Environmental Indicators and Impact Assessment Commons^™

Fisheries Science Update - Western Australian Salmon Resource - September 2023, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Fisheries Science Updates

Key points: 2023 stock assessment outcomes:

• The latest weight of evidence stock assessment for Western Australian salmon indicates the status of the stock is adequate and the risk to the stock is low. This means that there are no sustainability concerns for the stock.
• The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) tracks our aquatic resources by undertaking weight of evidence stock assessments on a regular basis.
• This science update follows on from the previous Western Australian salmon update in 2017.
• Detailed information on the latest stock assessment is available in Fisheries Research Report No. 336.

Epbc 2010/5491: Weaber Plain Development Project Compliance Report - 1st May 2022 To 30th April 2023, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Irrigated Agricultural Development in the North

The Weaber Plain Development Project (Goomig Project) was approved on 13 September 2011. The approval reference is EPBC 2010/5491 (the Approval).

The Goomig Project comprises irrigated farmland, associated infrastructure, and a buffer area on the Weaber Plain located about 30km north-northeast of Kununurra in Western Australia. Figure 1 shows the location and layout of the Goomig Project and interface with other projects including the Knox Creek Plain Irrigation Development (EPBC 2014/7143), Sorby Hills Silver Lead Zinc mining project, and Ord River Irrigation Area (ORIA) Stage 1 'Cave Springs' farms.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development is the Goomig …

Gouldian Finch Monitoring: Foraging Activity And Grass Phenology - Goomig Project 2022 To 2023, J Graff

Irrigated Agricultural Development in the North

The Goomig Project (Weaber Plains Development Project) is an irrigated agricultural development located approximately 30 km north of Kununurra, which involves clearing of approximately 9,260 ha of vegetation for agriculture. Approximately 11,470 ha of native vegetation surrounding, or remaining between, the cleared areas is designated as a buffer area (the study area) to be managed to protect surrounding conservation reserves and watercourses (Strategen 2014). Monitoring of Gouldian Finch wet season foraging activity and phenology and productivity of grasses important for foraging in the buffer area during ongoing operation are required as conditions of the approval for the project, and is …

Managing Water Quality To Enable Future Irrigation Development In The Kimberley Region: Three-Dimensional Hydrodynamic Modelling To Evaluate The Effect Of Farm Chemicals On The Lower Pools Of The Keep River, J Romero

Natural resources commissioned reports

The National Water Grid Authority awarded the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) a project entitled ‘Managing Water Quality to Enable Future Irrigation Development in the Kimberley Region’.

The purpose of the project is to review the current and future risk profile of agrichemicals (pesticides) in the Keep River catchment (Ord - East Kimberley) in the context of irrigation development across the last decade and proposed in the medium term. The results of the review were to define prospective mitigation and risk management practices to be developed in consultation with the Goomig and Knox Plains Independent Review Group …

Review Of Toxicity Of Agricultural Chemicals And Implications For Aquatic Fauna Of The Keep River, Samanatha Reynolds, David Morgan

Natural resources commissioned reports

This report was compiled for the Western Australian Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) as part of the National Water Grid Authority (NWGA) project entitled “Managing water quality to enable future irrigation development in the Kimberley Region, WA”. The purpose of this report is to review the toxicity of farm chemicals (herbicides and insecticides) used by farm operators in the Keep River catchment and their potential impacts on the aquatic species in the river, in particular those species that are listed under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. It is designed to complement the report entitled …

Gouldian Finch Monitoring: Nesting Activity - Goomig Project 2022 To 2023, H Winter

Irrigated Agricultural Development in the North

The Goomig Project (Weaber Plains Development Project) is an irrigated agricultural development located approximately 30 km north of Kununurra, which involved clearing approximately 9,260 ha of vegetation for agriculture. Approximately 11,470 ha of native vegetation surrounding, or remaining between, the cleared areas has been designated as a buffer area (the study area for this report) to be managed to protect surrounding conservation reserves and watercourses (Strategen 2014). Gouldian Finch monitoring in the buffer area during ongoing operations is required as a condition of project approval, and is outlined in the Gouldian Finch Conservation Plan (GFCP; Strategen 2014). Item 7 of …

Ord River Irrigation Area Stage 2 M2 Supply Channel Compliance Assessment Report 2022 - Statement 938, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Irrigated Agricultural Development in the North

Ministerial implementation Statement 938 for the Ord River Irrigation Area Stage 2 (M2 Supply Channel) proposal (Proposal) was published on 12 June 2013 pursuant to section 45 of the Environment Protection Act 1986. DPIRD administers MS938 behalf of the Minister for Regional Development.

