciation of landscape patterns and processes. Dr Ken Tinley (EMU co-founder and mentor) has confirmed that Janet “has what it takes”.

6. EMU Pilot project presentation from Douglas at Marla Oodnadatta NRM group meeting.

7. Two workshop presentations at the NRM muster, with the audience showing a keen interest in learning more about EMU, with particular interest from the Outback Lakes Group.

8. EMU presentation to SAALNRMB staff.

9. SA pastoralists and SAAL NRMB staff are invited to a Soil Conservation training workshop to be held in Alice Springs in August.

Suggested initiatives 1: There seems to be growing interest in EMU in South Australia’s western rangelands. The Pilot Project has been successful on ground and has also raised interest in a variety of land managers. A key strength of the project is its capacity to assist & identify priority projects on properties and within groups of properties. It has the capacity to provide strategic planning of NRM activities that may include several interacting themes that all need to be addressed for success. A good example is the Southern Hairy Nosed wombat population on Bon Bon Reserve. We will need to address at least these issues:

1. Rabbits

2. Feral sheep

3. Catchment calming and flood out “plugging”

4. Fire management

5. Infrastructure repair and replanning (tracks in particular)

6. Predator control (cats, foxes, dingoes in an integrated manner, including rabbit control and prey options).

As with any ecosystem management initiative, there are multiple factors that all need to be addressed, ecosystem management is inherently “wicked” and EMU is a good way to “tame” these issues by identifying and addressing salient factors.

2: It is important that the partnership between SAAL NRMB and EMU remains mutually supportive if we get funding to build on this pilot project. EMU appreciates that SAAL NRMB cannot wait for EMU capacity to be built and available across all arid lands in SA to develop new multi-thematic, strategic NRM initiatives and investment proposals. Dr Hugh Pringle is happy for SAAL NRMB to use any aspects of EMU it might find useful in districts in which EMU is not funded and active, on the proviso that those activities are not branded “EMU”. Dr Hugh Pringle is happy to help build such an approach with SAAL NRMB if requested.

3: The EMU Project should continue at Todmorden and Bon Bon in order to demonstrate its transformative value and long-term environmental benefits. Janet Walton’s participation will be very valuable and her involvement will continue to build EMU capacity west of Lake Eyre. In particular, we need to build projects at both properties, find funding, conduct baseline ecological monitoring and implement on ground works.

4: The CFOC Application that included a combined NT-SAAL NRM Board EMU component was not successful and therefore the future of EMU in the SAAL region needs to be considered if the NRM Board is interested. Some CLMA member stations in far-northern SA will still be eligible to participate in the NT NRM Board initiative.

Acknowledgements The interest and support of the South Australian Arid Lands NRM Board is acknowledged as having been pivotal to the success of this project. Dr Henry Mancini has been a fantastic, supportive project contact and this pilot project is largely due to his support of the EMU approach. Janet Walton has been an enthusiastic and very capable project officer and trainee. Mike Fleming provided excellent mapping support for the Todmorden exercise.

Douglas Lillecrapp of Todmorden bravely put his hand up to be an EMU guinea pig and his hospitality and commitment to the project are greatly appreciated. Paul and Alison Blight, previous owners of Bon Bon Station hosted Dr Hugh Pringle at their home in Adelaide and Paul provided an extraordinarily rich narrative of the history and key landscape patterns and processes on the property. Paul and Carol Spencer, caretakers at Bon Bon Reserve were superb hosts and Paul’s local knowledge of the Reserve was a significant contribution to the project. Rick Mould of Coondambo Station helped fly Bon Bon and his local knowledge of the property greatly facilitated the aerial inspection process.

References Anon. (2003). Hope for the future; the Western Australian state sustainability strategy. Perth, Western Australia: State Government of Western Australia.

Burke, G. (2004). First, A Fence. Production Function for The Centre for Management of Arid Environments, [email protected].

Burke, G. (2005). Ecologically Sustainable Pastoral Management with EMS and EMU. Production Function for The Centre for Management of Arid Environments, [email protected] . Fremantle, Western Australia.

Dowden, F., Dowden, J., Dowden, A. & Dowden, D. (2002). What is biodiversity? From the pastoralist viewpoint. In: Nicolson, S. and Wilcox, D. G. (eds) Shifting Camp: Proceedings of the 12th Biennial Australian Rangeland Society Conference, pp 130-134. Kalgoorlie, Western Australia

McQuie, D. (2002). Ecological Grazing Management: The Bulga Downs Story. . In: Nicolson, S. and Wilcox, D. G. (eds) Shifting Camp: Proceedings of the 12th Biennial Australian Rangeland Society Conference, pp 260-264. Kalgoorlie, Western Australia.

Murchison Land Conservation District Committee and the Ecosystem Management Unit (2002). The Murchison River Project: Pastoralists restoring health to the Murchison River catchment. In: Nicolson, S. and Wilcox, D. G. (eds) Shifting Camp: Proceedings of the 12th Biennial Australian Rangeland Society Conference , pp 312-313..

Pringle, H.J.R., Tinley, K.L., Brandis, T., Hopkins, A.J.M., Lewis, M. & Taylor, L. (2003). The Gascoyne-Murchison Strategy: A people-centred approach to conservation in arid Australia. In: Allsop, N., Palmer, A. R., Milton, S. J., Kirkman, K. P., Kerley, G. I. H., Hurt, C. R., and Brown, C. J. (eds), Rangelands in the New millenium. Proceedings of the Seventh International Rangelands Congress. pp 213-223. Durban, South Africa, Document Transformation Technologies.

Taylor, L.J. (2002). WA pastoralists embrace ecological sustainability. Australian Farm Journal, 2002: 32-35. . In: Nicolson, S. and Wilcox, D. G. (eds) Shifting Camp: Proceedings of the 12th Biennial Australian Rangeland Society Conference, pp 349-350, Kalgoorlie. Western Australia.

Tinley, K.L. & Pringle, H.J.R. (2002). What is the EMU Exercise? Shifting Camp: Proceedings of the 12th Biennial Australian Rangeland Society Conference, pp. 349-350. Kalgoorlie Western Australia.