NSPNR Web
NSPNR Launch "Palli & Atte" on the ...
NSPNR Launch "Palli & Atte" on the Horsepower Highway

NSPNR Launch "Palli & Atte" on the Horsepower Highway

On Friday 28th of July North Stirling Pallinup Natural Resources (NSPNR) officially launched our Horsepower Highway installation (HPH)! The project leader, Georgia Davies, worked with several people to bring it to life – NSPNR committee, other volunteers, artists & community groups, who were all invited to the intimate event along with close neighbours of the site. The launch was held at the site - on the corner of Formby South Rd & New Country Rd. The name was revealed on Friday as “Palli & Atte”, which was decided in combination with our committee, staff & an online poll!

“Palli”

“Palli” is The Pallinup Landcare Centre Tractor (the name of our office in Borden), painted in two tones of green with a blue wavy line through the middle to represent the Pallinup River which defines NSPNR’s catchment (Upper & Middle Pallinup).

The tractor stands to represent our work in productive agriculture as well as our work improving our waterways and vegetation in the area. The restoration of the old Chamberlain tractor (which was donated by HPH Management committee) was expertly done by John Way of Way Industries in Gnowangerup.

“Atte”

“Atte” is the Banksia Attenuata sculpture which sits with the tractor and was created by Ollie Anderson, Kojonup artist ‘Made By Ollie’. The Banksia Attenuata is local to our area and often used in our revegetation projects. (Photo: Jarrad Dawson)

John Byrne from the HPH Management committee attended the launch and shared his enthusiasm for our installation – which is among 30 tractors along the trail through the Gnowangerup Shire to the Stirling Range National Park.

The idea for the tractor came from one of our members, Aimee Macaulay who, along with the NSPNR committee thought it was a great opportunity to get our name out there and promote the amazing work we do in the region to the community & visitors to the HPH.

Our purpose is to “Inspire & support the North Stirlings Pallinup community to preserve and improve the regions natural resources”. When we say natural resources we are referring to both the productive and thriving agricultural land as well as the beautiful bushland, rivers, mountains in our area! This tractor is the perfect representation of the work we do in agriculture & landcare and hope it will inspire new members, continued meaningful work and ongoing education to current & next generation!

This project was made possible by the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR) who funded ‘Palli & Atte’ as well as a tractor for the Volunteer Bushfire Brigade called ‘Blaze’ – based on a vintage fire truck and standing to represent the incredible work our volunteers do protecting us from wildfires.

 

~ Caroline House ~ NSPNR Executive Officer ~ 31st July 2023 ~

 

Gallery photo’s 1 - 6 by Caroline House, photo’s 7 & 8 by Jarrad Dawson.

Preparing for fox control

One method for fox control on farms is 1080 poison baits. Farmers can look into applying for or amending Registered Pesticide (RP) permits now to be sure the permits are ready when they actually want to bait, especially for the late winter and spring period when fox baiting is most effective. DPIRD’s website has more information on RP permits www.agric.wa.gov.au/baits-poisons/registered-pesticide-permits

North Stirlings Pallinup Natural Resources (NSPNR) with DPIRD and Fitzgerald Biosphere Group (FBG) will offer free RP training in July through NSPNR’s project, Expanded predator control program in the Fitz-Stirling Corridor. Contact Laura (below) to register your interest.

 

NSPNR is also calling for Expressions of Interest (due 19 May) for free fox baits supplied to landholders in our area through the project for laying in summer/autumn 2024 . Download the form and email the completed form to Laura laura@nspnr.com.au .

 

The Expanded predator control program in the Fitz-Stirling Corridor project aims to reduce numbers of feral cats, foxes and rabbits in the area between the Stirling Range and Fitzgerald River national parks. This will reduce pressure on native animals including malleefowl, chuditch and Carnaby’s black cockatoo. The project is supported by funding from the Western Australian Government’s State NRM Program.

 

Farmers in the region are encouraged to continue to put pressure on fox and rabbit populations with appropriate control methods such as 1080 baits and shooting and to desex their domestic cats.

 

For more information contact Laura Page, Project Officer, laura@nspnr.com.au 0401 553 285 . 

NSPNR encourages feral animal control by farmers

April is a great time for farmers to plan how they will control foxes, rabbits and feral cats in the year ahead. The most effective strategy for each species is to integrate appropriate control methods.

One method for fox control is 1080 poison baits. Farmers can look into applying for or amending Registered Pesticide (RP) permits now to be sure the permits are ready when they actually want to bait, especially for the late winter and spring period when fox baiting is most effective. A plan to bait for foxes or rabbits with 1080 poison requires RP training to safely handle and use 1080 (which can be done online) as well as a current RP permit which can take a few weeks to process. It is too late to bait once there are young lambs on the ground. DPIRD’s website has more information on RP permits www.agric.wa.gov.au/baits-poisons/registered-pesticide-permits

North Stirlings Pallinup Natural Resources (NSPNR) with DPIRD and Fitzgerald Biosphere Group (FBG) will offer free RP training in July through NSPNR’s project, Expanded predator control program in the Fitz-Stirling Corridor. Contact Laura (below) to register your interest.

