News and Events
Changes are coming... have your say
In 2014 Catchment Management Authorities will be merged with the extension arm of the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) and Livestock, Health and Pest Authorities (LHPAs) to form Local Land Services.
This gives us an opportunity to look at what we do and check in with our communities about what you think is most vital to achieving healthy catchments and vibrant communities. We need you to tell us want what CMA functions, services and projects you value and think need to be carried forward.
We are consulting with our communities about natural resource management priorities and what work is essential to protect and enhance our natural and cultural resources for the long term.
So take five minutes to tell us what Central West CMA functions, services and support you think should be continued into the new Local Land Services model. We want to use this information to help make decisions what natural resource management functions are community priorities and what should be continued into 2014.
Improving our natural resources at Merryanbone Station, Warren
If you have a few spare minutes, check out the work that Xanthe and Laidley White are doing on their Warren property to improve their profitability and our natural resources...
New website to connect local producers and consumers - add your business
Attn all local producers... We're about to launch a new website to help local consumers connect with you. The idea is to encourage people to buy local, reduce food kilometres and other good things.
It's live but not not launched yet – if you're interested please visit www.findafarmer.com.au and register your business.
2013 Bio-industry Expo coming to Dubbo (10-11 Apr)
The Central West CMA is excited to be hosting a Bio-industry Expo bringing together specialists from across Australia as well as local practitioners, all on the leading edge of converting waste to valuable products.
This event is intended for:
- Farmers with Woody Weeds - soil improvement
- Forest Managers - commercial thinning waste management
- Local Government - urban waste
- Industry - heat and power.
Through this Expo we aim to increase participants knowledge and understanding of the opportunities out there as well as workshopping ideas for potential future projects.
2013 Orana Bio-Industry Expo - flier (1406 KB)
2013 Orana Bio-Industry Expo - program (121 KB)
Champions of the Catchment Award nominations now open
Nominations are now open for the Central West CMA Champions of the Catchment awards. Nominate yourself or someone doing a great job in the following categories...
2013 Champions of the Catchment application - Indigenous (98 KB)
2013 Champions of the Catchment application - individual (100 KB)
2013 Champions of the Catchment application - innovative community group (101 KB)
2013 Champions of the Catchment application - innovative practices or activities (99 KB)
2013 Champions of the Catchment application - Landcare Coordinator (112 KB)
2013 Champions of the Catchment application - local or regional authority (100 KB)
2013 Champions of the Catchment application - young leader (101 KB)
2013 Champions of the Catchment application - youth organization or young Landcare group (101 KB)
For more information, contact Liz Davis on liz.davis@cma.nsw.gov.au or phone 0427 452 662.
BIO-industry Expo 2013 - Dubbo 10-11 April
BIO-industry Expo 2013 is a must for anyone looking to gain information from leading experts on biomass and waste-to-energy,
or solutions to enhance their business while reducing costs in a carbon based economy.
See/hear urban & rural waste opportunities:
- converting Woody Waste to Energy
- reducing fossil energy dependence
- biochar for soil moisture and nutrient retention
- milling small diameter logs construction & furniture
- wood pellets from wood waste
- industrial & home heat from weeds & wood waste.
Goolma farmers improving our biodiversity while growing fine wool
Landholders Len and Claire Cooney have demonstrated how improving biodiversity and running a profitable farm business can go hand in hand.
The Cooneys run a fine wool enterprise near Goolma. They have changed their grazing management while retaining native habitat on their property ‘Cromer’ with the support of the Central West Catchment Management Authority (CMA). Watch the below clip to find out more...
Young writers wanted for envirostories competition
Students are being invited to write and illustrate a 15-page story about threatened species. Stories can be from a human, plant or animal perspective and be fictional or factual.
Stories are written about local issues, by local kids, for local kids. It entails an interdisciplinary approach by combining elements of Science, Environmental Studies, Creative Arts and English.
You can find all the information about the Enviro-Stories Education Program at www.envirostories.com.au
Video: Building farming resilience for dry times at ‘Byedown’, Elong
Although in the middle of a dry spell, central west NSW farmers Matt and Julie O’Leary have maintained groundcover, healthy stock and sustainable production on their property ‘Byedown’.
The O’Leary family run an organic cattle and sheep grazing enterprise near Elong Elong and over the last 10 years have changed their focus to manage more holistically.
Community workshops to create new Local Land Services agency
- Nyngan RSL Club (106 Pangee St), 9am - 12 noon, 22 February 2013
- Wellington RSL (75 Arthur St), 1 - 4pm, 11 February 2013
- Bathurst Panthers (132 Piper St), 8 - 11am, 12 February 2013
If you have an interest in natural resource management, agriculture and emergency management please come along. If you can't attend, you can still contribute online...
Find out more, RSVP, contribute and keep updated...
Latest news from the Local Land Services Stakeholder Reference Panel
Read the latest update from the Local Land Services Stakeholder Reference Panel...
Revised boundaries on show - have your say
Following community feedback, the LLS Stakeholder Reference Panel has agreed on a set of administrative boundaries for 11 Local Land Services.
Learn more and have your say on the revised boundaries...
2013 Bogan Carp Muster - 16 February
Come and wet a line at the 2013 Bogan carp muster! Great prizes up for grabs and a fun day out.
When: 6.30am to 12.30pm, Sat 16th Feb 2013.
Where: Fish between 2km above the Nyngan top weir to the bridge spillway.
Why: Join the fun – fish and win great prizes.
Click here for more information...
Christmas wishes from our Board and Staff
Improving the environment and running a sustainable business on 'Talbragar', Coolah (4 min)
Henry, Christine and their children Sarah, Georgia and James manage ‘Talbragar’ – a 1821 hectare property in
the Upper Talbragar catchment of central west NSW.
