The Oyster Harbour Catchment Group Inc Harbour
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Winner of the National Alcoa Landcare Community Group Award 2008
The Oyster Harbour
Catchment Group Inc.
ter Harbour
O ys
C atc h m e n t G r o u p Inc.
Oyster Harbour Catchment Group Inc.
The Oyster Harbour Objectives Vision
Catchment Group 1. Ensure landholder, local government and broad Prosperous, vibrant rural communities
was established in stakeholder participation in the Oyster Harbour for present and future generations within
1992 as a community Catchment Group Inc. the Oyster Harbour Catchment.
catchment group, with 2. Encourage the development and
the aim of protecting and implementation of strategic Best Management
rehabilitating the Kalgan Practices in sustainable agriculture, marine, Mission Statement
waterways and conservation.
River System and became Coordinate and facilitate Natural
an incorporated body in 3. Increase the awareness and involvement of Resource Management to all
the wider community in Natural Resource stakeholders within the Oyster Harbour
1994.
Management within the Oyster Harbour Catchment including land managers,
Catchment. marine managers, the urban and peri-
The purpose of the
urban community, education facilities,
group being to coordinate 4. Encourage the incorporation of Natural
training agencies, volunteer groups,
and facilitate natural Resource Management priorities into all
local government and government
aspects of land use and strategic planning.
resource management agencies.
to all stakeholders in
the Oyster Harbour
Catchment including land The Catchment
managers, the urban and
peri-urban community, The Oyster Harbour Catchment is situated along the South Coast of Western
local government and Australia and is a part of the South West Botanical Region. It stretches from
government agencies. Albany through to Tenterden, across the Stirling Ranges to Chillinup and South
to but not including Two Peoples Bay. The entire area is approximately 3000
The OHCG is the square kilometers and includes populated centers of the City of Albany and the
key natural resource townships of Mt Barker, Porongurup and Kendenup.
management group The catchment contains many natural assets such as the Oyster Harbour, the
of the Oyster Harbour Kalgan River, the King River, The Porongurup National Park and the Stirling
Catchment and forms one Range National Park. In total, there are approximately 31 Nature Reserves and
of the three community 38 listed Heritage Sites within the catchment.
natural resource The Oyster
management groups for Harbour is the
the Albany Hinterland centre catchment
subregion of the overall of the Albany
Hinterland
South Coast NRM region.
and shares its
The group has achieved common borders
some excellent results with the Wilson
Inlet Catchment
with a wide range of on-
to the West and
ground activities as well Albany Eastern
as educating landholders Hinterland to
and school groups on the East. These
environmental issues, the catchments fall
benefits of conservation into the South
and correct land Coast NRM area
management. of responsibility
that includes
They have been involved the South Coast
in all levels of regional from Walpole
planning and are involved to the West to
Esperance in the
with further developing
East.
and implementing the
regional strategy.
Oyster Harbour Catchment Group Inc.
Projects
The OHCG are currently running many projects around the catchment on a variety of issues. These include on-ground
implementation, training, trials and demonstration sites. Funding for these activities comes from a range of sources that
include South Coast Natural Resource Management, Caring For Our Country, Department of Water, Community Water Grants,
Lotterywest and corporate sponsorship.
On ground activities includes the fencing of waterways and remnant vegetation to exclude stock, planting native tree’s on
bare or cleared areas, establishing deep rooted perennial pastures to utilise excess water and nutrients and installing shallow
surface water management to tackle waterlogging and increasing salinity; to name just a few.
Ranges Link Project
The Ranges Link is a community driven
project aiming to identify, protect and
enhance wildlife corridors between
the Stirling Range National Park and
the Porongurup Range National Park,
in the great southern of WA. High restoration, a 1,000km band of healthy weed and pest control can be carried
biodiversity value native vegetation native habitat across south west out in a well coordinated way quickly
currently exists along waterways and Western Australia (WA). This effort and efficiently, using best practise. When
in remnants on private properties, involves a number of organisations sufficient funds are available, the group
predominately on broadacre farms. working collaboratively, including Bush fully funds the construction of the fences
Many of these areas are under threat Heritage Australia (BHA), Friends of which means that specific areas can be
from livestock grazing, wind and water the Fitzgerald River National Park, targeted for attention without having to
erosion, salinity and eutrophication. Fitzgerald Biosphere Group, Greening consider the capacity of the landholders
The biodiversity of the plants and Australia (GA), Green Skills, The to do the work.
