I’m pleased to share with you that our annual Grassroots Grants program is now open for applications. These grants are about the community getting involved in natural resource management activities whether that be pest plant removal for the benefit of local biodiversity, hosting a workshop or knowledge-sharing events for agricultural groups, creating or revitalising a community garden area or revegetation works along our coastal areas.

It’s always interesting to see the range of project proposals we receive and it’s a great indicator that the Eyre Peninsula community is engaged with our natural environments. See the next story for more details about these grants.

On Eyre Peninsula, water continues to be a concerning issue. From our perspective, it’s vital that long-term water supply is secured for our region. Water is a precious resource and must be managed sustainably. We are involved in water security through the management of Water Allocation Plans. We also manage water affecting activities for resources like dams, watercourses and soaks, and it’s important that landholders seek the right advice and permits for works around these. See the water pages on our website for more information.

Finally, if you’re anything like me, you’re looking forward to an Easter break. I always like to get a camping trip in at this time of year at one of our local National Parks. It’s encouraging to see so many local councils now have more manageable camping areas, in part thanks to our Eyes on Eyre sustainable tourism initiative. If you’re out camping too, please remember to look after the area you are visiting.

All the best,
Jonathan Clark

General Manager,
Eyre Peninsula Landscape Board

More than $110,000 is available for the Eyre Peninsula community to put towards local landscape management projects or events focusing on water, sustainable agriculture, pest plants and animals, biodiversity and community, under our Grassroots Grants program.

Eyre Peninsula Landscape Board Chair, Peter Treloar encourages the community to submit grants applications for landscape management and environmental protection projects.

“These grants are about inspiring the community to become actively involved in the sustainable management of our local natural resources,” Mr Treloar says.

“The Board has five regional priorities of water, sustainable agriculture, pest plants and animals, biodiversity and community – so if you have a project that focuses on one of these priorities, this funding could be beneficial.

“If you are keen to make a difference, the Board’s staff are here to help in navigating through the application process, and if successful, they will continue to provide support in delivering the outcomes you hoped to achieve.”

The grant program is open for applications until Monday, April 29.

There are two streams of funding for the 2024-25 grants:
• Small Community Grants for up to $5,000 (GST exclusive) and
• Large Community Grants for up to $15,000 (GST exclusive).

Full details about the Grassroots Grants including an application form, guidelines and FAQs, are available on the landscape board’s website.

Applicants need to engage with Eyre Peninsula Landscape Board staff early in the application process to ensure that all required information is included. The guidelines provide local contact details.

WoTL undertook a crop walk in Cummins last year thanks to Grassroots Grants funding.

We’ve started work on a significant project to eliminate feral deer and goats from Eyre Peninsula.

Thanks to $275,000 from the statewide Landscape Priorities Fund, we’ve been able to kick off work that will allow us to work with landholders to eliminate feral populations before they are widely established in our region.

Both deer and goats are declared for control under the Landscape South Australia Act.

There has been a focus on targeting EP’s satellite feral deer since 2022. This aligns with the Strategic Plan for the South Australian Feral Deer Eradication Program, whereby we are aiming to eradicate deer from SA by 2032.

We have also been monitoring goats and detecting incursions into the EP region as goats move south.

We encourage the community to report any feral deer or goats using the FeralScan website or app. This is really useful in helping us to build awareness of where these animals are.

Landholders in areas where known feral deer or goat populations are, will also be hearing from us as we work on monitoring and control activities.

The Landscape Priorities Fund support has also been successful in leveraging additional funds for this project from National Parks and Wildlife Service SA, the Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA), Livestock SA, the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry through their National Feral Deer Action Plan and from Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.

Motion-sensing cameras are being used to learn more about feral deer populations.

Last week, World Water Day was marked on Friday. We thought this day was a timely reminder for all of us that water resources on Eyre Peninsula are precious and need to be managed sustainably.

Sustainable water management is important not only for human consumption, livestock and crops but also for the natural environment. Good water management helps to protect biodiversity, water quality and all of the animals and plants that rely on it.

Specifically for farmers, keeping on-farm systems reliable and healthy is really important including fixing any leaks and having shut-off mechanisms to stop tanks overflowing. And remember when it comes to constructing or modifying water sources, get in touch with your nearest landscape board at least two months before you plan to undertake the work.

Find out more about the role that landscape boards play in water planning, science and water affecting activities.

27 Eastern Curlews were recorded in recent surveys.

Staff from our western district team were recently involved with annual shorebird monitoring in the region, with some great sightings.

The team were thrilled to see:

• 100 Fairy Terns on St Peters Island (supporting BirdLife Australia’s Fairy Tern census)
• 27 Eastern Curlews
• 34 Hooded Plovers including 11 fledged juveniles and 2 chicks

With Eastern Curlews being critically endangered and Hooded Plovers and Fairy Terns being threatened species, these are encouraging results.

Fountain grass, Buffel grass and African lovegrass.

Annual spraying of summer grasses - Buffel grass, African lovegrass (spp. Eragrostis Curvula, E.trichophora), and Fountain Grass, has been carried out on major roadsides in our eastern and western districts.

This includes the Eyre Highway from Port Augusta through to Penong, and the Lincoln Highway from Port Augusta through to Arno Bay.

The bulk of this work was completed by a contractor in a combined effort with Landscape Officers totalling more than 200 hours of spraying and survey work completed on major roadsides over summer. See the map for locations sprayed.

These are three of our priority pest plants for the Eyre Peninsula region. See our pest plant page for more information including control options. As a declared plant, land owners have a legal responsibility to manage these plants on their property; while we control these on State Government roadsides such as major highways.

Cowell WoTL workshop: April 9

WoTL is hosting a seasonal wrap-up and outlook for 2024 workshop for local women involved in the agricultural industry. Come along to hear about the 2023 harvest and what agronomic issues the region faced; and look towards the 2024 season. This is an opportunity to collaborate with like-minded women and also be inspired by a farm diversification story.

When and where: 10am to 2pm at Poodra Springs Native Flowers.

See the WoTL events page for more details including a booking link. Thanks to our Grassroots Grants program, this workshop is heavily subsided (cost $22 + booking fee).

Coastal Connections: April 20-21

Experiencing Marine Sanctuaries (EMS) is hosting a two-day event in lower Eyre Peninsula during the April school holidays. Funded by one of our Grassroots Grants, the event is about connecting local coastal communities through activities including supervised snorkelling, kayaking, rockpool exploring and bird watching, based at the Redcliffe campsite near Tumby Bay. See the EMS event information or ticketing details on the SALT Festival website.

• The Eyre Peninsula Landscape Board region extends from Whyalla in the east, along the Gawler Ranges in the north, to the edge of the Nullarbor Plain in the west. There are eight offices within the region. Want to get in touch with us? See our contact page for your nearest office. 
   
• Need to check your stock water? We offer free salinity testing for landholders.
   
• Landholders have responsibility for controlling declared pest plants across the EP. See our pest plant page to find out more about the priority pest plants in our region and control options.
   
• Spot a feral deer, fox, rabbit, cat, goat or wild dog? Report your sighting on FeralScan. See our pest animal page for more details.
   
• Undertaking works on an existing or new water source? Our Water Affecting Activities page has permit information including application forms and factsheets. We also have a guide for siting, design, construction and management of EP dams.
   
• Find out what is happening across statewide landscape management on the Landscapes SA website. There is also a regular statewide newsletter.