Held in Albany from the 3rd – 5th October 2022, the Forum successfully attracted an audience with a broad range of skills, experience and perspectives. It fostered knowledge growth, enabled information exchange and provided opportunities for collaboration. The forum highlighted a unique and fragile landscape of the South Coast region. South Coast NRM is very grateful to those who attended and shared their knowledge and experiences.

A playlist of the Forum has been developed and can be watched on our YouTube platform, or you can scroll through and watch the full range of presentations below.

BACKGROUND TO THE FORUM

The soils, landforms and geology of the area between Albany, Tambellup and Bremer Bay are different from that the Walpole Wilderness to the west, the Wheatbelt to the north and the Fitzgerald Biosphere to the east. The area was inundated by the Southern Ocean about 50 million years ago after Antarctica broke away from Australia. Sandy aquifers formed in palaeochannels and provide fresh water for towns as well as a potential water source for mining and agricultural industries.

Rising brackish to saline groundwater levels threaten perched freshwater lakes which are a feature of the southern half of the area. Highly saline lakes immediately south and north of the Stirling Ranges have a different range of values for wildlife. Flat, sandy soils cover most of the area. These are prone to waterlogging and inundation is wet years, and wind erosion in droughts. How best to manage them to maximise crop and livestock production while minimising degradation is still being developed. The area has a rich history of indigenous land use and areas are vested in native title as well as for nature conservation.   

The Forum was unusual in that it commissioned experts in specific areas to review what was known and what further needs to be investigated. It was complemented by a series of workshops to put these findings into a broader context. 

Dive into the systems, threats and opportunities of a unique and highly valued landscape across the South Coast. Hear from experts with decades of data and research, on ground action and now, emerging technologies that will shape the way we view best practice wetland conservation management.