Fisheries Science Update - Gascoyne Demersal Scalefish Resource - April 2023, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Fisheries Science Updates

Key points: 2022 stock assessment outcomes:

• The Gascoyne Demersal Scalefish Resource (GDSR) comprises more than 60 species inhabiting Gascoyne oceanic waters (excluding inner Shark Bay), with pink snapper and goldband snapper recognised as the two indicator species.
• Oceanic pink snapper is five years into a 20-year recovery plan following a 2017 stock assessment that showed the stock was at severe risk.
• The GDSR oceanic pink snapper recovery plan is based on limiting the annual total fishing mortality of oceanic pink snapper to 100 tonnes (all sectors combined) and providing targeted protection for key spawning aggregations.
• The Department of Primary Industries …

Oria Stage Ii Expansion: Keep River Post-Development Aquatic Fauna And Targeted Sawfish Survey - 2022, Indopacific Environmental, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Irrigated Agricultural Development in the North

This report presents the results of the 2022 Keep River Aquatic Fauna and Targeted Sawfish Survey which represents the final post-development survey required as per the project conditions of the Goomig Irrigation Development. Unlike the 2021 survey, which was affected by pandemic related travel restrictions that prohibited some sites from being surveyed, all regular monitoring sites were able to be sampled in 2022. Field work was undertaken September 2022 and sampling and analyses undertaken during the current study aligned with standardised methodologies set forth in the Ord River Irrigation Area – Weaber Plain Development Project Aquatic Fauna Management Plan.

State And Transition Models For Tussock Grasslands And Woodlands Of The Kimberley: Final Project Report, Anna E. Richards, Brett Abbott, Robert Sudmeyer, Matthew Fletcher, Kath Ryan, Suzanne Prober, Philip Thomas, Pouria Ramzi, Jodie Hayward, Chris Hetherington, Karyn Reeves, Wayne J. Fletcher

Natural resources commissioned reports

The Kimberley region in north-west Western Australia is covered by extensive savanna woodlands and tussock grasslands. Approximately half the region is under pastoral leases predominately used for beef production. The Western Australian (WA) government Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) undertakes lease assessment and inspection to ensure the maintenance of pastoral land condition (maintenance of perennial grass cover that supports livestock grazing and soil condition). This presents several challenges around defining land condition and practices that support and improve long-term ecological sustainability of pastoral lands. The objective of this project was to develop state and transition models (S&TMs) …

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Options For Western Australian Agriculture, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Climate Science Published Reports

The Western Australian (WA) Government is committed to building the climate resilience of the agriculture industry. The WA Climate Change Policy underscores this commitment to adapting to climate change and working with all sectors of the economy to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

Achieving climate resilience requires both adaptation and the mitigation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions which accelerate climate change.

The Sectoral Emissions Reduction Strategies (SERS) are a core commitment of the Western Australian Climate Policy. These will provide robust and credible emissions reduction pathways across sectors for the whole of WA. Development of the SERS, announced in …

Pasture Condition Guides For The Southern Rangelands, Including The Gascoyne, Murchison And Goldfields-Nullarbor, Peter-Jon A. Waddell, Philip We Thomas, Wayne J. Fletcher, Kath Ryan, Joshua E. Foster, John K. Stretch, Jim S. Addison

Bulletins 4000 -

These guides address a recognised gap in readily applicable and easily accessible information on southern rangelands pasture condition and management.

These guides provide descriptions and images for southern rangelands pastures with similar management requirements for the grazing of native pastures by livestock. Therefore, the focus is on palatability of vegetation to livestock, and the effects of livestock management and external factors on the condition of the vegetation and soils.

