URS

Publication Date

8-2010

Publisher

URS Australia Pty Limited

City

Perth

Abstract

In 2003 the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia, developed a Catchment Demonstration Initiative (CDI) Project as a contribution to the National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality. Joint Commonwealth and State funding allocated $6 million towards a project aimed at demonstrating viable salinity management systems in the agricultural area of Western Australia. The CDI sought to deliver its outcomes in partnership with NRM Regions by co-investment in targeted, large-scaled, catchment-based demonstrations of integrated salinity management practices.

Submissions were invited from interested groups to provide proposals, and following an assessment process at the local, state/Commonwealth level against predetermined criteria, four projects were successful:

  • Gillingarra-West Koojan (‘Gillingarra’) Catchment Demonstration
  • Wallatin-O’Brien (‘Wallatin Creek’) Catchment Demonstration
  • Upper Coblinine (‘Upper Coblinine’) Catchment Demonstration
  • Fitzgerald River (‘Fitzgerald’) Catchment Demonstration.

The Fitzgerald CDI project commenced in January 2005 and the other three projects started soon after. All four CDIs finished in December 2009.

URS Australia Pty Limited was contracted by the Department of Agriculture and Food to undertake an end of program review of the CDI. Specifically the review sought to:

  1. Review the CDI, aims, objectives and catchment selection process.
  2. Evaluate the four approved Implementation Plans in terms their ability to meet requirements of the CDI, State/Commonwealth Programs and those of Regional NRM Groups.
  3. Evaluate the Implementation Plans and changes made during the program, in terms of their ability to deliver the program outcomes and also meet both local needs.
  4. Compile materials from the projects that compare the original and completed plans and outputs.
  5. Review the concept and application of catchment demonstrations, their value and recommend options for future use.
  6. Consider their effectiveness in terms of engaging farmers in the catchment, their capacity, wider dissemination and uptake of results in the region, changes to the catchments resource condition and improvement in the knowledge base for salinity management (technical, social, economic).

This report details the outcomes of the end of program review.

Number of Pages

93

Keywords

salinity management, catchment planning, Catchment Demonstration Initiative, catchment group, NRM regions

Disciplines

Agriculture | Civic and Community Engagement | Natural Resources and Conservation

Comments

This report relates to DPIRD's dryland salinity management information.

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