animals in some areas are under threat Nature Conservancy (TNC) and The This project has received strong support
due to isolation. These corridors and Wilderness Society (TWS). from Mt Barker Chicken and Waratah
linkages will address the problem of The Ranges Link group is made up of since 2009 in addition to a range of
plant and animal communities being 6 landholders all committed volunteers Federal and State Government funding
isolated, and provide a safe passage with many years of landcare/NRM sources to assist with achieving its aims.
for native birds and animals moving experience. They work closely with A Conservation Action Plan (CAP) has
north/south between the national other lifestyle block occupants and been developed by the group identifying
parks. broadacre farmers eight key ecological targets as the focus
The group uses
‘The aim is to protect and in the area to for our protection and restoration efforts.
its extensive local enhance areas of native raise awareness If we improve the viability of each of
knowledge and vegetation to form a corridor of environmental these targets, we believe we will improve
conservation as all the ecological condition of the entire
experience to between the Stirling Range and on ground works
target individual Porongurup National Parks.’ system.
are on private
areas at risk and The completion of the CAP has seen the
property. They
work with the recent securing of funding though Caring
meet bimonthly to manage existing
individual landholders to plan on- projects and plan future activities. For Our Country’s Wildlife Corridors
ground works. program for the implementation of
All on-ground works are carried out by further on-ground works.
The group works closely Gondwana contractors employed by the group. In
Link, an ambitious program that aims this way fencing, revegetation work,
to secure, through conservation and
Oyster Harbour Catchment Group Inc.
Porongurup Weed Project
The Porongurup weed control project.
project is a collaborative effort
In October 2009, South Coast
between the community,
Natural Resource Management was
landowners, the Friends of the
able to secure further funding for the
Porongurup Range, OHCG, South
Porongurup weed control project
Coast NRM, the Department of
surrounding the Park through the
Environment and Conservation,
Federal Government’s Caring for our
and the Department of Agriculture
Country scheme to control Weeds of
and Food.
National Significance (WONS).
The project started in 2007 Volunteers from the Friends of the Porongurup
Weeds of National Significance in
after a major fire burned 85% Range weeding group returning after controlling a
the Porongurup area are Blackberry,
or 2,500ha of the National Park weed infestation in the Porongurup National Park.
Lantana, Bridal Creeper and Willows.
and 2,500ha outside the Park.
The grant is to protect biodiversity
The weed project outside the
and conservation values in the
Park is coordinated through the
National Heritage
Oyster Harbour
listed Porongurup
Catchment Group. ‘The aim is to create
National Park and
The Department a 5km buffer fee of
to protect rare and
of Environment environmental weeds
endangered flora and
and Conservation around the Porongurup fauna.
coordinates a weed National Park.’
control project Priority weed
inside the Porongurup National species which have been controlled
Park. Declared and environmental through the project are introduced
weeds impact on biodiversity Eastern States Wattles, Blackberries, John Moore, Senior Weed Scientist, DAF with
Taylorina, Dolichos, Arum Lilies and members of the weed control project’s steering
and conservation values in
group assessing a trial where rust was used to
the Porongurup Range and Red Valerian. Many other weeds were control a blackberry infestation at the base of the
surrounding area. Some of these also mapped and controlled. Through Porongurup Range.
weeds also pose a direct threat the mapping it was found that many
to a number of threatened flora, escaped garden plants including
some of which are only found in Polygala, Forget-me-not, Agapanthus
the Porongurup Range. and Broom were invading large areas
of the National Park and remnant
A Steering Group was established
vegetation on private land.
by the Oyster Harbour Catchment
Group project coordinators. From 2007 – 2011 around 800ha of
The Steering Group includes weeds were controlled around the
the Senior Weed Scientist from Porongurup National Park and in the
the Department of Agriculture Ranges Link project, which connects
An Arum Lily infestation in a creek line at the base
and Food in Albany, the Weed the Porongurup with the Stirling of the Porongurup Range. This area was treated
Coordinator from the Department Range National Park. In addition, in spring 2009.
