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Restoring Serpentine-Jarrahdale for tomorrow

The Shire of Serpentine-Jarrahdale, Serpentine-Jarrahdale Land Conservation District Committee, ten community groups and Agriculture WA have embarked on an ambitious plan to clean up waterways and restore the once pristine environment of the Shire.

Serpentine-Jarrahdale is a largely rural Shire on the edge of the Perth Metropolitan area. Water, land and vegetation resources have been degraded over many years and face increasing pressure from existing and future land uses.

The Shire includes large areas of Jarrah forest along the Darling Range, and thousands of hectares of important agricultural land. Annual algal blooms in waterways over the least 20 years have forced the community to rethink its approach to water and land management.

The project is a far reaching catchment plan. It identifies problems created by past practices and how they can be reversed through the Shire and community groups working together 'on the ground'.

Shire President, Colleen Rankin, believes the enthusiasm of the Local District Land Conservation Committee, Agriculture WA adviser John Paul Van Moort, and Council's Environmental Officer, Andrew Del Marco, were the catalysts for getting the project going.

"We were aware of the problems, and Andrew, John Paul and the LCDC brought the local groups together," she said. As a community taskforce, they created a step by step plan to repair the environment throughout our Shire.

Fencing along streams and drains to prevent contamination from stock, and planting thousands of trees and shrubs to reduce nutrients leaking from the land are major planks in the project.

Environmental Officer, Andrew Del Marco, said that the work involves a major commitment from farmers who are protecting a lifetime's investment in their properties.

"We are encouraging land owners to protect water courses and remnant vegetation to reduce nutrients and also to improve the health of the local rural environment," she said. "Another aspect of our work is restoring regionally significant remnant bushland."

The total value of the project with direct and indirect contributions from local farmers, residents, National Heritage Trust, Council and Agriculture WA is $1.18 million.

For further information contact Andrew Del Marco, telephone (08) 9525 5255.

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