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Arid Zone Rangeland Pastures And Fire, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

Fire is integral to many ecosystems in the Western Australian rangelands. Rangeland fires affect more than just pastoralists and the businesses they run: these fires affect community safety and health, regional economies, societal and cultural values of landscape, biodiversity and tourism.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development provides this information to support pastoral managers making decisions about sustainable resource use.

Spinifex Rangeland Pastures And Fire In Western Australia, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

Fire is integral to many ecosystems in the Western Australian rangelands. Rangeland fires affect more than just pastoralists and the businesses they run: these fires affect community safety and health, regional economies, societal and cultural values of landscape, biodiversity and tourism.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development provides this information to support pastoral managers making decisions about sustainable resource use.

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 …

Gouldian Finch Non Breeding Population And Habitat Assessment 2020: Ord-East Kimberley Expansion Project - Weaber Plain Development Area, Nigel Jackett

Irrigated Agricultural Development in the North

The Weaber Plain Development Project (the Project) is an irrigated agricultural development located approximately 30 km north-north-east of Kununurra in Western Australia. The Project was approved by the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities in 2011 under EPBC 2010/5491 Condition 6.

In order to offset the potential impacts of the Project on the endangered Gouldian Finch (Erythrura gouldiae), a Gouldian Finch Conservation Plan was prepared. The Gouldian Finch Conservation Plan was prepared to ensure appropriate management of the Gouldian Finch and its habitat during construction and operation of the Project. An action arising from the Conservation Plan was …

Gouldian Finch Non Breeding Counts 2020: Ord-East Kimberley Expansion Project - Weaber Plain Development Area, Nigel Jackett

Irrigated Agricultural Development in the North

The Weaber Plain Development Project (the Project) is an irrigated agricultural development located approximately 30 km north-north-east of Kununurra in Western Australia. The Project was approved by the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities in 2011 under EPBC 2010/5491 Condition 6.

In order to offset the potential impacts of the Project on the endangered Gouldian Finch (Erythrura gouldiae), a Gouldian Finch Conservation Plan was prepared. The Gouldian Finch Conservation Plan was prepared to ensure appropriate management of the Gouldian Finch and its habitat during construction and operation of the Project. An action arising from the Conservation Plan was …

A Continental-Scale Assessment Of Density, Size, Distribution And Historical Trends Of Farm Dams Using Deep Learning Convolutional Neural Networks, Martino E. Malerba, Nicholas J. Wright, Peter I. Macreadie

Climate Science Research Articles

Farm dams are a ubiquitous limnological feature of agricultural landscapes worldwide. While their primary function is to capture and store water, they also have disproportionally large effects on biodiversity and biogeochemical cycling, with important relevance to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, the abundance and distribution of farm dams is unknown in most parts of the world. Therefore, we used artificial intelligence and remote sensing data to address this critical global information gap. Specifically, we trained a deep learning convolutional neural network (CNN) on high-definition satellite images to detect farm dams and carry out the first continental-scale assessment on density, …

Digital Soil Mapping And Assessment For Australia And Beyond: A Propitious Future, Ross Searle, Alex Mcbratney, Mike Grundy, Darren Kidd, Brendan P. Malone, Dominique Arrouays, Uta Stockmann, Peter Zund, Peter Wilson, John Wilford, Dennis Van Gool, John Triantafilis, Mark Thomas, Liz Stower, Brian Slater, Nathan Robinson, Anthony Ringrose-Voase, José Padarian, Jim Payne, Thomas Orton, Nathan Odgers, Lauren O'Brien, Budiman Minasny, John Mclean Bennett, Craig Liddicoat, Edward Jones, Karen Holmes, Ben Harms, Jonathon Gray, Elisabeth Bui, Kaitlyn Andrews

Natural Resources Research Articles

Digital Soil Mapping and Assessment (DSMA) has progressed from challenging traditional soil science paradigms, through small scale prototyping, to large-scale implementation capturing quantitative measures of soil attributes and functions. This paper considers the future for DSMA in the context of a highly uncertain world where high-quality knowledge of soil dynamics will be important for responding to the challenges of sustainability. Irrespective of whether the need is for survival, increased productivity or broadening the services provided from land management, or simply securing the soil itself, we see DSMA as a fundamental approach and essential tool. With a broadening need and a …

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 …

Consultation Summary For Proposed Declared Pest Rates 2021/2022, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Biosecurity published reports

In accordance with the Biosecurity and Agriculture Management (Declared Pest Account) Regulations 2014, the Minister for Agriculture and Food carries out consultation on Declared Pest Rates, to be considered prior to the rates being determined and gazetted.