 

NSPNR is also calling for Expressions of Interest for free fox baits supplied through the project for laying in summer/autumn 2024 (download the form due 15th April).

 

The Expanded predator control program in the Fitz-Stirling Corridor project aims to reduce numbers of feral cats, foxes and rabbits in the area between the Stirling Range and Fitzgerald River national parks. This will reduce pressure on native animals including malleefowl, chuditch and Carnaby’s black cockatoo. The project is supported by funding from the Western Australian Government’s State NRM Program.

The project has had a successful start to the year with the NSPNR – Yongergnow Feral Animal Tally and Community Breakfast which saw teams from across the Shire of Gnowangerup shoot 180 foxes, 8 cats and 41 rabbits. The winning team alone shot 37 foxes. A local farmer also brought in 5 foxes and a rabbit.

Fitzgerald Biosphere Group (FBG), Bush Heritage Australia and the Wellstead Progress Association are also involved in delivering this project and have held events recently to raise awareness about foxes, rabbits and feral cats in the area and reduce their numbers.

 

Farmers in the region are encouraged to continue to put pressure on fox and rabbit populations with appropriate control methods such as 1080 baits and shooting and to desex their domestic cats.

 

For more information contact Laura Page, Project Officer, laura@nspnr.com.au 0401 553 285 . 

Newsletter February 2023

Newsletter February 2023

Huge congratulations to Kingsley Vaux for being awarded Community Citizen of the year for the Gnowangerup Shire. Your commitment to our group over the last 43 years is truly appreciated, not to mention your tireless efforts for other groups in the community including the Yongernow Malleefowl Centre.

Can Gnowangerup bag more foxes than Jerramungup?

Date of Media Release: 9th February 2023

 

Gnowangerup to challenge Jerramungup’s fox tally

 

·       North Stirlings Pallinup Natural Resources has challenged Fitzgerald Biosphere Group to see whose teams can shoot the most foxes.

·       The events are supported by NSPNR’s project, Expanded predator control program in the Fitz-Stirling Corridor that aims to reduce the number of feral cats, foxes and rabbits in the area.

 

Foxes in the Great Southern are the target of a challenge between the two natural resource management groups in the Shires of Gnowangerup and Jerramungup.

 

North Stirlings Pallinup Natural Resources (NSPNR) has made a friendly challenge to Fitzgerald Biosphere Group (FBG), who will hold their feral animal tally a week later, that the NSPNR - Yongergnow tally will bag more foxes.

 

NSPNR has partnered with Yongergnow Australian Malleefowl Centre to hold the 2023 NSPNR - Yongergnow Feral Animal Tally and Community Breakfast on Saturday 18th February. From 5pm the night before, registered teams will target foxes, feral cats and rabbits in the Shire of Gnowangerup, Broomehill East, and Gnowellen. FBG’s Fitzy Fox Shoot is planned for Friday 24th February.

 

Both events are supported through NSPNR’s project, Expanded predator control program in the Fitz-Stirling Corridor that aims to reduce the number of feral cats, foxes and rabbits in the area. The Fitz-Stirlings connect the Stirling Range and Fitzgerald River national parks in the Great Southern Region. The project is supported by funding from the Western Australian Government’s State NRM Program.

 

The NSPNR tally in 2022 was 251 foxes, 7 feral cats and 88 rabbits in the Gnowangerup Shire and Gnowellen.

 

Coordinating the culling of pest animals across the shires of Gnowangerup and Jerramungup will increase the impact on populations of foxes, feral cats and rabbits in the Fitz -Stirling Corridor.

 

Foxes, cats and other invasive fauna have a devastating impact on the numbers and biodiversity of wildlife species in the North Stirlings - Pallinup sub-region. Foxes may have been a primary cause of the extinction of many Australian small and medium-sized native species1. About 80 endangered and threatened species are at risk from feral cat predation in Australia2.

Pest animals are also a cost to farmers who lose production and have to undertake control measures. Foxes were estimated to cost Australia more than $35 million in lost production in 20133. They are highly mobile and can travel up to 10 km per night3. Diseases spread by feral cats can cost Australian agriculture up to almost $12 million each year4. Toxoplasmosis is a parasite that can be transferred from feral cats to pregnant ewes, potentially causing embryonic fatalities and miscarriages.

 

NSPNR’s feral animal tally is registered for the Red Card program, through which Sporting Shooters Association of Australia WA is donating $5 for every cat and fox culled (to a capped amount) to the Regional Men's Health Initiative5.

 

Teams can register for the NSPNR/Yongergnow Feral Animal Tally and Community Breakfast visit the website: https://yongergnow.com.au/centre/tally2023/ .

Community members are warmly invited to attend the breakfast at 6.30am Saturday (Yongergnow Centre or Soul Van opposite Gnowangerup Post Office) to hear the results of the tally. RSVP indicating Ongerup or Gnowangerup and number of people by Wed 15 Feb to visitor@yongergnow.com.au or call 9828 2325.

