Archive for May, 2015
Rivers 2 Ramsar Celebration
May 18th, 2015 | 
Author: 
Partners involved in the delivery of the region’s largest biodiversity project met this week in Mandurah to celebrate the many outcomes achieved in the last 16 months.
The Australian Government has committed $3.6 million to restore ecological corridors across the Peel-Harvey to re-establish habitats for native fauna. The Rivers 2 Ramsar project, named to reflect the linkage between the region’s rivers and Ramsar-listed wetlands, is occurring concurrently across six priority sites in the 11,940km catchment.
The Peel-Harvey Catchment Council (PHCC) is managing the delivery of the over-arching project with no less than seven key partners and numerous stakeholders, all of whom attended the event.
Jan Star AM., Chair of the Peel-Harvey Catchment Council, said Rivers 2 Ramsar is creating a number of environmental, economic and social benefits.
“More than 32 kilometres of fencing, 2175 hectares of feral animal control, 171 hectares of weed control, 128 hectares of revegetation and 4.25 kilometres of riverbank stabilisation have been achieved since on-ground works commenced,” she said.
“The plant disease Phytophthora has been controlled across 780 hectares, 1,000 dieback resistant Jarrah trees are being planted, and four seed banks have been established. Extensive River Action Plans which will drive priority actions for the next three years for the lower and middle Murray and lower Serpentine rivers have been completed.”
Jan Star said the project has significant community and cultural engagement outcomes.
“To date, Rivers 2 Ramsar has encompassed 31 Noongar engagement activities including a milestone training project which has allowed thirteen community members to reach national accreditation in chemical safety and handling. Working with Noongars back on country has included seed collection and cultural site mapping. As well, cultural walks hosted by the Noongar community provide appreciation of traditional owners’ values and their country giving a direct connection for all participants between the cultural and environmental significance of a site.”
This project is supported by the Peel-Harvey Catchment Council through funding from the Australian Government.
The large scale biodiversity project is presently in Stage 4 of 8 and is on schedule to finish in 2017.
ENDS
Media Contact: Jane O’Malley, Chief Executive Officer, Peel-Harvey Catchment Council, Jane.Omalley@peel-harvey.org.au , (08) 6369 8800
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Binjareb Boodja Landscapes 2025 – Commonwealth News Release
The Hon. Greg Hunt with Don Randall MP, Jane O’Malley, Jan Star, George Walley and Harry Nannup at the launch of Binjareb Boodja Landscapes 2025.
The joint media announcement from the Hon. Greg Hunt MP and Don Randall MP last week, Binjareb Boodja Landscapes 2025, made the Commonwealth’s media releases – you can review it in the link below:
AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT MEDIA RELEASE SERVICE
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TITLE: Blueprint to protect natural and social values of Peel-Harvey – media release 1 May 2015
PORTFOLIO: Environment
URL: http://www.environment.gov.au/minister/hunt/2015/mr20150501.html
SNIPPET: Minister for the Environment. The regional strategy brings together the most recent scientific and community knowledge about the natural and social values of the Peel-Harvey catchment, Minister Hunt said. | Minister for the Environment | Parliamentary Secretary | Archives |.
NRM Strategy to Conserve Natural Capital Launched
Board members, Chair Jan Star, CEO Jane O’Malley with Hon. Greg Hunt, Don Randall MP, George Walley and Harry Nannup at the NRM Strategy Launch.
At the launch of Binjareb Boodja Landscapes 2025, Jan Star AM., Chair of the Peel-Harvey Catchment Council, said the important strategy maps a framework and investment plan for natural resource management (NRM) in the Catchment over the next decade.
“This will attract investment funding into our region to protect our very special environment because it reflects the essence of what our community is calling for: Binjareb Boodja Landscapes 2025 is the result of extensive and significant community consultations throughout the Peel-Harvey,” said Jan Star.
In officially launching the strategy, Federal Minister for the Environment Greg Hunt announced $3.8 million in funding for Binjareb Boodja Landscapes 2025, a blue print for environmental management of the region, developed in collaboration with the community, land managers, industry, government and their agencies.
Jan Star said the document, supported by the Peel-Harvey Catchment Council through funding from the Australian Government, will provide clear pathways for everyone living and working in the natural environment and in the social and economic areas that interact with and are dependent on it.
“The strategy clearly reveals much needs to be done if we want to prevent another ecological collapse. We know continued population growth increases pressure on the health of the Peel-Harvey’s ecology, and that our environment is the economic foundation of the Catchment. Currently, our environment is unstable and unsustainable: we need investment, and this is our community-owned strategy to effect this.”
“Much of the strategy draws on information collected through a targeted community consultation and technical review process. Together, community feedback and the results of the review were used by the project team to develop the strategy’s framework. One lesson learnt over time is how vital the personal and organisational relationships which underpin this work are.”
“The Peel-Harvey Catchment Council is committed to continue to work with the Australian Government and the community in a collaborative and open manner to achieve results for this place, its people and its well-being.”
More on the Peel-Harvey Catchment Council:
Currently, the PHCC is rolling out the multi-million dollar Rivers 2 Ramsar biodiversity project. The Australian Government has committed $3.6 million to protect and enhance biodiversity of the internationally significant, Ramsar-listed Peel-Yalgorup eco-system during a four year timeframe. PHCC is managing landscape scale restoration, community engagement and planning across six priority sites in the 11,940km Peel-Harvey catchment.
Recently, the PHCC worked with the Bridging the Gap Green Army removing tree guards and keeping control of cotton bush in the Lake Clifton buffer zone. The zone forms an important aspect of the iconic places revegetation strategy undertaken in the region as it interacts directly with the ancient thrombolites’ habitat on the Lake Clifton foreshore.
ENDS
Media Contact: Jane O’Malley, Chief Executive Officer, Peel-Harvey Catchment Council, Jane.Omalley@peel-harvey.org.au , (08) 6369 8800