This document is the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development's response to the submissions received.

Status Reports Of The Fisheries And Aquatic Resources Of Western Australia 2020/21, S.J. Newman, B.S. Wise, K.G. Santoro, D.J. Gaughan

Status Reports of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources

The Status Reports of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources of Western Australia (SRFAR) provide an annual update on the state of the fish stocks and other aquatic resources of Western Australia (WA). These reports outline the most recent assessments of the cumulative risk status for each of the aquatic resources (assets) within WA’s six Bioregions using an Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management (EBFM) approach. The Departments’ risk based EBFM framework is the State government’s basis for management of all Western Australia’s aquatic resources.

Katanning Research Facility Carbon Footprint Assessment And Strategy To Achieve Carbon Neutrality By 2030, Stephen Wiedemann, Kristina Duff, Mandy Curnow, Perry J. Dolling, David Bicknell, Paul Sanford, John P. Collins, Gavin D'Adhemar

Climate Science Published Reports

As part of the Western Australian Government’s commitment to emissions reduction and the sustainable mitigation of climate change, the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) identified that the Katanning Research Facility (KRF) is a significant greenhouse gas (GHG) emitter and that the site provides an opportunity to improve our understanding of emissions arising from agriculture, particularly livestock production. This report presents a baseline organisational carbon footprint assessment and a sustainable emissions reduction strategy with the goal of achieving carbon neutrality for the research facility by 2030.

KRF, with its intensive animal facilities and commercial farm setup, is the …

Short And Long Term Effects Of Lime And Gypsum Applications On Acid Soils In A Water-Limited Environment: 2. Soil Chemical Properties, Geoff Anderson, Shahab Pathan, James Easton, David Hall, Rajesh Sharma

Grain and Other Field Crops Research Articles

Soil acidity or aluminum (Al) toxicity is a major limitation to crop production. In this paper, we examine the effects of surface-applied lime and gypsum on soil profile chemical properties that affect Al toxicity in short-term (1 year), medium-term (2 years and 8 months) and long-term (10 years) experiments. Sulfate applied to the soil surface as gypsum was leached rapidly to a depth of 40 cm in the short-term despite relatively low amounts (279 mm) of rainfall. In the medium and long-term experiments, 28–54% of the sulfate applied as gypsum was retained in the 0–50 cm soil layer due to …

Soil Management Systems To Overcome Multiple Constraints For Dryland Crops On Deep Sands In A Water Limited Environment On The South Coast Of Western Australia, David J. Hall, Stephen L. Davies, Richard W. Bell, Tom Edwards

Grain and Other Field Crops Research Articles

Deep sands on the south coast sandplain of Western Australia (WA) have multiple soil constraints including water repellence, high soil strength, low nutrient levels and subsoil acidity. The aim of the study was to test contrasting methods of managing water repellence and to assess their impacts on one or more soil constraints to crop production. These methods included seeding tyne design (knife point, winged points, paired row), soil wetting agent addition, strategic inversion tillage (rotary spading, mouldboard ploughing to 0.35 m) and clay-rich subsoil addition (170 t ha−1 with incorporation by spading to 0.20 or 0.35 m). Limesand (2 t …

Frost Identification Guide For Cereals, Ben Biddulph, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Bulletins 4000 -

Frost damage reduces crop yield and grain quality. Early identification of symptoms allows timely crop salvage decisions to be made.

Operationalising Digital Soil Mapping – Lessons From Australia, Darren Kidd, Ross Searle, Mike Grundy, Alex Mcbratney, Nathan Robinson, Lauren O'Brien, Peter Zund, Dominique Arrouays, Mark Thomas, José Padarian, Edward Jones, John Mclean Bennett, Budiman Minasny, Karen Holmes, Brendan P. Malone, Craig Liddicoat, Elizabeth A. Meier, Uta Stockmann, Peter Wilson, John Wilford, Jim Payne, Anthony Ringrose-Voase, Brian Slater, Nathan Odgers, Jonathon Gray, Dennis Van Gool, Kaitlyn Andrews, Ben Harms, Liz Stower, John Triantafilis

Natural Resources Research Articles

Australia has advanced the science and application of Digital Soil Mapping (DSM). Over the past decade, DSM in Australia has evolved from being purely research focused to become ‘operational’, where it is embedded into many soil-agency land resource assessment programs around the country. This has resulted from a series of ‘drivers’, such as an increased need for better quality and more complete soil information, and ‘enablers’, such as existing soil information systems, covariate development, serendipitous project funding, collaborations, and Australian DSM ‘champions’. However, these accomplishments were not met without some barriers along the way, such as a need to demonstrate …