 

The NSPNR – Yongergnow Feral Animal Tally and Community Breakfast is possible thanks to our sponsors State NRM, South Coast Natural Resource Management, Shire of Gnowangerup, Bush Heritage Australia, Elders, WAMMCO, Summit Fertilizers, Farmers Centre 1978 Albany, Gnowangerup Hardware, Stirling Steelworks, Rays Firearms and Archery, Ongerup Farm Supplies, Trailblazers, and Red Card.

NSPNR is a natural resource management (NRM) group that works with landholders in the Shire of Gnowangerup and the localities of Broomehill East and Gnowellen.

 

NSPNR was established at Borden as a not-for-profit organisation to address natural resource management issues. NSPNR is delivering a range of projects and services in the North Stirlings - Pallinup region with a current focus on protecting threatened native species, supporting sustainable food production, protecting and monitoring the Pallinup River and tributaries, and supporting feral animal control by landholders. The organisation  is managed by a volunteer board of community members and industry stakeholders, and has five part-time staff who enthusiastically work with NSPNR partners to carry out the group's activities.

International Rural Womens Day - Cassy Beeck

International Rural Womens Day - Cassy Beeck

In Cassy’s words meeting her now husband Tim, was a real life “farmer wants a wife” story! The couple met at a mutual friend’s wedding and were married within the year. Coming from Adelaide where Cassy studied a Bachelor of Music, she hit the ground running in Gnowangerup teaching everything from music to sex ed, growing and learning things she may not have had the opportunity to do if she’d been in a bigger school & town just teaching music. Being involved in many different groups and developing leadership skills has lead to a very diverse ‘resume’ for Cassy.

“I’m a natural leader, and sometimes that means stepping off the cliff and not really knowing what’s going to happen and just trusting that you’ll be able to grow a few wings! Rural women end up being quite brave. In the city people may have mentors & support, here its not like that – sink or swim!”

However, despite the lack of professional support systems in small communities, Cassy acknowledges that the networks you form in small towns are arguably stronger!

In 2018 Cassy worked on a big project to improve the towns water security and reduce reliance on scheme water by capturing water run off in a big dam. The incredibly difficult process of acquiring extra funding when the quotes doubled from the original application really “toughed [Cassy] up”. The hard work paid off as the Gnowangerup school now has an oval!

The Horsepower Highway project came about as a way to get visitors off the Albany Highway and through the Gnowangerup Shire as they through the Stirling Ranges. Cassy & the GNP360 group have worked tirelessly to not only restore & display vintage tractors, but to tell stories of the area through the instalments. One instalment named 'Lucinda', is dedicated to rural women who in Cassy's words are "the backbone of rural communities". Alongside the tractor (pictured) is 'Lucinda Tanks" which feature artworks of 8 local women by Jerome Davenport.

A couple of the women that inspire Cassy are Fiona Gaze & Wendy Gordon. Cassy says that Fiona is an important leader in the community who has a special ability to recognise things in people that could be developed and encourages them to grow. And Wendy, Cassy says, is a “behind the scenes here” bringing important infrastructure and resources to the area.

Cassy has been working this year with NSPNR on a new instalment for the Horsepower Hwy & is excited to see it come to life in 2023! The Stirlings are our X-factor, and as a shire Cassy hopes we all continue to work together to promote and shine a light on our incredible part of the world.

Pest animals culled by fox shoot participants

Congratulations to everyone who undertook pest animal culling for the 2022 Fox Shoot on Friday 25th February. We had 16 teams registered to take part.

The tally for teams who attended the two count locations was 251 foxes, 7 cats and 88 rabbits; the winning team, Amelup Cat Cullers, alone brought in 40 foxes and 3 rabbits. In addition, there were a further 43 foxes, 2 cats and 3 rabbits from teams that were late or did not attend the tally.

After the Ongerup count, nearly 80 people enjoyed the breakfast at Yongergnow, which was held outside for the first time. Competitors at Gnowangerup enjoyed breakfast from the Soul Van after their count.

We'd like to acknowledge the competition from Fitzgerald Biosphere Group's Fitzy Fox Shoot which greatly added to the anticipation in the lead-up to the event. We claim bragging rights for most foxes counted - but only until next year!

Without our sponsors the fox shoot wouldn't happen. So thanks to our sponsors WAMMCO, South Coast Natural Resource Management, the Australian Government's National Landcare Program, Bush Heritage Australia, Summit Fertilizers, Elders, Rays Firearms and Archery, Gnowangerup Hardware, Ongerup Farm Supplies, Farmers Centre 1978 Albany, Animal Control Technologies (Aust.), and Shire of Gnowangerup.

Thanks to the Red Card for Rabbits and Foxes program, through which Sporting Shooters Association of Australia WA is donating $5 for every cat and fox culled (to a capped amount) to the Regional Men's Health Initiative.

This website has been updated with the support by funding from the WA Government’s State NRM Program, supported by Royalties for Regions.