of Environment and Conservation the Department of Environment and
in the Porongurup, as well Conservation
as representatives from the controlled
community, the Friends of the weeds within
Porongurup Range, the Oyster an area
Harbour Catchment Group, of around
South Coast Natural Resource 450ha inside
Management, and Oyster Harbour the National
Catchment Group coordinators Park.
for the Porongurup weed control
A Red Valerian infestation adjacent to the
Porongurup National Park. Red Valerian is a garden
plant which can rapidly spread into bushland areas
where it replaces native understorey species
Oyster Harbour Catchment Group Inc.
Feral Plant & Animal Control
Invasive plant and animal species Range National Park driven by the
have a big impact on both Kendenup Bushland Management
our farming systems and our Group. This project undertook an
environment. The Oyster Harbour initial spraying program in 2011
Catchment Group is a local with an approach that, while lethal
coordinator for the annual Red to the bridal creeper, left the native
Card for the Red Fox program, a vegetation undisturbed.
coordinated fox shooting and fox
The Albany area is also host to the
baiting program run throughout the
only Gorse infestation in WA. Gorse
south west of WA.
is one of Australia’s most serious
The Oyster Harbour Catchment weeds covering between 100,000
Group also works closely with and 1 million hectares with the
other community groups, South potential to most of the Australian
Coast NRM, State Government agricultural areas that receive more
Departments and the Plantagenet than about 450mm of annual rainfall.
Shire and City of Albany in the The Albany infestation is currently
implementation of environmental less than 100ha spread over about
weed control projects. Projects 90 private properties and about 250
have targeted the highly invasive Government or Local Government
A 25 year eradication program has
Victorian Teatree and Acacia species locations, predominately roadsides.
been implemented with commitment
such as Golden Wattle and Sydney Gorse is a perennial shrub which, if from the State Government and
Golden Wattle. The biological rust left undisturbed, will grow to a height South Coast NRM which aims to
control for Bridal Creeper has been in excess of 3 metres. All stems and eradicate Gorse from WA. With
actively spread throughout the leaves are prickly, ending in a sharp the most recent study indicating
Oyster Harbour area which has spine, making plants impenetrable that gorse was costing Tasmanian
reduced the vigour and seed set to animals and unpalatable to all primary producers around $1M in
of this widespread weed. This has livestock except goats. Seed life is lost production and New Zealand
been built upon with a targeted between 20 -30 years so on-going estimates (1985) at $NZ150M, Gorse
program to prevent its establishment monitoring and control is required for eradication in WA will be well worth
in the western end of the Stirling successful control. the effort.
Oyster Harbour Catchment Group Inc.
Millbrook &
King River
A recent focus of activity for the
Oyster Harbour Catchment group
has been to improve water quality
in the King River and Millbrook
waterways. Despite their smaller
size these waterways are
significant contributors to nutrient
loads for the Oyster Harbour.
With most of the area being
kikuyu based cattle farms and
lifestyle properties; the focus has
been on fencing to protect the
waterways from livestock access.
Where appropriate and feasible,
these protected waterways can
also be revegetated with local
species. This further improves
water quality by reducing channel
erosion especially during peak
Sediment plume in King George Sound following
water flow and by filtering
200mm of rainfall over three days in 2005.
nitrogen and phosphorus from run
off before it enters the waterway.
Revegetation will also improve
aquatic and terrestrial habitats,
assisting native fish, crustaceans,
birds and mammals to repopulate " ! #! ! $#
the area. It also reduces the risk !
of weeds such as blackberry
establishing and increases the $
amenity of the property. $$
#
Millbrook and King River also
!
contain healthy populations
$
"
of the vulnerable native fish, "!
Balston’s Pygmy Perch. The
critically endangered Western
Trout Minnow was also found
in the King and Kalgan until
recently with the only other known
population being found in two the !
"
Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve.
Protection of these waterways
will help protect these vulnerable
"
species.
#
$"
#
!
Oyster Harbour Catchment Group Inc.
