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2020 Western Australian Crop Sowing Guide, Brenda Shackley

Bulletins 4000 -

This edition of the 2020 Crop Sowing Guide includes the major crops grown in WA - wheat, barley, canola, oat and now a new section on lupin and pulses. The publication aims to provide information to support growers with decisions on the best choice of variety for each of the major crops for the upcoming season. The lupin and pulse sections also include an agronomy guide summary to support management decisions required for these high-valued crops.

Groundwater Chemistry And Salinity Processes In The Myalup Region, Adam M. Lillicrap, Richard J. George Dr

Resource management technical reports

The Myalup region, which incorporates the Myalup Irrigated Agriculture Precinct (MIAP), is located about 100 kilometres south of Perth between the southern end of Lake Clifton and the northern tip of the Leschenault Inlet. It covers 17 800 hectares, with about 2100ha being irrigated. The precinct produces mainly carrots, onions, potatoes and leafy vegetables. In 2016–17, the total value of agricultural production for the MIAP, including on-farm processing and packaging, was more than $120 million.

Irrigation water is mainly from the surficial Myalup aquifer, with limited abstraction from the underlying Leederville aquifer. Average annual rainfall is about 800 millimetres, but …

Groundwater Investigations To Support Irrigated Agriculture At La Grange, Western Australia: 2013–18 Results, Robert J. Paul, Gregory Paul Raper, Richard J. George Dr, Nicholas J. Wright, Adam M. Lillicrap, Peter S. Gardiner

Resource management technical reports

The Broome Sandstone aquifer is the main aquifer and groundwater resource in the La Grange area, near Broome in the West Kimberley, Western Australia. Land use is dominated by cattle grazing on pastoral stations, dispersed mining and tourism. Irrigated agriculture has developed at a small scale, with about 470 hectares under cultivation in 2014. Groundwater abstraction is licensed under the La Grange groundwater allocation plan (Department of Water 2010) and managed by the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation. The La Grange groundwater allocation area is split into the La Grange North subarea and La Grange South subarea, with groundwater …

Statewide Survey Of Boat-Based Recreational Fishing In Western Australia 2017/18, K. L. Ryan, N.G. Hall, E.K. Lai, Claire B. Smallwood, Alissa Tate, S.M Taylor, Brent S. Wise

Fisheries research reports

The statewide survey of boat-based recreational fishing includes three components: (i) off-site Phone Surveys (encompassing an initial Screening Survey, a longitudinal Phone-Diary Survey, and Post-Enumeration Surveys); (ii) on-site Boat Ramp Surveys; and (iii) Remote Camera Surveys. The main data collection period was the 12-months from September 2017 to August 2018 inclusive, with the Post-Enumeration Surveys occurring from September to December 2018.

Cattle Industry Funding Scheme Annual Report 2018/2019, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Biosecurity published reports

In June 2010 the Cattle Industry Funding Scheme (IFS) was introduced to address biosecurity threats relevant to the Western Australian (WA) cattle industry. The Scheme was established under the Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007 to enable cattle producers to identify the pest and disease priorities at a whole-of-industry level and to raise funds for activities to address these priorities.

There are currently three Industry Funding Schemes in operation. In addition to the Cattle IFS, there is a Sheep and Goat IFS and a Grains, Seeds and Hay IFS. The three IFSs operate in a similar manner.

The purpose of …

The Feasibility Of Using Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (Rpas) For Recreational Fishing Surveys In Western Australia, Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries occasional publications

No abstract provided.

Integrated Survey Of Boat-Based Recreational Fishing In Inner Shark Bay 2018/19, S.M Taylor, Claire B. Smallwood, Cameron J. Desfosses, K. L. Ryan, Gary Jackson

Fisheries research reports

Inner Shark Bay is a popular recreational fishing destination. As recreational fishing occurs in a World Heritage Area and Marine Park, there is a need for ongoing reliable information on catches. Many boat-based recreational fishers in inner Shark Bay target Pink Snapper (Chrysophrys auratus).

Invertebrate And Reef Health Research And Monitoring At Cocos (Keeling) Islands – 2019 Update, N Konzewitsch, S. N. Evans

Fisheries research reports

The five long term reef monitoring sites implemented by DPIRD in 2010, and surveyed annually until 2014, were resurveyed in April 2016 and February 2017. In 2016, a sixth monitoring site (site 6) was established in the marine protected area of the Pulu Keeling National Park (PKNP).

