Sustainable Development
The FB sits within a region also known for agricultural production and mineral extraction industries as it’s main economic drivers, along with nature and place-based tourism. Australian agriculture accounts for 55% of Australian land use[i] significantly impacting biodiversity, demonstrating the need for collaboration with farmers and pastoral corporations to monitor and sustainably manage these vital habitats.
The agricultural landscape is largely cleared, with some remnants in conservation reserves, watercourses and wetlands on public and private lands, and small bushland remnants on farms.
This broad cleared landscape, containing fragile and saline soils, poses ecological and sustainability challenges. Quality restoration is essential to support the natural country matrix and rehabilitate degraded areas, including watercourses, wetlands, and buffer zones around remnants.
Effective ecological restoration enhances both biodiversity and agricultural sustainability. The Fitzgerald Biosphere faces the challenge of balancing productive agricultural production tenure and natural areas, particularly concerning biodiversity, pest management, and bushfires.
Bush Heritage Australia (BHA) purchases land for conservation, focusing on landscape-scale solutions that provide connect habitat corridors for native species to move freely in response to changing conditions.
Furthermore, understanding the complexities of revegetating marginalized farming land within the Fitz’-Sstirlings region, we recognize how this practice can be facilitated cross culturally. Highlighting the ongoing efforts from Noongar Elders and caretakers on Nowanup Reserve in collaboration with Gondwanalink and Greening Australia.
