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| Home » Programs / Projects » Community & Partnerships |
Southern Rivers CMA recognises the importance of supporting and investing in quality community engagement that builds the community’s capacity to deliver sustainable Natural Resource Management (NRM). The intent of Southern Rivers CMA’s Community and Partnership program is to form meaningful, long-term partnerships with industry, government and community organisations, including Landcare.
Industry partnerships Partnerships with the dairy industry on the coast and the grazing industry on the Monaro continue through the joint delivery of large-scale projects. Working with Bega Cheese and the Illawarra and Highlands Dairy Industry group, Southern Rivers CMA is delivering on-farm improvements in nutrient and effluent management and protecting valuable wetlands and riparian areas. On the Monaro, sheep and cattle graziers are working with the Cooma Monaro, Snowy River and Bombala Shire Councils, Southern Rivers CMA and agronomic and grassland specialists, to continue to implement a suite if projects to manage native grasses for productivity and conservation. A capacity building initiative also got underway to support a group of local graziers (Monaro Farming Systems group) to undertake research and development to assist profitable farming systems to evolve in the challenging natural, economic and social environment of the Monaro. Coastal and marine issues are provided strategic focus through Southern Rivers CMA’s Coast and Marine Working Group, which provides a regular forum for marine and coastal stakeholders to meet. This group includes government, industry, community, research and educational representatives. A partnership with local oyster growers has expanded to including the Tuross Lakes, Wagonga Inlet, Wapengo Lake and Merimbula Lake as well as ongoing work in the Shoalhaven/Crookhaven estuaries and Clyde River. An initiative with two Local Aboriginal Land Councils to control the Pacific Oyster is also providing employment opportunities for local Aboriginal people in natural resource management. Local government partnershipsBuilding effective working relationships between local government and Southern Rivers CMA is fundamental in delivering positive NRM actions through the Southern Rivers region. Local implementation plans have been developed between Southern Rivers CMA and six councils. Southern Rivers CMA is working with the Local Government and Shires Association and the Natural Resources Commission to assist all 12 local governments in the Southern Rivers region to integrate NRM into their new local environmental plans. Partnerships with Landcare, Aboriginal People and other Community Organisations
Partnerships are in place with the seven District Landcare Associations across the region, to provide community support to local groups and to implement on-ground works. Find a Landcare GroupA team of locally based Aboriginal support staff are employed by Southern Rivers CMA to establish relationships with local Aboriginal land councils, Aboriginal elders groups, traditional owners groups, Aboriginal corporations and others groups. Staff have worked with groups to develop proposals to protect cultural heritage, to provide NRM training and employment opportunities for local Aboriginal people and supported plans for the development of NRM enterprises (acquaculture, ecotourism, bush tucker and farm forestry). A partnership agreement has been developed between Southern Rivers CMA and Conservation Volunteers Australia. The two organisations have continued to work collaboratively to deliver: - support for wetland protection and restoration at five wetlands
- Landcare community support services to the Illawarra community, and
- the distribution of a risk management toolkit and training to 40 Landcare groups from across the region.
Southern Rivers CMA's Community Support Team deliver support to Landcare groups, Aboriginal groups, individual landholders and other groups and organisations at a local level. |
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| Community and Partnerships catchment target: By 2016 communities of the Southern Rivers region are willing and adequately supported to actively engage in natural resource management. |
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| NRM Benchmarking Surveys: Community and Stakeholder Beliefs about Natural Resource Management |
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SRCMA has completed a major project to benchmark the existing level of community attitudes, awareness and involvement in natural resource management in the Southern Rivers region, with a particular focus on engagement and capacity issues. SRCMA worked with Dr Mark Fenton (of Environment and Behaviour Change Consultants) to design and implement the project over 2007/08.
The project included:
* A telephone survey of rural landholders in the Southern Rivers region. The survey of 2000 rural landholders focused on awareness, attitudes and beliefs in relation to NRM, the engagement of landholders in NRM and the capacity of landholders to undertake sustainable practices.
* A survey of Aboriginal people and organisations in the Southern Rivers region. The survey of Aboriginal people in the Southern Rivers region focuses on the engagement of Aboriginal people in caring for Country; Aboriginal peoples relationship with Country and beliefs about the health of Country.
* A telephone survey of stakeholder organisations and groups within the region. The survey of stakeholder organisations has assessed the level of awareness of SRCMA, the extent and quality of interaction and partnerships with SRCMA, the level of support organisations receive in relation to NRM; and the capacity of organisations to implement their NRM objectives.
* A survey of staff and Board members of SRCMA. The survey was designed to benchmark the organisational capacity of SRCMA examining management capacity, NRM program capacity and the CMAs relationship with external organisations.