Amendments To The 1995 Offshore Constitutional Settlement, Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries management papers

No abstract provided.

Grains, Seeds And Hay Industry Funding Scheme Annual Report 2018/2019, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Biosecurity published reports

The Grains, Seeds and Hay Industry Funding Scheme (IFS) has been operating since 2010 to address biosecurity threats relevant to Western Australia’s (WA) grains, seeds and hay industry. The Scheme was established under the Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007 to enable growers to identify the pest and disease priorities at a whole-of-industry level and raise funds for activities to address these priorities.

There are currently three Industry Funding Schemes in operation. In addition to the Grains, Seeds and Hay IFS, there is a Cattle IFS and a Sheep and Goat IFS. The three IFSs operate in a similar manner. …

Recovering A Collapsed Abalone Stock Through Translocation. Seafood Crc Project No. 2011/762, Lachlan W.S. Strain, Jamin M. Brown, Anthony M. Hart

Fisheries research reports

A Roe’s Abalone (Haliotis roei) fishery in Western Australia (Area 8) suffered catastrophic mortality (99.9%) due to an anomalous environmental event in the summer of 2011. During this extreme marine heatwave there was a sustained period of elevated sea surface temperatures that rose to lethal levels for this species and effectively wiped out an entire stock at its northern distribution. Natural recovery within the foreseeable future was considered unlikely, thus providing a unique opportunity to test fishery restoration strategies for abalone. Over the course of this assisted recovery program (5.5 years) no natural recovery was observed in the region most …

Sheep And Goat Industry Funding Scheme 2018/2019, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Biosecurity published reports

The Sheep and Goat Industry Funding Scheme (IFS) has been operating since 2010 to address biosecurity threats relevant to the Western Australian (WA) sheep and goat industry. The Scheme was established by regulation under the Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007 to enable sheep and goat producers to identify pest and disease priorities at a whole-of-industry level and raise funds for activities to address these priorities.

There are currently three Industry Funding Schemes in operation. In addition to the Sheep and Goat IFS, there is a Cattle IFS and a Grains, Seeds and Hay IFS. The three IFSs operate in …

Crop And Climate Suitability For Irrigated Agriculture In The Midlands Area Of Western Australia, 2nd Edition, Leon Van Wyk

Resource management technical reports

The Midlands groundwater and land assessment is a $4.7 million Water for Food project. Its aim is to confirm groundwater availability at one or more focus areas that may form precincts of 2000–3000 hectares suitable for intensive irrigated horticulture. This report forms part of this project.

Firstly, this report describes the climate of the Midlands study area and highlights the subtle differences between the two selected focus areas, Irwin and Dinner Hill. It discusses the importance of climate in determining crop suitability. We also investigated the following additional factors that determine crop suitability: water quality, water quantity, land capability (soils) …

Bedstraw Eradication Program: Annual Report To Grain Growers 2018/2019, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Biosecurity published reports

The Grains, Seeds and Hay Industry Management Committee (GSHIMC) believes the current program is delivering the best value for the funding provided and is achieving the project outcomes of containment and eradication.

Approved programs are developed annually for each infested property in consultation with GSHIMC, the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) and the landholders detailing management actions, estimated costs and timeframes of the agreed actions.

The two infested properties have now entered the final Release Phase of a nine-year eradication program. The program is implemented by DPIRD and includes six consecutive years of winter spray treatments, followed …

Soil Capability Assessment For Expanding Irrigated Agriculture In The Dinner Hill Focus Area, Midlands, Western Australia, Edward Arnold Griffin, Angela Stuart-Street, Leon Van Wyk, Peter Tille

Resource management technical reports

The Midlands groundwater and land assessment is a $4.7 million Water for Food project using Royalties for Regions funding. It is seeking to confirm groundwater availability in focus areas that may form precincts of 2000–3000ha suitable for intensive irrigated horticulture. The Dinner Hill focus area is one of these.

The Dinner Hill focus area covers about 50 200ha to the north-west of Moora and north of Dandaragan, in the Midlands area of Western Australia. This report provides details of the soil-landscapes, land capability and land management units for the Dinner Hill focus area.

