The 2012-13 State NRM Progress Report, now available online, reveals the extent of work being carried out by community groups, in co-operation with local governments, schools and State agencies.

Agriculture and Food Minister Ken Baston said the projects were delivering more than 2.3mha of feral animal control; 86,800ha of weed and 150,000ha of dieback and marri canker control; 800ha of revegetation; 170km of fencing; 90 management plans; 380 training events and would help protect more than 170 threatened plant and animal species.

“Coastal, marine, agricultural, pastoral, urban, river, estuarine, bushland and wildlife sanctuaries have been conserved and restored by thousands of staff and volunteers in the past financial year,” Mr Baston said.

“There are some great stories in the report about the work that these dedicated West Australians are doing in their communities. I applaud their commitment to caring for our native landscape and animals.

“Our State attracts thousands of tourists each year because of its beauty and character – we have so much that’s unique and unlike anything elsewhere in the world.”

NRM projects highlighted in the report include:

  • Restoration of the natural habitat in Noblewood Reserve by Mundaring Primary School. Students built habitat boxes for the small carnivorous marsupial mardo and nesting boxes for black cockatoos
  • A 60km fence to block cattle from Eighty Mile Beach – an important Ramsar-listed site – by Greening Australia WA
  • An audit of more than 1,000 light industrial premises in the metropolitan area identifying sources of pollutants entering the Swan Canning Riverpark by the Swan River Trust
  • An expansion of nursery operations by the Kalgoorlie-Boulder Urban Landcare Group to meet growing demand for locally-grown native plants for water-efficient home gardens
  • Preservation of natural and cultural assets at Windich and Weld Springs on the Canning Stock Route by Track Care WA

The State NRM Progress Report 2012-13 is available from http://www.nrm.wa.gov.au

Fact File

  • The WA Government committed 8.6m to 110 new projects through the State NRM program over the past year
  • More than 4m has been committed to the NRM Program to support community participation since its launch in 2009
  • The 2012-13 projects will deliver feral animal control across more than 2.3million hectares, weed control across 86,800ha, revegetation of 800ha, 90 management plans and tools, 70 investigative surveys and 380 training sessions
  • The projects will help protect more than 170 threatened plant and animal species