ESRM
The Gascoyne Catchments Project support and resources are provided by the Ecologically Sustainable Rangelands Management program (ESRM). ESRM is funded by Rangelands NRM WA and is a joint initiative between the Department of Agriculture and Food and the Department of Environment and Conservation.
ESRM works with pastoral managers to build an understanding of landscape function and ecosystem linkages. They recognise and develop linkages between ecology, livestock production systems, social capacity and economics. ESRM have been extensively involved in the Gascoyne Catchments Project through property planning, delivering extension tools and providing access to expert knowledge aimed at raising awareness of new technologies and systems.
ESRM have also been working in the Pilbara and between the two regions have used a project management approach that works hard to empower regional communities, land managers and their families. Their particular focus is on integrating business, livestock and landscape planning for properties in the Pilbara and Gascoyne region.
The ESRM team is made up of the Program manager Luke Bayley and two project officers, Kaz Johnson and Richard Glover. The steering committee for the project is made up of Department of Environment and Conservation representatives, Pastoralists, Gascoyne Catchments Project steering committee members, Rangelands NRM, Department of Agriculture and Food, Minerals Council of WA and the Pastoral Lands Board.
Luke is from the Victorian Highlands and his background is in Natural Resource Management and Rural Sociology. Since leaving the North East Catchment Management Authority in Victoria 5 years ago, Luke has worked at Wadeye with the Thamarrurr Rangers in the Northern Territory.
He has a strong focus on working proactively with local people and industry to create viable solutions and works on the basis that innovation is a partnership between creativity and risk. Currently doing a Post Graduate Degree in Agriculture and Resource Economics at the University of New England Luke now lives in Carnarvon with his partner Fiona and their two children.
Kaz is from Padthaway in South Australia. Her background is in Earth Science and eco tourism and she has worked in SA, NT, NSW and WA and many overseas countries. She was based out of Geraldton for the past a year and a half and moved to Carnarvon at the end of 2008.
Richard is from Perth, WA. He did a Bachelor of Agriculture Science at UWA specialising in rangeland ecology and worked at Mt Stuart station after finishing school. He has been in Carnarvon since the beginning of 2008.
In addition to State and local government regulation applying to farms or stations the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 may apply to your property. If you click here you will find a document that will give details of when land managers may need to consider an approval for activities under the national environment law. The National Farmers Federation are taking a pro-active approach to supporting improved management of Australias bio-diversity assets on Stations. Basically it is just a case of calling to check before undertaking any major change in land use. Changes in land use can have a significant impact on the environment. Very few farm activities end up requiring approval, but unfortunately about 50% of the major compliance cases involve the agricultural sector.
ESRM will be looking into any relevent national environment issues which can be identified in the property action plans. The benefit of identifying these national priorities is that land managers can be aware of when additional Commonwealth approval is required separately to State process and can better see the link to Caring for our Country programs. There may even be potential benefits for regional planning processes whereby a strategic regional assessment can be done under the EPBC Act rather than numerous individual assessments. As part of the Gascoyne Catchments Project, ESRM is keen to look at pro-active ways to ensure State and Federal Legislation is being followed. Importantly we also want to celebrate the many examples of where stations are actively contributing to improved biodiversity outcomes for all Australians.