We reviewed existing soil-landscape mapping for the …

Soil Capability Assessment For Expanding Irrigated Agriculture In The Irwin Focus Area And Surrounding Lands, Edward (Ted) Arnold Griffin, Angela Stuart-Street, Peter Tille

Resource management technical reports

The Midlands groundwater and land assessment is a $4.7 million Water for Food project using Royalties for Regions funding. It is seeking to confirm groundwater availability in focus areas that may form precincts of 2000–3000ha suitable for intensive irrigated horticulture. Irwin is one of these.

The Department of Water identified the Irwin focus area for investigation for irrigated agriculture potential. It covers almost 7000ha to the east of Dongara in the Mid West region of Western Australia.

This report provides the land assessment for the Irwin area. We expanded the investigation to include land outside of the focus area because …

Biological, Ecological And Structural Monitoring Report: Southwest Recreational Fishing Artificial Reef Trial, Geographe Bay, Western Australia, Paul Lewis, Mark Pagoni

Fisheries research reports

This report details the key findings from the Biological and Ecological monitoring of the Southwest Artificial Reef Trial over the first four years after they were deployed in autumn of 2013.

Resource Assessment Report Western Rock Lobster Resource Of Western Australia. Addendum 1, Simon De Lestang, Jason How, Nick Caputi

WA Marine Stewardship Council report series

The West Coast Rock Lobster Fishery was certified under the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) standard in 2000, and was the first fishery in the world to be MSC certified. Since then it has successfully been re-accredited in 2006, 2012 and 2017. This document provides an update on changes to the fishery for annual audits by the MSC certification body and the annual stock assessment update for quota setting of the western rock lobster resource.

Summary Of The West Coast Rock Lobster Managed Fishery Science And Modelling Review, Simon De Lestang, Jason How, Nick Caputi, Emma-Jade Tuffley, Mark Rossbach

Fisheries research reports

An independent peer review of the science and modelling associated with the West Coast Rock Lobster Managed Fishery was undertaken in May/June 2018. The impetus behind this review was two-fold, i) to address industry concerns that stock assessment modelling was not reflecting what was being experienced by fishers on-water, and ii) to increase stakeholders understanding of, and confidence in, the stock assessment process while ensuring that the process was commensurate with contemporary scientific practices.

A New Direction For Salinity Management In Western Australia: A Consultative Review, Ghd

Natural resources commissioned reports

In May 2018, the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) published an audit into the management of salinity and recommended that the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD), in consultation with the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) and the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER), set a strategic direction for salinity management for WA and improve monitoring, cooperation, coordination, promotion of soil conservation, and compliance of salinity impacts and its management.

The OAG’s audit focused on two questions:

1. Do agencies know the extent and impact of dryland salinity in the South West agricultural regions?
2. Are …

Pindan Soils In The La Grange Area, West Kimberley: Land Capability Assessment For Irrigated Agriculture, 2nd Edition, Henry Smolinski, Paul Galloway, Justin Laycock

Resource management technical reports

This report identifies areas of Pindan country along the Great Northern Highway, south of Broome from Roebuck to Mandora, which have high potential for irrigated agriculture. The area contains significant reserves of potable groundwater defined by the La Grange groundwater allocation area, which is based on the surficial Broome Sandstone aquifer.

Over the past 30 years, several small- to medium-scale irrigation developments have been successfully established in the region. The water opportunities project aims to identify and quantify the land and water resources of the region to ensure any future expansion of irrigated agriculture is sustainable and will not have …

Investigations Of The Potential For Irrigated Agriculture On The Bonaparte Plains: Bore Completion Report, 2nd Edition, D L. Bennett

Resource management technical reports

Drilling programs were undertaken in 2013 and 2016 by the former Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia and in 2017 by DPIRD, at 10 sites in the Bonaparte Plains area, north of Kununurra in the East Kimberley region of Western Australia (WA).

These drilling programs were a component of resource availability and risk investigations conducted to determine the potential for developing irrigated agriculture on 30 000 hectares of Cockatoo Sands — free-draining loamy soils that have the potential to support crops in the wet and dry seasons. There was limited hydrogeological information available at a suitable scale for the …

Development Of An Industry-Based Habitat Mapping/Monitoring System Frdc Project No 2011/021, Simon De Lestang, Matthew B. Pember, Dirk Slawinski

Fisheries research reports

Mapping / monitoring in the marine environment can be a very costly exercise. Scientists from the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development; Fisheries Division (FD) and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) have developed a small, low-cost automated camera system that, when fitted to commercial fishing gear, can achieve this at minimal cost. The POTBot (Pictures Of The Bottom) system is a cheap, small “smart” camera that can track its position globally and the date and time, and can record high-definition video and water temperature readings when it determines it has been deployed into the ocean.