Their approach to farming is to create a solid business foundation that gives their children the confidence to
return to the family farm if they choose to pursue a career in agriculture. Enjoy!
How to monitor your CMA on-ground project...
We've updated our monitoring video guide to help you monitor your CMA project. Please have a look - if you have any questions, please contact your CMA case officer.
Have your say on draft Local Land Services boundaries
A draft set of regional boundaries for Local Land Services have been made available for your comments.
The new Local Land Services agencies will be operational in January 2014. They will deliver functions currently provided by Catchment Management Authorities, Livestock Health & Pest Authorities and agriculture advisory services of Agriculture NSW – part of the Department of Primary Industries.
Your feedback will help develop the new regional agency Local Land Services.
Read more about Local Land Services here...
Ray Thompson acknowledged as finalist in 2012 Premier's Awards
Ray Thompson (third from left) with fellow finalists and Premier O'Farrell (right)
Congratulations to Ray Thompson, our Catchment Officer in Nyngan, for being announced as a finalist in the 2012 Premier’s Awards.
Ray was listed as a finalist in the Premier’s Award for Individual Excellence and Achievement, in recognition of his ongoing service to the landholders in the western division of NSW.
The acknowledgement is the latest in a series of well deserved accolades for Ray’s dedication to rehabilitating severely eroded clay pan country into productive and diverse native grasslands. Ray’s techniques for the design and construction of waterponds across the clay pans has been recognised globally as the front line approach to bring back sustainable production to what can currently be described as a barren landscape.
Ray has promoted his work at numerous National and International Rangeland Congresses, including China 2008 and Argentina 2011. He has travelled to many parts of Australia demonstrating these techniques, including Ned’s Corner (VIC), Blackall (QLD), the Kimberley Region and Kununurra (WA).
However, the greatest testimony to Ray’s work is the 32,000 ha of country that has been revegetated in western NSW and the appreciation from the local landholders who have worked with Ray on their properties over the years.
Click here for the media release on Ray's success and here for a case study about the Central West CMA's waterponding project.
Field day - Mobile biochar system on demonstration in Western NSW
Many people saw technology turning invasive native scrub into an agricultural resource at our field day in Nyngan recently.
If you couldn't make it and want to learn more, check out the video from the day below...
Mobile system to turn your woody waste into biochar
Demonstrations happening in Bathurst, Dubbo and Nyngan
You have the opportunity to see first-hand the latest technology used to convert woody weeds into biochar and hear from experts about this process.
A mobile pyrolysis plant is touring central west NSW to show how woody waste can be converted into a product that improves your soils and captures carbon.
To find out more watch the video below or click here...
Local Land Services to Transform service delivery to NSW farmers and landowners
Minister for Primary Industries Katrina Hodgkinson today announced the most fundamental change since the 1940s to the way NSW primary producers access services, information and advice.
2011-21 Catchment Action Action Plan released
The Central West Catchment Management Authority (CMA) welcomes the Minister for Primary Industries approval of the Catchment Action Plan (CAP) for the catchment.
The Minister made the announcement in July 2012 about two of the State’s regional CAPs having now been upgraded and approved.
Central West CMA chairman, Tom Gavel said the CMA undertook extensive community consultation across the catchment to seek input into the upgraded CAP.
“The process started with a series of community workshops held in late 2009 and went on to consult with all stakeholders across the catchment. The information collated from the community workshops was the foundation of a planning process that has been pioneered in the Central West catchment area.
“Communities of the catchment, local government, business and industry were consulted in the redesign of the CAP and we will work to continue building stronger relationships across the catchment under this plan.”
The Central West CMA’s latest round of environmental funding and training opportunities provides an opportunity for the community to work with the CMA to protect natural resource assets or address specific natural resource management issues identified within the CAP.
Guide for rural and rural residential landholders
‘Getting away from it all’ is an Australian dream. In our area, getting away from it all often involves buying a rural block. Rural blocks can be productive farmland, a bush block or a combination of both.
The Rural Living Handbook brings together some of the significant issues that you will face as a rural landowner or land manager in our community. It also provides contact details of people, websites and organisations that provide support to rural landowners. As organisations change from time to time, useful internet searches are also listed at the end of each section.
To download your copy of the handbook, click here...
2012-13 Central West CMA incentives now available
Each year, we offer a range of financial incentives and training programs for landholders and communities throughout the Central West CMA Catchment region. Most of the incentives are targeted to protect natural resource assets or address specific natural resource management issues identified within our Catchment Action Plan (CAP). Financial incentives and training activities are an important component in building landscape resilience, increasing farm profitability, and expanding landholder knowledge.
To find out what support is available, click here...
Cell Grazing Focus - two day workshops
The Central West CMA, in conjunction with Principle Focus, will be running a series of cell grazing workshops in four locations across the catchment in September 2012 and April 2013. These will be held in:
- Mudgee 4/5 September 2012
- Dubbo 6/7 September 2012
- Warren 9/10 April 2013
- Orange 11/12 April 2013
For more information please contact Matt Lane on 02 6881 3406.
Lower Macquarie Floodplain Resilience Project
We have commenced a project in the lower Macquarie floodplain area which is looking at the important social, economic and environmental values and issues, to build a 'resilience model' for these areas. 'Resilience' means the ability of an area or landscape to resist changes to its condition. If changes do occur, a resilience model will help us establish how hard it would be to return the area to a desired state.
Interviews of people representing different perspectives from the project area started on 12 March to find out their opinions and knowledge. Interviews are continuing until the end of April 2012.
Learn more about how this project will roll out and how you can be involved...
Got questions? Check out our frequently asked questions sheet...
If you still have more questions about the project, please contact the project manager Steve Pearson on: 02 6363 8604.
Last Updated: 13-May-2013 03:20 PM