Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Future Climate Streamflow Estimation In The Donnelly River Catchment, Justin Hughes, Bill Wang

Natural resources commissioned reports

The Donnelly River is located in the south-west of Western Australia. An irrigation development has been proposed in the catchment that would extract water from the Donnelly River and store this in an off stream reservoir for irrigation use. Given the known issues related to non-stationarity and hydrological prediction, the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) contracted CSIRO to review the hydrological model that was used to estimate future climate streamflow in the Donnelly River. This model was owned and operated by the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER). The CSIRO review of the model, which also …

Framework For Sustainable Pastoral Management - Revised Edition, R Fletcher

Natural resources published reports

This Framework for sustainable pastoral management, revised edition (the Framework) describes the contemporary risk-based approach that is now being used within Western Australia (WA) to ensure management of the State’s pastoral estate meets the principles of ecologically sustainable development (ESD). Development of the Framework was undertaken as part of the Pastoral Lands Reform project initiated by the WA Government in response to the Office of the Auditor General’s (OAG 2017) report, Management of pastoral lands in Western Australia. The Framework was developed by DPIRD with input from the Interagency Steering Committee (ISC – which included senior representatives of the WA …

Framework For Sustainable Pastoral Management - Land Condition Version, R Fletcher

Natural resources published reports

This document outlines the revised edition of the Framework for sustainable pastoral management, with a particular emphasis on the land condition components, including the monitoring, assessment and compliance processes. These processes are now being used to guide the management of land condition on all pastoral leases and stations within Western Australia (WA), which cover 860,000 km2 and represents over 40% of WA’s extensive rangeland area.

Ecological Risk Assessment For The State-Wide Small Pelagic Scalefish Resource, S. Blazeski, J. Norriss, K. A. Smith, M. Hourston

Fisheries research reports

In July 2021, the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development convened an ecological risk assessment (ERA) of the fisheries that access the State-wide Small Pelagic Scalefish Resource. The ERA considered the potential ecological impacts of the West Coast Purse Seine Fishery, South Coast Purse Seine Fishery, Purse Seine Development Zones and the recreational fishers who catch small pelagic scalefish. The assessment evaluated the impact of each fishing sector/method on all relevant retained and bycatch species, endangered, threatened and protected species, habitats and the broader environment.

Assessment Of Soil Sampling Equipment For Guiding Fertiliser Decisions, David Weaver, Robert Summers, David Rogers, Peta Richards, David Rowe

Resource management technical reports

A range of methods, technologies and equipment are used to collect representative composite soil samples from paddocks. Once collected, soil samples are analysed for various parameters that provide evidence to guide fertiliser decisions. The sampling methods, technologies and equipment used must result in samples that consistently represent the parameter of interest.

Soil sampling technology and equipment has advanced from manual devices (such as pogo-stick-style foot-thrust core samplers [pogo]) to a variety of mechanised core-thrust samplers and augers that are fitted to vehicles or battery drills. Each device may function differently under different conditions, and each requires differing levels of human …

The Potential Of Remotely Sensed Vegetation Indices For Monitoring Pasture Condition, Pouria Ramzi, Karen Holmes

Resource management technical reports

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) is developing an integrated monitoring system using remote sensing and on-ground measurements to track pasture condition across Western Australia’s pastoral region. We extended and adapted the methods developed in the Pastoral Lease Assessment Using Geospatial Analysis (PLAGA) project (Robinson et al. 2012), which combined remotely sensed vegetation indices (VIs) with on-ground pasture condition observations to assess the potential of using different vegetation indices in a statewide condition monitoring system.

There were 6 regions in WA’s pastoral rangelands with DPIRD on-ground condition traverse points: Kimberley and Broome, Pilbara, Yalgoo and Sandstone, Goldfields, …

Rehydrating The Landscape At Yanget, Geraldton, Western Australia, Jamie Bowyer, Rod O'Bree

Natural resources published reports

Rod and Bridie O’Bree’s farm is 25 km east of Geraldton in the Northern Agricultural Region of Western Australia. The long-term rainfall average is 486 mm although that has dropped to 354 mm over the last 30 years. They run a 150 head beef cattle herd, fatten 500-700 lambs annually and have a 40-60 head horse stud on the farm. They purchased the farm early in 2008 after one of the worst droughts in the area. There was little to no vegetation, brown or green, across the farm and all of the water from a 25 mm rain event ran …

Ecological Risk Assessment For The Temperate Demersal Elasmobranch Resource, Maddison Watt, Matias Braccini, Kim Smith, Mathew Hourston

Fisheries research reports

In March 2021, the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development convened an ecological risk assessment (ERA) of the fisheries that access the Temperate Demersal Elasmobranch Resource. The ERA considered the potential ecological impacts of the Temperate Demersal Gillnet and Demersal Longline Fisheries and recreational fishers who catch sharks and rays. The assessment evaluated the impact of each fishing sector/method on all relevant retained and bycatch species, endangered, threatened and protected species, habitats and the broader environment.