The first section provides an overview and map, introduces concepts and terms important to understanding arid shrubland management in general, these guides in particular, and includes an economic analysis of the …

Land Systems, Soils And Vegetation Of The Southern Goldfields And Great Western Woodlands Of Western Australia - Volume 1, Peter-Jon A. Waddell, Paul Galloway

Technical Bulletins

This technical bulletin defines and maps the land resources of the southern Goldfields region of Western Australia (WA). The southern Goldfields region, as featured in this bulletin, covers 151,753 km². The western and eastern borders are variable because they align with various cadastral boundaries. The western survey border, which in part follows the WA State Barrier Fence, demarcates cleared agricultural land from the intact, western extent of the Great Western Woodlands. The eastern border abuts the westernmost Nullarbor pastoral lease boundaries, except for the north-easternmost and south-easternmost edges which continue into Crown land. Major towns are Coolgardie, Kalgoorlie …

Land Systems, Soils And Vegetation Of The Southern Goldfields And Great Western Woodlands Of Western Australia - Volume 2, Peter-Jon A. Waddell, Paul Galloway

Technical Bulletins

This technical bulletin defines and maps the land resources of the southern Goldfields region of Western Australia (WA). The southern Goldfields region, as featured in this bulletin, covers 151,753 km². The western and eastern borders are variable because they align with various cadastral boundaries. The western survey border, which in part follows the WA State Barrier Fence, demarcates cleared agricultural land from the intact, western extent of the Great Western Woodlands. The eastern border abuts the westernmost Nullarbor pastoral lease boundaries, except for the north-easternmost and south-easternmost edges which continue into Crown land. Major towns are Coolgardie, Kalgoorlie …

Epbc 2010/5491: Weaber Plain Development Project Annual Environmental Report - 1st May 2021 To 30th April 2022, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia, Kimberley Boab Consulting

Irrigated Agricultural Development in the North

This Weaber Plain Development Project EPBC Annual Environment Report for the period 1 May 2021 to 30 April 2022 has been developed in accordance with Condition 3 of the Commonwealth Environmental Approval for the Weaber Plain Development Project, EPBC 2010/5491, issued under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999.

The Western Australian Government, Kimberley Agricultural Investment Pty Ltd (KAI) and the Yawoorroong Miriuwung Gajerrong Yirrgeb Noong Dawang Aboriginal Corporation (MG Corp) are completing farm development and conducting irrigated agriculture across the Weaber Plain, north of Kununurra in the eastern Kimberley region of WA.

This report has been prepared …

Gouldian Finch Monitoring: Foraging Activity And Grass Phenology - Goomig Project 2021 To 2022, J Graff

Irrigated Agricultural Development in the North

The Goomig Project (Weaber Plains Development Project) is an irrigated agricultural development located approximately 30 km north of Kununurra, which involves clearing of approximately 9,260 ha of vegetation for agriculture. Approximately 11,470 ha of native vegetation surrounding, or remaining between, the cleared areas is designated as a buffer area (the study area) to be managed to protect surrounding conservation reserves and watercourses (Strategen 2014). Monitoring of Gouldian Finch wet season foraging activity and phenology and productivity of grasses important for foraging in the buffer area during ongoing operation are required as conditions of the approval for the project, and is …

Ord River Irrigation Area Stage 2 M2 Supply Channel Compliance Assessment Report 2021 - Statement 938, Kimberley Boab Consultiung

Irrigated Agricultural Development in the North

This compliance assessment of progress with the implementation of Ministerial Statement 938 for the period 1/1/2021 to 31/12/2021 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.

Previous audits have recommended changes to a number of actions in the Goomig Environmental …

Emissions Baseline Report For The Agriculture Sector In Western Australia, Mandy Curnow, Christophe D'Abbadie, Robert French, Jackie Bucat, Dario Stefanelli, Neil Lantzke, Valeria Almeida Lima, Jess Austen, Lee Chester, Kate Pritchett, Millie Brady, Dylan Bennett

Climate Science Published Reports

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Sixth Assessment Report found that climate impacts are appearing earlier and are more severe than expected. The world faces multiple unavoidable climate hazards over the next two decades with global warming of 1.5ºC and accelerated action is required to avoid mortality and loss of biodiversity and infrastructure.