By monitoring these changes over time SRCMA aims to better develop its programs and activities to improve the natural resource and environmental conditions in the region.
A series of project reports can be downloaded on our Reports page. | |
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| Case Study: Yuin Nation Recognition in the Eurobodalla Regional Botanic Gardens |
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Friends of the Eurobodalla Regional Botanic Gardens and the Eurobodalla Aboriginal Heritage Committee were supported to engage the community in understanding and recognising Aboriginal culture through the development of an Aboriginal Heritage walk within the Botanic Gardens, which are located south of Batemans Bay.
The project has seen the development and installation of 32 interpretive signs which have information on the Aboriginal name, usage, and value of the plants unique to the Aboriginal people of the Eurobodalla region. Four local Aboriginal people were trained as tour guides and delivered their first walkabout tours during the April school holidays. The guides will continue to conduct heritage walks for garden events and special groups.
Partners: Eurobodalla Regional Botanic Gardens, Eurobodalla Aboriginal Heritage Committee
Funding: Jointly funded by the NSW and Australian Governments through NHT2 funds
Value of Project: $30,000 | |
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| Hertiage walks are held within the Botanic Gardens |
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| Case Study: Landcare Support |
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Landcare Community Support Officers in partnership with District Landcare Associations and SRCMA provide a range of support services to Landcare groups and landholders across the Southern Rivers region.
The Upper Snowy Community Support Officer provided assistance to the Maclaughlin River Landcare Group to undertake willow control work on the upper sections of the Maclaughlin River. The officer worked with the group to gain Envirofund funding, planned the works on individual properties, engaged a willow contractor and liaised with other authorities about the works. Stem injection of willows along approximately 7 kilometres of the river was achieved with this linking into the broader willow control program along the Snowy River.
A Rainforest Restoration Field Day was held near Foxground in partnership with Landcare Illawarra. The day attracted forty local people most of whom are landholders managing rainforest on their properties. People learnt to identify many local rainforest species, how to grow red cedar as a farm forestry species and the incentive programs and assistance that is available from SRCMA for the ongoing management of their rainforest patch.
The Upper Shoalhaven Community Support Officer worked with a number of Landcare groups to develop a dung beetle release project that was successful in being funded by the Sydney Catchment Authority. Dung beetles are known to improve soil health, pasture performance and on-land productivity. Landcare group members will be releasing a number of different dung beetles onto rural properties, monitoring their success rates over a two year period.
The Mystery Bay Coastcare group were supported to restore coastal vegetation at Mystery Bay, which is a popular destination for holiday makers and includes a large primitive campground on the foreshore. The Eurobodalla Community Support Officer helped the group to obtain an Envirofund grant to carry out bush regeneration and fencing works. Eurobodalla Shire Council assisted by closing down some tracks, upgrading others and improving drainage.
Partners: Eurobodalla Shire Council, Conservation Volunteers Australia, Snowy River Interstate Landcare Committee, Shoalhaven Landcare, Landcare Illawarra, Upper Shoalhaven Landcare Council, Far South Coast Landcare Association.
Funding: Jointly funded by the NSW and Australian Governments through NHT2 funds
Value of project: $490,000 | |
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| The Mystery Bay Coastcare Group |
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| Case Study: Small Farms Network |
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The Small Farms Network is a peer support network for small area rural landholders across the Illawarra, Shoalhaven and Southern Highlands areas. The Network is a partnership between the Southern Councils Group and the Department of Primary Industries that’s assists landowners to be both productive farmers and custodians of our natural resources. The Network has a facilitator who is based in Kiama who organises training and workshops, provides on farm advice, assists landholders obtain funding to manage their farms sustainably and supports communication between landholders and government agencies.
This year the Network successfully applied for, and received $98,720 for eight on-ground projects and $6,200 for training in the Milton / Shoalhaven region in partnership with the Shoalhaven Landcare Association. A range of workshops were also held with topics including feral animal control, cattle health, bush tucker, organic farming and horticultural crops.
A new Milton Network began with support from the Shoalhaven Landcare Association, the South Coast Rural Lands Protection Board, a local agricultural products supplier and Milton Landcare.
An annual Social Bus Trip was held to visit various farm enterprises and the annual Small Farms and Rural Living Field Day held at Berry attracted 2,265 people and raised $6,076 for local charities. The Field Day provides the community an opportunity to connect with rural life, enables rural landholders to talk to various government agencies on one day, assists Network members to promote the great work they are doing locally, and allows business partners to give and receive support from the Network.
Partners: Southern Councils Group, Department of Primary Industries
Funding Source: Jointly funded by the NSW and Australian Governments through NHT2 funds
Value of project: $260,000 | |
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| A horticultural workshop run by the Small Farms Network |
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