Ecological Risk Assessment For The Temperate Demersal Elasmobranch Resource, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Fisheries research reports

No abstract provided.

Squid And Cuttlefish Resources Of Western Australia, Daniel E. Yeoh Phd, Danielle J. Johnston Phd, David C. Harris

Fisheries research reports

This report provides a description and assessment of the squid and cuttlefish resources of Western Australia, and all of the fishing activities (i.e. fisheries / fishing sectors) affecting these resources. Encompassed are multiple species in the orders Oegopsida and Myopsida (squid or ‘calamari’) and Sepiida (cuttlefish), including; southern calamari (Sepioteuthis australis), northern calamari (Sepioteuthis lessoniana), Gould’s squid (Nototodarus gouldi), loligo squids Uroteuthis (Photololigo) spp.,giant cuttlefish (Sepia apama), broadclub cuttlefish (Sepia latimanus) and pharaoh cuttlefish (Sepia pharaonis).

2021 Assessment Of The Status Of The West Coast Demersal Scalefish Resource, David V. Fairclough, Sybrand Alex Hesp, Ainslie Denham, Emily A. Fisher, Rachel Marks, Karina L. Ryan, Elaine Lek, Rhys Allen, Brett M. Crisafulli

Fisheries research reports

A recovery program for the West Coast Demersal Scalefish Resource was introduced between late 2007 and early 2010, based on the maintenance of retained catches of demersal species (overall suite and each indicator species) by both the commercial and recreational sectors below 50% of the catches reported in 2005/06 (original catch recovery benchmarks).

Catch reductions were aimed at reducing exploitation levels (F, long-term fishing mortality of the key indicator species’ stocks) to below the threshold reference point (F = M, the natural mortality rate), which would then allow stocks to recover to above the …

Otoliths Of South-Western Australian Fish: A Photographic Catalogue, Chris Dowling, Kim Smith, Elain Lek, Joshua Brown

Fisheries research reports

Due to the species-specific nature of otoliths and given they are often the only part of the fish preserved when fish die, otolith catalogues can be used in numerous applications, such as diet studies in fish eating animals, including pinnipeds, fish and sea birds; archaeological purposes such as reconstructing indigenous people’s diets from otoliths found in middens or evolutionary history of fish species by comparing fossilized otoliths. Given the unique mixture of subtropical and temperate fish, including many endemic species that occur off the southwest corner of WA having a catalogue for this area is extremely important for people working …

Squid And Cuttlefish Resources Of Western Australia, Daniel Yeoh, Danielle J. Johnston Phd, David C. Harris

Fisheries research reports

No abstract provided.

Otoliths Of South-Western Australian Fish: A Photographic Catalogue, Chris Dowling, Kim Smith, Elain Lek, Joshua Brown

Fisheries research reports

No abstract provided.

Otoliths Of South-Western Australian Fish: A Photographic Catalogue, Chris Dowling, Kim Smith, Elaine Lek, Joshua Brown

Fisheries research reports

Due to the species-specific nature of otoliths and given they are often the only part of the fish preserved when fish die, otolith catalogues can be used in numerous applications, such as diet studies in fish eating animals, including pinnipeds, fish and sea birds; archaeological purposes such as reconstructing indigenous people’s diets from otoliths found in middens or evolutionary history of fish species by comparing fossilized otoliths. Given the unique mixture of subtropical and temperate fish, including many endemic species that occur off the southwest corner of WA having a catalogue for this area is extremely important for people working …

Primary Industries Development Research Highlights 2021, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Tim Scanlon

Books & book chapters

The Primary Industries Development Research Highlights 2021 showcases the breadth and depth of the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development’s research and development activities over the past several years.

Stories featured in Research Highlights 2021 stem from about 60 (of 140) current and recently-completed projects undertaken by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development’s (DPIRD) 1100 scientists, technical experts and economists throughout the State.

Explore our Research Highlights 2021.

The publication demonstrates the innovative and applicable research that DPIRD and its collaborators and investment partners deliver to Western Australia.