Slow Movement Of Alkali From Surface-Applied Lime Warrants The Introduction Of Strategic Tillage For Rapid Amelioration Of Subsurface Acidity In South-Western Australia, Gaus Azam, Chris Gazey

Grain and Other Field Crops Research Articles

Conventional surface-application of agricultural lime takes many years to increase pH deeper in the soil profile, which is a barrier to increased adoption of liming. We conducted a series of experiments to measure the rate of vertical movement of alkali and identify the factors that determine this movement into the subsurface, to evaluate the feasibility of ameliorating acidic subsurface soil using residual (undissolved) lime (CaCO3) at Wongan Hills (30.85°S, 116.74°E) and Merredin (31.48°S, 118.21°E) and to test whether deep tillage and lime incorporation can significantly speed up the amelioration of subsurface soil acidity at Kalannie (30.42°S, 117.29°E). Multiple applications of …

Short And Long Term Effects Of Lime And Gypsum Applications On Acid Soils In A Water-Limited Environment: 1. Grain Yield Response And Nutrient Concentration, Geoff Anderson, Shahab Pathan, James Easton, David Hall, Rajesh Sharma

Grain and Other Field Crops Research Articles

Surface (0–10 cm) and subsoil (soil layers below 10 cm) acidity and resulting aluminum (Al) toxicity reduce crop grain yields. In South Western Australia (SWA), these constraints affect 14.2 million hectares or 53% of the agricultural area. Both lime (L, CaCO3) and gypsum (G, CaSO4) application can decrease the toxic effect of Al, leading to an increase in crop grain yields. Within the region, it is unclear if G alone or the combined use of L and G has a role in alleviating soil acidity in SWA, due to low sulfate S (SO4–S) sorption properties of the soil. We present …

Monitoring Groundwater, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

Rising groundwater is a major land degradation hazard in many areas of the South West Agricultural Region of Western Australia, and results in increased salinisation. Collecting data on the depth to groundwater and water quality over time is the only way to know whether the watertable is rising, falling or static, if water quality is changing, and the degree of salinity risk.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development recommends that groundwater monitoring is part of a whole farm, and preferably whole catchment, plan.

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 …

Sulfate Sorption Measured By A Buffering Index Over A Range Of Properties Of Soils From South Western Australia, Geoff Anderson

Natural Resources Research Articles

Sulfate sorption by the soil affects the rate of sulfate leaching, which impacts on the availability of soil sulfate for plant uptake. In Australia, plant-available sulfur is measured using 0.25 M KCl heated for 3 h at 40°C to extract soil sulfur (SKCl40). This paper describes a technique referred to as a sulfate buffering index (SBI), which provides a measurement of sulfate sorption. SBI when combined with the estimates of the q and b parameters of the Freundlich equation, can be used to define a sorption curve. The equation is S = acb – q; where S is the …

Ord River Irrigation Area Stage 2: M2 Supply Channel - Compliance Assessment Report 2019 - Statement 938, Kimberley Boab Consulting

Reports

This compliance assessment of progress with the implementation of Ministerial Statement 938 for the period 1/1/2019 to 31/12/2019 was undertaken on behalf of the Proponent, the Western Australian Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development. It assesses and makes recommendations on compliance with the delivery of the conditions applied to the development of the Ord River Irrigation Area Stage 2 (M2 Supply Channel) as stipulated in Ministerial Statement 938 issued by the Minister for the Environment and administered by the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation.

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 …

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.

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 …

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.

Ecological Risk Assessment Of The Abrolhos Islands And Mid-West Trawl 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.

Hydrogeology Of The Gillingarra Palaeochannel, Russell Speed, Adele Killen

Resource management technical reports

Previous groundwater investigations had identified the presence of palaeochannel sediments under the Capitela Valley in the Perth Basin, about 25 kilometres south-west of Moora. The sediments of this Capitela Palaeochannel were thought to form a discrete aquifer of good quality groundwater suitable for agriculture.

To improve our understanding of the Capitela Palaeochannel, its distribution, water quality and potential as a groundwater resource, we undertook an airborne electromagnetic (AEM) geophysical survey of the area in December 2012. This led to the discovery of a palaeochannel located in the Darling Range between Gillingarra and New Norcia, and we named this the Gillingarra …