An alliance to significantly improve the overall effectiveness in forming community partnerships in the Avon River basin and deliver environmental progress has been formalised today.
An alliance to significantly improve the overall effectiveness in forming community partnerships in the Avon River basin and deliver environmental progress has been formalised today.
The signing of an Alliance Memorandum of Understanding brings together the Avon community with non-Government organisations and State Government agencies to form a partnership in natural resource management.
The Avon Natural Diversity Alliance - comprising Greening Australia (WA), WWF-Australia, the Department of Environment and the Department of Conservation and Land Management - has been awarded contracts by the Avon Catchment Council to begin delivery of four of the council's investment plan projects over the next 12 months.
The alliance community-partnership projects will focus on the recovery and protection of native species and communities, ecosystems, and landscapes. They are aimed at contributing to the achievement of long-term targets as identified in the Avon Natural Resource Management (NRM) Strategy.
Projects managed by the Avon Catchment Council and delivered by the alliance are being funded with the help of more than $6million from the State Government, the Australian Government's Natural Heritage Trust and the National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality.
Environment Minister Mark McGowan said the alliance was formed in response to the necessary, but ambitious targets set in the natural resource management strategy.
"The four organisations have agreed to combine their resources to form a highly competent team of environmental practitioners who will work together with the Avon community, to help achieve these challenging targets," Mr McGowan said.
"The alliance will employ 29 people in total, working across the Avon Basin to deliver a range of professional services from hydrology to revegetation, and flora and fauna conservation. The addition of these people will be beneficial to Avon regional communities."
Greening Australia (WA) chief executive officer Robert Lambeck said while each of the four organisations had been working collaboratively in the Avon and with the ACC for many years, formation of the alliance represented a unique and exciting opportunity to implement a co-operative approach to NRM in the Avon.
WWF-Australia chief executive officer Greg Bourne said the alliance and its MOU represented a win-win scenario for those advocating to conserve our planet's remaining biodiversity jewels.
"WWF-Australia believes this on-ground partnership is the way to improve our chances of halting further degradation of our remaining biodiversity and improve the management of what remains," Mr Bourne said.
"Today, our partnership formalises all of our intentions to join forces and do just that."
Avon Catchment Council chairman Wayne Clark added that the council was excited to see the outcome of increased co-operation between significant partners, leading to an improved Avon environment, and the quality of life of the regional community.
