$550K for pilot project to revitalise Southern Rangelands

A State Government-backed pilot project will tap into knowledge and expertise of Southern Rangelands pastoralists to ensure the long-term condition and productivity of the region. WA Agriculture Minister Alannah MacTiernan on Tuesday announced a $550,000 investment to kickstart the Southern Rangelands Revitalisation Pilot Project to enhance land condition and livestock productivity to ensure future industry sustainability. It follows the formation of grower group Southern Rangelands Pastoral Alliance last year, representing the 286 stations in the Goldfields, Nullarbor, Carnarvon, Gascoyne and Murchison pastoral regions. At the time, Challa Station pastoralist and SRPA chair Debbie Dowden said they saw a need to form the group to collaborate, generate large-scale projects and tap into funding to help pastoralists in the region. They will also host producer demonstration sites and share their knowledge with the wider industry. “There is no one simple solution to improving the health of the Southern Rangelands so this project has been designed to test, confirm and demonstrate a variety of technologies and management strategies on the ground over time,” Ms MacTiernan said. “Collaboration is a key feature of this project, enabling Southern Rangelands pastoralists to share their knowledge and experiences to refine land and business management practices to augment research and aid the adoption of new tools and management strategies.” A 2017 report by then auditor-general Colin Murphy found pastoral land in WA, which he deemed the “State’s most fragile,” was not “adequately protected” by the State’s system of land monitoring and administration. Mr Murphy found the State was “unaware of the extent of environmental problems within the pastoral estate,” lacked the “necessary information to inform land management decisions” and there had been “limited support” to ensure long-term productivity of the land. Among his recommendations were an annual action plan, increased opportunity for agency, lessee and stakeholder engagement and a rigorous compliance program, as well as a reliable system to monitor changes in land condition. Ms MacTiernan said the $550,000 investment demonstrated the State’s commitment to revitalising WA’s pastoral landscape and the productive capacity of the pastoral region. She said the project would be made stronger through its collaboration with the SRPA. A workshop providing information on the project will be held in autumn to engage with pastoralists and other key stakeholders.