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Planning ahead for the Wheatbelt environment

7 October 2015

Monitoring the Wheatbelt environment and addressing its key resource issues are feature topics at this year’s annual general meeting for Wheatbelt Natural Resource Management (NRM).

The organisation will launch its new online ‘NRM Dashboard’ at the event as well its updated ‘3 Year Plan’.

“Our NRM Dashboard will provide an annual and ongoing check on the state of key environmental, social and economic thresholds for the region,” said Chief Executive Officer Natarsha Woods.

“The dashboard has grown from our previous work on the Regional NRM Strategy, where we set a threshold target of 30% bushland vegetation cover to protect the viability of our native species.”

“The Eastern Wheatbelt currently has 17% cover, and the ‘NRM Dashboard’ should be able to tell us if our work is resulting in greater vegetation cover.”

The leading environmental group has also developed a ‘3 Year Plan’ to help address existing community concerns for the environment – mainly salinity, species viability, and a drying catchment.

The ‘3 Year Plan’ tackles some newer priorities too – improved chemical use efficiency on farms; increased NRM opportunities for community participation; greater support for Aboriginal involvement in NRM; and, a stronger youth connection with the environment.

Guest speakers at the AGM will include Malcolm French (Elders Real Estate) and Daniel Dadd (National Australia Bank), who will discuss how retaining items such as trees and investing in NRM activities on farms can boost value.

Community members will also present on activities they are undertaking to improve the environment and look at how their work links to Wheatbelt NRM’s ‘3 Year Plan’.

“Last year, our overall strategy was to have 10% of the Wheatbelt community actively improving the environment through our programs and projects, ” Natarsha Woods said.

“We reached 17.5% and now we’ve increased that target to 25%, or 11,000 people in the next three years.”

“It is a challenge, but one we are very happy to take on.”

“Our goal is a vibrant Wheatbelt community that is creating a healthy environment and healthy livelihoods.

Wheatbelt NRM 2015 AGM, Thursday 22 October, 10am - 1pm, Bridgeley Community Centre, 91-93 Wellington Street, Northam.

This event is funded by the Australian Government through the National Landcare Programme.