Investigations Of The Potential For Irrigated Agriculture On The Bonaparte Plains: Land Capability Assessment Report, Henry Smolinski

Resource management technical reports

This report describes 55 000 hectares of predominantly red sands and sandy loams — locally referred to as Cockatoo Sands — on the Bonaparte Plains about 70 kilometres north of the Ord River Irrigation Area, Kununurra. It builds on soil surveys conducted in 2009 and 2015, which identified significant areas of red soils in the Kununurra area that could be suitable for agriculture.

The Cockatoo Sands generally have loamy, sand topsoils that grade to sandy loam with depth. The soil profiles are very deep, well drained to rapidly drained, and highly permeable. These soil characteristics support a large range of …

Southern Biosecurity Group Annual Report 2018/19, Southern Biosecurity Group

Recognised biosecurity group reports

Southern Biosecurity Group is a subgroup of the Ravensthorpe Agricultural Initiative Network (RAIN) with the mandate to coordinate control of declared pest species in the Shire of Ravensthorpe. We first began operating in 2002 as the Ravensthorpe Declared Species Group. At that time, our role involved coordinating wild dog control in the shire. We achieved good control of wild dog numbers through a range of activities including dispersing of 1080 baits, trapping and shooting.

Carnarvon Rangelands Biosecurity Association Inc. Annual Report 2018/19, Carnarvon Rangelands Biosecurity Association Inc.

Recognised biosecurity group reports

The CRBA is a not for profit association formed under the Associations Incorporation Act 2015, providing declared pest control services for land managers throughout Shark Bay, Carnarvon, Exmouth, Murchison and Upper Gascoyne Shires. The associations’ primary purpose is the control of declared pests using funding from Declared Pest Rates paid by landholders on pastoral stations. These Declared Pest Rates funds are matched dollar for dollar by the WA Government to reflect the public benefit of controlling declared pest animals and weeds. The association is formally recognised by the Hon Minister for Agriculture and Food as a recognised biosecurity group (RBG).

Biosecurity Council Of Western Australia Annual Report 2018/19, Biosecurity Council Of Western Australia

Biosecurity Council of Western Australia annual reports

In 2018/19 there were four key areas in which the Council focused during the year: • the attributes required by a biosecurity ‘combat’ agency to effectively sustain a biosecurity response • funding for biosecurity research and development in WA • border biosecurity; and • WA’s preparedness for myrtle rust.

Rural Business Development Corporation Annual Report 2019, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

All other publications

In accordance with section 63 of the Financial Management Act 2006, we hereby submit for your information and presentation to Parliament, the annual report of the Rural Business Development Corporation for the reporting period ended 30 June 2019.

The annual report has been prepared in accordance with the provisions of the Financial Management Act 2006 and the Rural Business Development Corporation Act 2000.

Eastern Wheatbelt Biosecurity Group Inc. Annual Report 2018/19, Eastern Wheatbelt Biosecurity Group Inc.

Recognised biosecurity group reports

The past 12 months has seen the Eastern Wheatbelt Biosecurity Group keep up the momentum of the past few years and contribute considerably to the betterment of the state’s landholders in controlling predominately wild dogs. With landholders funding the biosecurity groups under the BAM Act through a declared pest rate it is pleasing to note that this money is hitting the ground and making a real and tangible difference through the work of the Licensed Pest Management Technicians employed by the EWBG.

Peel Harvey Biosecurity Group Annual Report 2018/19, Peel Harvey Biosecurity Group

Recognised biosecurity group reports

2019 has been a great time for the team at the Peel Harvey Biosecurity Group (PHBG) achieving many things to help sustain the group into the future and ensure that people in the community are aware of their pest control obligations. The team have been working very cohesively ensuring the biggest bang for every dollar is achieved. The community as a whole is understanding that the group is not the one to do the work, or be the compliance enforcer, but rather is the educator supplying guidance and resources to landholders. These resources form an asset base that belongs to …