Download the Research Highlights 2021 here. Alternatively, …

The Applicability, Efficacy And Risks Of Natural Sequence Farming In The Dryland Agricultural Zone Of South West Western Australia, Nik Callow, Rose Anne Bell

Natural resources commissioned reports

Natural sequence farming (NSF) is an approach to restoring degraded agricultural land, developed by Peter Andrews on his property Tarwyn Park in New South Wales. The approach aims to rehydrate the landscape by slowing the movement of water with a series of structures and then using this water to drive plant growth and improve soil function.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development engaged the University of Western Australia to review the applicability, efficacy and risks associated with using NSF principles and practices in the south-west dryland agricultural zone in Western Australia. The review has combined information from the …

Fractured Rock Groundwater Wa Wheatbelt: Data And Methodology Review, Louise Hopgood, Richard Nixon

Natural resources commissioned reports

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) in partnership with Water Corporation, working with Murdoch and Curtin universities, are looking at new options to improve farm water security in the wheatbelt of Western Australia.

Winter rainfall has declined since 2000 and dams, traditionally used for farm water supply, no longer provide sufficient or reliable water, especially after 1 to 2 below average years. Increasingly, groundwater supplies are being considered to supply farm needs, including those from fractured rock aquifers, with opportunities to desalinate to improve water quality.

This project undertook to review groundwater availability in fractured rock aquifers …

Donnelly River Model Review, Justin Hughes

Natural resources commissioned reports

The Donnelly River Model was prepared for the Department of Water and Environment Regulation (DWER) by an external consultant (Hydrology and Risk Consultants) in 2018. The purpose of this model was largely to evaluate the feasibility of a proposed irrigation development centred on diversions from the Middle Donnelly near Chappel's Bridge into a reservoir in the nearby Record Brook catchment. As a part of the model build and reporting process, the HARC (2018) report was reviewed by Ecological Australia (2018) against the model specifications. ECL concluded that the model was "fit for purpose", but made many recommendations. Since re­port release, …

A Review Of The Economics Of Regenerative Agriculture In Western Australia, Anne Bennett

All other publications

• There is no published work detailing the economics of regenerative agriculture in Western Australia.
• Of the work completed in other jurisdictions and nations captured in this review, the profitability of regenerative agriculture compared with conventional agriculture was variable, although generally lower.
• The loss of income associated with the transition from conventional agriculture to regenerative agriculture is a significant barrier to adoption, although it is enterprise-sensitive.
• Farmers who are operating regenerative agriculture systems self-report higher levels of wellbeing.
• Conventional agriculture and regenerative agriculture are overlapping approaches.
• The literature presented in this review is mostly based on small samples, case studies or …

Resource Assessment Report Abrolhos Islands And Mid-West Trawl Managed Fishery Resource, Mervi Kangas, A Chandrapavan, Anne Wilkins, E. A. Fisher, S. Evans

WA Marine Stewardship Council report series

This document provides a cumulative description and assessment of the Abrolhos Islands and Mid-West Trawl Managed Fishery (AIMWTMF) and all of the fishing activities (i.e. fisheries / fishing sectors) affecting this resource in Western Australia (WA). This resource comprises of a single species of scallop, Ylistrum balloti which occurs in inshore waters to around 40 m depth at the Abrolhos Islands. This species is captured exclusively by demersal otter trawl gear in the West Coast Bioregion.

Desktop Review Of Groundwater Prospectivity For Irrigation In The Lower De Grey River Area, Don L. Bennett, John A. Simons

Resource management technical reports

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) has identified priority areas in the Pilbara that warrant further investigation into their capacity for irrigated agriculture and related businesses. The De Grey River area is one of these.

The lower De Grey River area, upstream of the De Grey River Water Reserve, was identified by the Transforming Agriculture in the Pilbara (TAP) project for staged investigations of viability. Progression through these stages, each with increasingly detailed groundwater and soil suitability investigations, is dependent on prospectivity.