Achieving Climate Resilience requires both climate adaptation and mitigation of Greenhouse Gases which are accelerating climate change. Western Australia is committed to building resilience of the agriculture industry and as part of that is focussed on reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions at both an industry and government …

Epbc 2010/5491: Weaber Plain Development Project Annual Environmental Report - 1st May 2020 To 30th April 2021, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia, Kimberley Boab Consulting

Irrigated Agricultural Development in the North

This Weaber Plain Development Project EPBC Annual Environment Report for the period 1 May 2019 to 30 April 2020 has been developed in accordance with Condition 3 of the Commonwealth Environmental Approval for the Weaber Plain Development Project, EPBC 2010/5491, issued under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999.

The Western Australian Government, Kimberley Agricultural Investment Pty Ltd (KAI) and the Yawoorroong Miriuwung Gajerrong Yirrgeb Noong Dawang Aboriginal Corporation (MG Corp) are completing farm development and conducting irrigated agriculture across the Weaber Plain, north of Kununurra in the eastern Kimberley region of WA.

This report has been prepared …

Gouldian Finch Monitoring: Nesting Activity - Goomig Project 2021 To 2022, J Graff

Irrigated Agricultural Development in the North

The Goomig Project (Weaber Plains Development Project) is an irrigated agricultural development located approximately 30 km north of Kununurra, which involved clearing approximately 9,260 ha of vegetation for agriculture. Approximately 11,470 ha of native vegetation surrounding, or remaining between, the cleared areas has been designated as a buffer area (the study area) to be managed to protect surrounding conservation reserves and watercourses (Strategen 2014). Gouldian Finch monitoring in the buffer area during ongoing operation is required as a condition of the approval for the project, and is outlined in the Gouldian Finch Conservation Plan (GFCP; Strategen 2014). Item 7 of …

Maximization Of Fitness By Phenological And Phenotypic Plasticity In Range Expanding Rabbitfishes (Siganidae), Salvador Zarco-Perello, David Fairclough, Chris Dowling, Joey Dibattista, Rachel Austin, Thomas Wernberg, Brett Taylor

Fisheries Research Articles

1. Global warming is modifying the phenology, life-history traits and biogeography of species around the world. Evidence of these effects have increased over recent decades; however, we still have a poor understanding of the possible outcomes of their interplay across global climatic gradients, hindering our ability to accurately predict the consequences of climate change in populations and ecosystems.
2. We examined the effect that changes in biogeography can have on the life-history traits of two of the most successful range-extending fish species in the world: the tropical rabbitfishes Siganus fuscescens and Siganus rivulatus. Both species have established abundant populations at higher …

Carnarvon Floodplain Management - Working Group Report, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia, Department Of Water And Environmental Regulation, Western Australia, Canarvon Growers Association, Department Of Fire And Emergency Services, Western Australia, Shire Of Canarvon, Western Australia

Horticulture research reports

Periodic flooding of the lower Gascoyne River floodplain at Carnarvon is a natural event. The flooding results from cyclonic and thunderstorm activity in the catchment, with the risk period generally from November to May, associated with the wet season in the north of WA. The Carnarvon horticultural area has suffered considerable damage following flooding of the Gascoyne River in 1960,1961, 1974, 1980, 1995, 2000, 2009, 2010/11 and 2021.

The WA Government has undertaken restoration programs to replace soil lost for most of these major flooding events. Apart from the soil loss and risks of permanent damage to the natural resource, …

Fisheries Science Update - Temperate Shark Fisheries - April 2022, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Fisheries Science Updates

Two fisheries make up Western Australia’s Temperate Shark Fisheries: the West Coast Demersal Gillnet and Demersal Longline Fishery; and the Southern Demersal Gillnet and Demersal Longline Fishery. They are some of the longest standing sustainable target shark fisheries in Australia.

