Preliminary Program
Wednesday 23 September 2015
Building Meaningful Relationships Between Natural Resource Management Organisations and Traditional Owners
Cair: Mitch Jeffrey
Indigenous NRM and MERI, Biodiversity Conservation Division, Department of the Environment
The main focus of this panel session is on practical examples of how Aboriginal people in Western Australia are already participating in NRM and landcare activities and how these local, on ground initiatives are contributing to community partnerships, regional and national priorities such as Closing the Gap and potential social, environmental and economic outcomes.
The format will be 3 x 10 minute presentations describing three key areas of Aboriginal investment in NRM, followed by 30 minutes of Q&A and discussion.
Panel members are:
- Mark Chmielewski, Program Manager of the Indigenous Landholder Service with the Department of Agriculture and Food WA
- Kelly Flugge, Southern Agricultural Indigenous Landholder Service Program Manager with Department of Agriculture and Food WA
- Carl Beck, CEO with South Coast NRM.
Indigenous
Development of an Indigenous ‘Ranger Incubator Framework’
Rangelands NRM
Chris Curnow
Rangelands
management
Control of Opuntia Elatior on Wydgee Station
Department of Agriculture and Food
Andrew Reeves
Community
Raising Interest in Another Kingdom: Tales of a Successful Citizen Science Project
WA Naturalists' Club
Roz Hart
Indigenous
Growing Community Capacity and Banking with Kimberley Seeds
Environs Kimberley
Ayesha Moss and Louise Beames
Rangelands
management
Landscape Scale Projects – Reducing Threats to Biodiversity in the Pilbara Bioregion
Rangelands NRM / Pilbara Corridors
Ian Cotton and Gaye McKenzie
Community
Hot Fires for CaLD PeopleHow to make efficient use of technology in NRM space
GAIA Resources
Piers Higgs
Wetlands
Vegetated Floating Islands Enhance the Ability of Wetlands to Reduce Nutrients and Other Pollutants
FIA Technology Pty Ltd
Bernie Masters
Biodiversity and Sustainable Agriculture
Implications of Climate Change on the Aestivating Salamanderfish, Lepidogalaxias Aalamandroides Mees and the Black-Stripe Minnow, Galaxiella Nigrostriata Shipway
Murdoch University
Gary Ogston, Stephen Beatty, Dave Morgan, Brad Pusey and Alan Lymbery
Community Involvement
Working with the Community to Increase Environmental Skills and Knowledge in NRM
Shire of Kalamunda
Mick Davis
Wetlands
Planting with Machines: Using Mature Vegetative Divisions for Ready-Made Wetland Habitat.
Blackwood Basin Group
Joby Rand
Biodiversity and Sustainable Agriculture
Let’s Talk Soil Carbon
C-Wise
Dave Cullen
Community Involvement
Bird Monitoring and Natural Resource Management
BirdLife Western Australia
Suzanne Mather
The panel session will outline key influences on the future of NRM in WA and provide opportunity for an interactive Q&A session. The format will be 3 x 10 minute presentations describing three key areas for future change followed by 40 minutes of Q&A and discussion.
Chair: Dr Ron Edwards
National Landcare Advisory Council Member
Collecting and Using Data
Dr Denis A Saunders AM
Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists
Technology is increasingly used to measure and monitor, evaluate and organise. It also allows for unique ways of interacting with data and with others and influencing decisions. At the same time, the cost of technology has drastically decreased, for example remote cameras to monitor feral animal numbers and habits, drone surveillance of hard to access areas.
We need a strategic approach to the collection of data required to monitor change in natural resource assets and set priorities on allocation of resources to management of these assets.
The challenge for NRM is how to best use big data and make the most of the digital possibilities available to us. Who should collect the data? What skills and knowledge will help us make best use of what is already available and be ready for what is to come? How can we use new technologies?
Engagement
Brian Ramsay
Inovact Consulting
Strong relationships and networks in NRM have underpinned achievements to date:
- Resource management plans at regional and subregional level enabling investment.
- Networks of specialist staffs, data, and knowledge systems underpinning planning and management.
- Engagement and strategic investment in capacity enables and leverages involvement and delivery of on ground change.
Relationships have been strained from time to time, changing policy settings and decreasing government investment have shifted power relations and provided challenges for all involved. Decreased funding means, now more than ever, coordination and collaboration and leverage are needed to achieve desired outcomes. How can the NRM sector learn from these experiences and other from sectors to strengthen and build engagement into the future?
Investment
Sue Middleton
Public funds are under pressure with aging population, increased costs of health and education and so on. The portion of environment and agriculture funding is about 1% of the total budget and is unlikely to increase, while the challenges we face are enormous and potentially growing.
The challenge for NRM is to demonstrate value for $, and diversify the way funds are generated. However, it is unclear what that actually means and how to go about the transition. NLAC have recently undertaken a project to see if economic value in agricultural production could be attributed to landcare activity. How do we communicate to ensure new and further investment? Economic impact? Social benefit?