Stream restoration workshops for farmers are underway as part of Healthy Estuaries WA. Led by local catchment groups, the workshops will build the practical skills of farmers and community members to reduce stock access and revegetate areas close to waterways. The workshops also boost knowledge and appreciation of the benefits … Read More
New trials to provide insights for best practice soil management on sandy soils
Two new trial sites on dairy farms in the Vasse and Scott River catchments have been launched to demonstrate how top-dressing applications of Iron Man Gypsum (IMG) can keep phosphorus on farms where it is needed, instead of being washed into our estuaries where it can cause algal blooms and … Read More
uPtake project team win two fertiliser industry environmental awards
Individuals and companies in the Australian fertiliser industry working to improve environmental outcomes were recognised at the recent 2022 Fertilizer Industry Environmental Awards, with two of the three national award recipients representing teams working to protect waterways in Western Australia. CSBP Fertilisers was awarded the Fertilizer Industry Platypus Environmental Award … Read More
Healthy Estuaries WA creates regional jobs
It takes the right people in the right place with the right skills to implement Healthy Estuaries WA , and creating job opportunities in regional communities is part of our collaborative model. Since the program started in 2020, it has supported jobs for 69 people, with a full-time equivalent load … Read More
Regional communities working together to restore waterways
As part of Healthy Estuaries WA, farmers across the South West are improving the health of waterways and receiving estuaries by fencing to exclude stock from streams and drains, and by revegetating riparian zones (the areas along the banks of a waterway).
Field days for accurate fertiliser application
This June, Healthy Estuaries WA is again providing the popular Accu-Spread demonstration days in partnership with catchment groups and Australia’s leading expert, Russell Nichol. The field days will provide farmers with an opportunity to improve the performance of their spreaders. Most fertiliser spreaders deliver highly variable spread patterns. This means that some … Read More
New photopoint monitoring guide
Photopoints are fixed positions in the environment where consistent photos of a particular area of interest can be collected over time. Photopoint monitoring is used to assess changes in condition visually, particularly for evaluating environmental responses to on‑ground management actions or documenting impacts due to natural events or human activities … Read More
End of an era marks exciting new beginnings for Healthy Estuaries WA
More than 100 people joined to celebrate the successful delivery of the Regional Estuaries Initiative at the Regional Estuaries Initiative Conference in Mandurah on Wednesday 11 August. The Regional Estuaries Initiative has been succeeded by the State Government’s Healthy Estuaries WA program, with the conference providing an opportunity to consolidate … Read More
Calculating the impact of best management practices on farms
Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) modellers are using OVERSEER, a New Zealand-based software, to examine the impact of different farm management practices on nutrient levels flowing into our waterways. Catchment models calculate the nutrients entering waterways based on an understanding of drainage in the catchment and how different … Read More
From muddy mess to crystal clear
More than 40 people came together in mid-July to plant 5500-plus seedlings on a cattle farm in the Denmark area. Farmer Marino Bocuzzi has been working with Shaun Ossinger, from the Wilson Inlet Catchment Committee, since mid-2019 to revitalise a stretch of perennial creek on his property that flows into … Read More