These fisheries contribute to the WA economy by supplying sustainable locally sourced seafood; employing up to 150 people per year; and have an estimated overall annual market value up to $20 million.

774 tonnes of sharks were landed in 2019-20, which is approximately 2.27 million meals. The majority of which goes straight to the WA community, and is commonly found …

Fisheries Science Update - Shark Depredation - April 2022, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Fisheries Science Updates

Recreational, charter and commercial fishers in Western Australia (WA) are reporting significant increases in shark depredation (bite-offs), particularly in the Gascoyne and Pilbara regions.

Shark depredation is an issue across Northern Australia, with similar reports in Queensland and the Northern Territory. Managing shark depredation is complex, and WA is leading the country in research to better inform our management decisions.

Recent research by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development’s (DPIRD) has found that:

• a range of shark species are responsible for bite-offs, including blacktip, dusky, milk, pigeye, sandbar and tiger sharks;
• the probability of sharks taking fish is …

An Industry Life Cycle Assessment (Lca) For Sheep Production In Western Australia, Stephen Wiedemann, Darcia Mcrae, Emma Longworth

Animal production and livestock research reports

The Western Australian Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) has identified the need to understand greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the livestock sector in detail, with a view to developing emission reduction plans for the state. To achieve this, DPIRD commissioned a life cycle assessment (LCA) for the sheep industry in Western Australia (WA) for the financial years (FY) 2005 (July 1, 2004 to June 30, 2005) and 2020 (July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020). The analysis of one historic period provided a baseline reference point for the more recent results, and the intent was to develop …

Oria Stage Ii Expansion: Keep River Post-Development Aquatic Fauna And Targeted Sawfish Survey - 2021, Indopacific Environmental, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Irrigated Agricultural Development in the North

This report presents the results of the 2021 Keep River Aquatic Fauna and Targeted Sawfish Survey which represents the second of three post-development surveys required to be completed as per the project conditions of the Goomig Irrigation Development. Whilst a limited number of potentially impacted sites were not able to be surveyed in 2021 as a result of i) COVID-19 travel restrictions implemented by the Western Australian Government during the survey and ii) access limitations as a result of rain associated with the wet season due to the late completion of the survey, the data collected and current analyses were …

Status Of The Western Australian Pastoral Rangelands 2021, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources published reports

This report updates the 2020 Rangelands annual report, the 2020 report outlines the condition, trend and risk of vegetation condition decline of pastoral rangelands in WA, based on the information available to September 2020. This 2021 report summaries the findings of the 2020 report and provides updated information on seasonal conditions in 2021 and stocking rates in 2020.

DPIRD produces a full report on the condition, trend and risk status of the WA pastoral rangelands every five years and provides updates on an annual basis. It is expected that the monitoring and assessment protocols used to generate future annual condition …

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.

Making Agriculture Carbon Neutral Amid A Changing Climate: The Case Of South-Western Australia, Ross Kingwell

Climate Science Research Articles

Making Australian agriculture carbon neutral by 2050 is a goal espoused by several agricultural organisations in Australia. How costly might it be to attain that goal, especially when adverse climate change projections apply to agriculture in southern Australia? This study uses scenario analysis to examine agricultural emissions and their abatement via reforestation in south-western Australia under projected climate change. Most scenarios include the likelihood of agricultural emissions being reduced in the coming decades. However, the impact of projected adverse climate change on tree growth and tree survival means that the cost of achieving agricultural carbon neutrality via reforestation is forecast …

Fisheries Science Update - West Coast Demersal Scalefish Resource - October 2021, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Fisheries Science Updates

The West Coast Demersal Scalefish Resource (WCDSR) is halfway into a 20-year recovery plan following a period of overfishing in the 1990s and 2000s.

This latest assessment provides an important “health check” on the recovery status.

The recovery plan is based on maintaining recreational (including charter) and commercial sector’s total fishing mortality below catch limits and protecting key spawning aggregations to recover the WCDSR by 2030.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) tracks recovery progress by undertaking weight of evidence stock assessments of WCDSR indicator species dhufish and pink snapper every 3-5 years.

The latest science shows …