Katanning Landcare

16/06/2026

We're having some trouble with our email at the moment. 😞
If you need to get in touch, please call us on 9821 4327. 📞
Hopefully it will be fixed soon!

12/06/2026

💡 We're sure most of you remember the confusion a few years ago when the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act (2021) replaced the Aboriginal Heritage Act (1972) for a short while, which was then rescinded.

The original 1972 Act is currently applicable, and site disturbance is assessed under it – through a different set of rules to those which were in play for a short time under the 2021 version. Confused? 😦

You're invited to an information session with the Department of Planning Lands and Heritage personnel will help clarify the current rules for farmers and rural landholders. 🤩

🫖☕️A short 1 hour session with morning tea provided, this free information session is open to all interested community members.

This event is supported by funding from the State Natural Resource Management Program WA

RSVPs appreciated but not required.

11/06/2026

ECO-WEEK 2026 - FROM THE BACKYARD TO THE BUSHLAND
We have another great line up of events for this years eco-week (techically 3 weeks this year!😉) Starting on August 25th we will be hosting events until mid September. Keep an eye out on socials and flyers around town for details of events. Heres a hint of some of the activities coming up

10/06/2026

You can read all about our our project "Keeping and eye on Carnaby’s" in tomorrow's edition of the Great Southern Herald! 😃

Thanks State Natural Resource Management Program WA for funding this wonderful project, and Dean from Carnaby’s Crusaders for installing the cameras!

From nesting hollows to elevated watering stations, black cockatoos across the Katanning area are now under the watchful eye of new monitoring cameras aimed at boosting conservation efforts.

09/06/2026

Attending a webinar this morning on recent scientific studies into Carnaby needs across regional landscapes and was quite terrifying the results on the analysis of exotic agricultural seed they are accessing (both spilled after harvest and whilst still on the plant beforehand). The rate of Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) for the cockatoos was exceeded across an array of chemicals, some of which are neurotoxins and likely contributing to the deadly CHiPS disease (Carnaby Hindlimb Paralysis Syndrome). Those cocky's feeding on the canola and other crops may be at great risk with repeated feedings. What are the answers?? How can we minimise this without compromising our ability to feed (and bio-fuel) the world?? New (& often old) ways of farming are out there, but not always easy for broadscale farming to transition to..... Anyone out there who has been reading/working on ways to reduce this risk? Unfortunately netting huge paddocks requiring massive machinery is not a viable option!

04/06/2026

🔥As winter sets in, it's time for a reminder of our obligations around firewood. 🔥

1)🌳 If you are selling firewood, you must have a DBCA Permit (Reg 63, Private Land Suppliers License). It's only $75 for 3 years, far better than risking a fine! Application form available at: https://www.dbca.wa.gov.au/media/754/download

2)📗If you are purchasing firewood, make sure to check your supplier is licensed.

3) 🪓Collecting your own firewood (no payments) is permitted from private property with the landholders permission (within their clearing exemptions), or from an authorised public firewood collection area. These areas can be found here: https://www.dbca.wa.gov.au/licences-and-permits/firewood/firewood-collection-areas

4) 🚫 Absolutely no collection of firewood from roadsides or public reserves within the Shire of Katanning is permitted. State Government fines can be in excess of $1000, ranging up to $20,000. The taking of fallen logs and standing timber impacts animal habitat, and increases wildfire ignition risk by allowing annual weeds to grow.

5) 🌿Aboriginal people may in some cases collect firewood beyond these regulations for specific cultural purposes only eg welcome to country / smoking ceremonies. This does not extend to home firewood supply.

03/06/2026

Katanning Landcare would like to say a HUGE "Thank you"! To Landcare SJ Inc for generously gifting us with a wonderful Artificial Nesting Hollow for our endangered Carnaby's Black Cockatoos! 🖤🖤

We are so grateful for this donation, which will add to our existing local collection of hollows. We hope it helps these beautiful birds in their breeding efforts, which are impacted by a lack of natural breeding hollows due to clearing of established and older trees. Did you know it can take 100 years for a tree to become a nesting hollow for birds?!

Pictured: Our Executive Officer Sally Williams, and Dean Arthurell from Carnaby’s Crusaders with the donated nesting hollow. We are lucky to have Dean installing this beauty for us this week!

18/05/2026

As part of our Carrolup River Back to Health project, we are engaging Vivacious Surrounds Ecology team to provide an assessment of some of the river pools, now and after winter inundation, with the aim of providing some recommendations we could implement to improve their ecosystem function. There is quite a bit of variation along this river including areas that have significant water macroinvertebrates and some spots with gilgies and small fish. It is always heartening when taking the time to see things up close and finding better than expected. There is certainly work to be done to improve the river, and some seriously degraded spots, but there is enough life in it even before the rains to indicate that we can make a real impact in the Carrolup.
This project is supported by funding from the Western Australian
Government's State Natural Resource Management Program WA