This document provides a summary of DPIRD’s initial desktop groundwater evaluation in the lower De …

Transforming Agriculture In The Pilbara: Interpretation Of Airborne Electromagnetic (Aem) Data, Aaron C. Davis, Mike Donn, John A. Simons, Christopher Schelfhout Dr, Olga Barron

Natural resources commissioned reports

This report focusses on hydrogeophysical and geological interpretation of the inversion results of an airborne electromagnetic (AEM) survey conducted north of Newman, Western Australia, in October and November 2019. The interpretation of the inversions is regional in scale, although we pay specific attention to interpretation of the near-surface transported cover sequences north and west of the Fortescue River. Specifically, we attempt to locate aquifers and near-surface geological structures that are likely to provide good quality groundwater for future extraction and storage. Analysis of the electrical conductivity structure of the ground also provides an estimate of the depth of the groundwater …

Water Quality Study Of The Muchea Livestock Truck Wash, Simon Clarendon, David Weaver, Justin L.M Hardy, Claire Coffey, Robert Summers, David Rogers, Peta Richards

Resource management technical reports

Across Australia there is a lack of information on the quality of the water discharged from facilities that are used to wash livestock trucks. This water quality scoping study partially fills that information gap and provides a starting point for future planning, design and construction of livestock truck washes.

The study was undertaken in 2011–12 at the Western Australian Muchea Livestock Centre, and aimed to gain insights into water quality associated with the truck wash facility at that site. These insights can help to inform the planning for further construction of truck wash facilities throughout the state, and whether disposing …

Geology, Soils And Climate Of The Margaret River Wine Region, Peter J. Tille, Angela Stuart-Street, Peter S. Gardiner

All other publications

This report is an extract from the broader description and analysis of the Geology, soils and climate of Western Australia's wine regions. It expands on the brief descriptions in the second edition of 'Viticulture' (Coombe & Dry 2004) concerning the soils and landscapes of Western Australia’s main wine growing regions. We have tailored this report extract to the specific needs of the Margaret River wine region. It contains local soil names and soil-landscape zones and systems maps.

The wine industry recognises the importance of giving customers an understanding of the vines’ environment and how that may influence wine character …

The Effect Of Soil Ph On Phosphorus Content Of Clover Pasture, David Weaver, Robert Summers, David Rogers, Peta Richards

Resource management technical reports

Testing of pasture soils from 2009 to 2018, as part of DPIRD’s Whole Farm Nutrient Mapping (WFNM) project in the coastal catchments of south-west Western Australia (WA), indicated that soil pH was so low it could be limiting plant access to nutrients. Observations by some farmers who had been involved in the soil testing were that lime application had not increased pasture production, even when pH_Ca (pH measured in calcium chloride) tests indicated that phosphorus (P) should become more available by increasing soil pH. Farmers also wanted to know if they needed to apply more P than soil testing …

Soil Amendment And Soil Testing As Nutrient Reduction Strategies For The Peel Integrated Water Initiative, Robert Summers, Peta Richards, David Weaver, David Rowe

Resource management technical reports

The Transform Peel program focuses on 42 000 hectares (ha) due east of Mandurah called the Peel Food Zone, 75 kilometres (km) south of Perth in the shires of Murray and Serpentine Jarrahdale and includes an assessment of intensified and enclosed agriculture and a business park. The Peel Integrated Water Initiative was developed through Transform Peel to identify water sources and minimise the effect of these projects on water quality by reducing the nutrient loads discharged into the Peel–Harvey Estuarine System, which has been suffering from poor water quality for this reason.

The mineral sand miner MZI Resources Pty Ltd …

Establishing Pastoralist Monitoring Sites In The Grasslands: A Guide For Pastoralists, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development

All other publications

This guide is for lessees and station managers who wish to establish rangeland condition monitoring programs for their pastoral leases. The guide outlines the main principles to consider for establishing monitoring sites, and the collecting and recording data to monitor changes over time of rangeland condition within a grassland environment.

Identifying and ongoing monitoring of representative sites can be used to objectively assess the effect of livestock numbers, fire and seasonal conditions on the health of the perennial vegetation and soil. Importantly, monitoring can assist lessees demonstrate whether their current land management practices are appropriate for achieving acceptable rangeland condition.

Ecological Risk Assessment Of The Shark Bay Invertebrate Fisheries, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development

WA Marine Stewardship Council report series

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD, Department) in Western Australia (WA) uses an Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management (EBFM) approach that considers all relevant ecological as well as social, economic and governance issues to deliver community outcomes (Fletcher et al. 2010; 2012). Ecological risk assessments (ERAs) are undertaken periodically to assess the impacts of fisheries on all the different components of the aquatic environments in which they operate.

Ecological Risk Assessment Of The Exmouth Gulf Prawn Managed Fishery, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development

WA Marine Stewardship Council report series

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD, Department) in Western Australia (WA) uses an Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management (EBFM) approach that considers all relevant ecological as well as social, economic and governance issues to deliver community outcomes (Fletcher et al. 2010; 2012). Ecological risk assessments (ERAs) are undertaken periodically to assess the impacts of fisheries on all the different components of the aquatic environments in which they operate.