- $7 million in State Natural Resource Management (NRM) Community Stewardship Grants to fund 55 local projects across WA
- Grants support local efforts to conserve and enhance Western Australia's diverse environment
Conservation projects to care for Western Australia's vast landscape and unique plants and animals have received $7 million in funding from the Cook Government.
Community Stewardship Grants have been allocated to 55 community-driven natural resource management projects across the State.
The funding includes small grants for 31 short-term projects and large grants for 24 longer term endeavours.
Successful projects include landcare capacity building, wetlands and catchment rehabilitation, dieback control, weed management, Cyclone Seroja recovery, and protection of threatened species such as black cockatoos, western ringtail possums and Carter's freshwater mussels.
More than $390,000 will go towards a citizen scientist project to track endangered southern right whales on the south coast of Western Australia, drawing on support from the community and local Aboriginal rangers.
The three-year project will monitor southern right whale mothers and calves as they remain close to shore where they can be observed and photographed along breeding and calving coastal areas between Albany and Hopetoun in the Great Southern region.
Scientists estimate the Australian population of southern right whales is less than 3,500.
This project aims to fill critical knowledge gaps to improve the species' conservation outcome and empowers the community to engage directly in conservation-based management actions.
The grants are part of an ongoing funding WA Government commitment to the State Natural Resource Management (NRM) program.
For a full list of 2023 Community Stewardship Grants visithttp://www.nrm.wa.gov.au/
As stated by Agriculture and Food Minister Jackie Jarvis:
"I congratulate these community-led groups who are delivering on-the-ground projects, which will deliver benefits now and for future generations.
"There is a strong contingent of multi-regional projects, showing increased collaboration for landscape scale outcomes.
"These range from accelerating regenerative agriculture adoption across broadacre farming and pastoral regions, to enhancing the bushfire management skills of Indigenous rangers in the Pilbara and Kimberley."
Comments attributed to Water Minister Simone McGurk:
"Ourunique waterways andecosystemsare rightly cherishedby the WA community. Theirconservation isanintegralpart of natural resource management inthe State.
"In Perth, the Beeliar Wetlands and surrounds will benefit from a large-scale project focused on restoring the landscape and creating community connections, with activities including weed control, revegetation, surveying and event support."
Comments attributed to Environment Minister Reece Whitby:
"These projects, driven by dedicated groups and community members, will deliver meaningful benefits in preserving and enhancing the local environment.
"A great local project in the Perth Hills will undertake citizen science surveys using eDNA and remote cameras to identify key habitat requirements to better protect the native marsupial, the phascogale."
