Minister voices support for projects

Roebuck Bay Working Group impressed Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Minister Joe Ludwig last week as he toured natural resource management projects which have been allocated an extra $6.4 million in government funding.

While in town to meet with disgruntled pastoralists, the minister said he was impressed by projects the group was conducting through Rangelands National Resource Management that were already being supported by federal funds of $13.7 million.

Roebuck Bay Working Group project co-ordinator explained to the minister and others during a hovercraft tour of the bay that the group was bringing together groups which might otherwise find it difficult to work together – the local shire, traditional owners, non-government organisations, industry, government agencies and community groups.

Mr Ludwig said he was pleased to see firsthand the work being done.

“Rangelands NRM will receive around $6.4 million to support projects which invest in the environment, create sustainable agriculture and build natural resource management projects,” he said. “The Rangelands NRM projects include working with the Roebuck Bay Working Group to protect the Roebuck Bay wetlands from blue-green algae, and provide a healthy habitat for local species.

“This funding will assist work in Roebuck Bay, improve fire management and work with pastoralists and other land managers in the Kimberley and across the broader Western Australian rangelands region to increase vegetation cover, manage weeds, improve carbon retention and implement improved grazing practices.”

Rangelands NRM will also look at coastal dune erosion and management of human impacts from activities such as beach driving.