| From the Chair
Mike Lanigan, Mt Barker farmer and WICC Chairman
|
Welcome to our 2nd edition and with another
year over we can look back at a
very successful 2007 with the completion
of many on ground works and more projects
initiated for completion next year. Several successful workshops
were conducted across the catchment with more planned for next year.
The community will also be invited to attend a Wilson Inlet Nutrient
Reduction Action Plan (WINRAP) community forum. This meeting will
be looking for community input in the review of the action plan to help
direct where action should be focused for the next five years.
I would like to remind everyone if you would like to get involved in
natural resource management within the catchment, to give a us a call
to become a Wilson Inlet Catchment Committee (WICC) member. Meetings are held every two
months which provide an opportunity for your input as well as a great place to meet new faces.
Finally I would like to wish everyone a safe Christmas and a happy and very successful 2008.
| Environmentally Friendly Enterprise
|
Recently in the mid catchment, WICC assisted
a local innovative farmer implement an
environmental management plan for his
composting enterprise. Paul Hoult converts
waste product from a local abattoir into highly
valued compost for the organic vegetable
growing market in Manjimup.
The implementation of the environmental plan
includes the construction of a hard stand
platform where the abattoir waste is mixed with
sawdust and allowed to compost. This area
slopes gently into a large capacity holding dam
which collects any potential run off from the
composting operation. This prevents any
nutrients leaching into the near by wetland or
waterways of the Catchment. The water in the
dam can then be used in the composting
process hence the need for additional water is
reduced via this recycling.
Paul has taken other measures to reduce the
impact of this enterprise on the environment
including feral animal and pest control. His
innovative enterprise has been developed with
the technical assistance from the Departments
of Conservation and Environment; Water;
Health; the EPA; and the Shire of Plantagenet.
Recently the Hon Wilson Tuckey visited the
site and was impressed with the recycling/
value adding enterprise.
If you have an enterprise that could benefit
from funding to make it more environmentally
friendly contact Lynn Heppell on 98512697.
|
During the 4th Western Australian State Coastal Conference & Awards recently held
in Denmark, a bus tour carrying 45 people was conducted around Wilson Inlet Estuary.
