State NRM grants to support community conservation initiatives

• $7 million in State Natural Resource Management Community Stewardship grants to fund 57 local projects across WA
• Grants support local efforts to protect and enhance the State's valuable environmental assets
  

The McGowan Government today announced $7 million to support 57 community-driven projects to conserve and enhance Western Australia's diverse environment.

Community Stewardship Grants have been allocated to metropolitan and regional environmental projects across the State - 29 small grants for short-term projects and 28 large grants for longer term endeavours.

Successful projects include landcare capacity building, catchment rehabilitation, coastal conservation, invasive species control and protection of threatened species such as the western ringtail possum, Carnaby's cockatoo and the world's rarest marsupial, Gilbert's potoroo.

In the Gascoyne, one project will use natural sequence farming methods to rebuild a natural water flow system on degraded pastoral land to improve the landscape ecosystem.

Important fire recovery projects have also been funded, including land restoration of the Wooroloo Brook area, working with the community to implement environmentally appropriate fire hazard and fuel load reduction, including weed control.

In the Corrigin-Wickepin areas, local groups will support farmers to recover the Wheatbelt landscape by restoring native vegetation for biodiversity conservation and improving ground cover, carbon storage and soil health.

The grants are part of an ongoing WA Government funding commitment to the State Natural Resource Management (NRM) program.

For a full list of 2022 Community Stewardship Grants visit http://www.nrm.wa.gov.au/

Comments attributed to Agriculture and Food Minister Alannah MacTiernan:

"We are pleased to support such a diverse range of conservation projects across the State - protecting birds and penguins, encouraging dung beetles, and eradicating feral pigs.

"We are particularly celebrating a coastal conservation project driven by BirdLife Australia, which is working hard to engage the community to monitor and protect beach-nesting birds.

"Our beaches are favoured for recreation, but this places enormous pressure on coastal wildlife, particularly beach-nesting birds which face threats to their camouflaged eggs and chicks when breeding during spring and summer.

"This project will improve community awareness and connectedness to beach-nesting birds in four priority areas - Bunbury, Cape to Cape, Walpole and Denmark.

"There are also some great Aboriginal-led projects in the Gascoyne and Kimberley building on science and traditional knowledge."

Comments attributed to Water Minister Dave Kelly:

"Waterways and marine environments are an important part of natural resource management in Western Australia and we are investing in on-the-ground action which makes a real difference in this area.

"An important project in the South-West will remove nutrient rich organic sediments that have accumulated in the Lower Vasse River, which are significantly contributing to poor water quality, reduced biodiversity, and impact on amenity and recreational opportunities.  

"The project is part of a multi-staged approach to reducing nutrients and improving health of the river."

Comments attributed to Environment Minister Reece Whitby:

"It's great to see dedicated community groups and volunteers use their local knowledge to protect WA's vast and diverse environment for the future.

"One project is helping secure the survival of the world's rarest marsupial, the Gilbert's potoroo, by finding suitable new habitat along our south coast.

"This funding will go a long way to ensure WA's unique biodiversity is preserved for many years to come."

Agriculture and Food Minister's office - 6552 6200

Water Minister's office - 6552 6100

Environment Minister's office - 6552 6300