Biodiversity

Biodiversity This program will deliver activities against targets identified in the Caring for our Country Business Plan 2009-10 which identified the Avon Wheatbelt IBRA Region as a high priority for increasing the National Reserve System. A large percentage of the ARB is within the Avon Wheatbelt IBRA Region. The project will also include the Western Mallee IBRA Sub Region (south-east ARB) as it is underrepresented in the National Reserve System.

The program will increase the National Reserve System by working with land managers to legally protect locations through the use of conservation covenants. The locations target priority remnant bushland in the Avon River Basin that have been identified through a strategic conservation plan as significant and irreplaceable. The implementation of management plans will secure these locations as sustainable and functioning ecosystems.

The strategic conservation plan, will identify targets that contain a high level of diversity, including ecosystems underrepresented in the national reserve system and threatened species.

Healthy Bushland

The program is funded through the Commonwealth government's Caring for Our Country National Reserve System program to the tune of $2 million over the next four years.

The idea behind the Healthy Bushland Program is to help protect iconic Wheatbelt vegetation such as Salmon gum, York gum and other woodlands.

This help could be in the form of funding for fencing to keep stock out, weed control or revegetation.

WNRM is encouraging landholders to explore the idea of a voluntary conservation covenant.

This involves the landholder committing to protect and manage their bushland forever.

Help can be provided to assist the landholder to look after the bush, this could be in the form of funding for fencing to keep stock out, weed control or revegetation.

Over the last four years 15 landholders in the Wheatbelt agreed to a conservation covenant, helping to protect 1500 hectares of bushland.

Further work

To complement the National Reserve System work threatened species that are impacted by rabbits will have management activities identified while community groups will be given opportunities to participate in activities aimed at protecting over 100 EPBC listed species in the Avon River Basin. Community participation in knowledge building activities will enable landholder contributions to biodiversity conservation to expand and continue beyond the life of the project.

Indigenous involvement in biodiversity conservation will be facilitated through accessing established networks in the region through WNRM indigenous officers.