Yakamia Creek traditional straight drain or degraded
stream that has been repaired or
Yakamia Creek is the major urban restored into a comparatively more
waterway of Albany. It drains a natural channel form. It features
catchment area of approximately stabilised vegetated banks with
21km2 which contains urban, various plant species and a more
industrial and rural land uses natural, meandering structure.
as well as approximately 25%
remnant vegetation. Yakamia Living streams provide an aesthetic
Creek drains to Oyster Harbour, a landscape feature for communities to
Yakamia Creek on Barnesby Drive
nationally significant wetland. As a enjoy as well as diverse habitats for
result of fragmented management flora and fauna.
of the waterway, Yakamia Creek
contributes significant volumes of
nutrients and pollutants to Oyster
Harbour.
The Oyster Harbour Catchment
Group is working closely with City
of Albany, Department of Water,
Albany Environment Centre,
South Coast NRM and community
members to restore sections
of Yakamia Creek into a living
stream.
Bannister Creek 10 years after implementation of living streams concept.
A living stream is a section of a
Nutrient Loads for Oyster Harbour
2005 2008
Nitrogen Phosphorus Nitrogen Phosphorus
Catchment Catchment (ha) Flow (ML) (tonnes) (tonnes) Flow (ML) (tonnes) (tonnes)
Kalgan 217,984 147,200,000 761.789 87.413 39,100,000 81.954 3.564
King River 15,627 18,320,000 40.622 6.279 8,689,000 21.286 2.374
Millbrook 17,778 9,935,000 16.624 1.721 5,792,000 8.399 0.667
Yakamia 1,004 5,571,000 6.512 0.509 5,408,000 6.624 0.273
Source: Department of Water, Unpublished, 2010
2008 Alcoa National Landcare Middle Oyster
Community Group Award Harbour Catchment
OHCG won this award as The OHCG’s flagship project from
the outstanding community 2006 to 2008 was the Middle Oyster
group that has adopted Harbour Catchment - Salinity
sound land management Containment and Water Quality Sub-
practices and is working Catchment Plan - Phase 1 funded
towards sustainable land through South Coast NRM.
use. David Williamson The total works were spread over
spoke of the commitment approximately 30,000 ha and included
by the community that 5,448 ha perennials, 336 ha re-
made it possible for vegetation, 475 ha farm forestry, 236
the award win: OHCG km of fencing and 15.6 km of drainage.
landholders ‘want to Picture: OHCG Chair David Williamson (L) and NRMO
All these actions complimented 4,972
David Broadhurst (2nd from R) receiving award from
remain farming and want Australian Government Minister for the Environment Hon. ha of native vegetation and 1800 ha of
to achieve both profitability Peter Garrett and Alan Cransberg the Alcoa of Australia farm forestry between the three sub-
and resource conservation.’ Managing Director. catchments.
Join the Oyster Harbour Catchment Group Inc.
How the OHCG can help you?
• Join the OHCG email list to keep up to date on field days, workshop and funding opportunities
• Assistance with environmental project planning and funding
• Assistance with technical advice
• Access to industry professionals
• Provision of specific training, work shops and field days
• Use of weed busting equipment for community groups
• Community NRM group support
• Site visits
• Lobbying Local Government and industry on environmental and conservation issues
• Building partnerships with other NRM groups or likeminded people
How can you help the OHCG?
• Join the committee to have input on setting the direction of the group’s activities
• Get involved in conservation activities with some of our affiliated groups such as the Kendenup Bushland Management Group and
Friends of the Porongurup’s.
• If you have any environmental issues on your land or wish to draw up a farm plan that includes conservation or sustainable farming
practices, please contact the OHCG Project Officer.
Partners
Kalgan River Conservation
Community Group
Kendenup
Bushland
Management
Group
Contact
Oyster Harbour Catchment Group Inc. Community Agricultural Centre
Natural Resource Management Officer Old Train Station Building
Phone (08) 9851 2703 Fax (08) 9851 2709 Albany Hwy
Mobile 0439 989 510 Email: ohcg@agric.wa.gov.au Mt Barker WA 6324
PO Box 118, Mt Barker WA 6324
Don’t forget to log onto our web page www.ohcg.org.au for what’s going on in and around your catchment
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