As we launch into December, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank our stakeholders and community members who have worked with us throughout the year on safeguarding our natural and productive landscapes.
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Next year we will continue the review of Eyre Peninsula’s water allocation plan. The first stage of that consultation is open until February 14 so there’s still time to have a say about Eyre Peninsula’s water priorities. See our story below for more details.
In 2025, we will also start working on our next regional landscape plan - for the period 2026-2031 - and we look forward to engaging the community in its development. This will be an opportunity to give feedback on how our existing plan has been working and for us to look at natural resources priorities going forward.
Our final Board meeting for the year was held last week. We farewelled Board member Alan Tingay who has opted not to renew his position next year. I’d like to thank Alan for his work on the Board during the past few years. We also welcomed our two new Board members, Sonya Coleman from Perlubie and Sandra Walsh from Whyalla.
As we head into the festive season and some holiday time for most of us, it’s great to see that local councils have been working on improvements to camping sites. Through our Eyes on Eyre project, 10 priority coastal campsites have undergone infrastructure improvements that will provide a better visitor experience while looking after our sensitive coastal environments. We are so pleased with this incredible partnership and that it is being adopted in other regions.
I’d also like to remind everyone to please look after our environment when making the most of what the EP has to offer. It’s not hard to take your rubbish with you and do your best to leave the beach or your camping spot unaffected by your time there.
And finally, a note that our offices will be closed from midday on December 24 until January 2. I wish you all a happy and safe festive season.
All the best,
Jonathan Clark
General Manager,
Eyre Peninsula Landscape Board
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Eastern Team Leader
Tim Breuer who was our Eastern District Team Leader based in Whyalla for the past few years, has officially finished up with us after some leave. We wish Tim all the best in the future and thank him for his considerable efforts in delivering key programs and projects in our Eastern District.
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We are pleased to announce that existing Cleve-based Landscape Officer, Liam Anderson (pictured), has now been appointed Eastern District Team Leader.
Planning & Engagement + landscape officers
We have a new Planning and Engagement Team Leader starting soon and are also currently recruiting for two new landscape officers for our western and eastern districts. We will have more details about our new staff in our next newsletter.
Aboriginal Engagement Officer
We recently farewelled our Aboriginal Engagement Officer, Monique Anderson who has followed another job opportunity. Monique made a significant contribution during her year with us, including drafting our Indigenous Participation Plan which we are now finalising. Recruitment for this position has just closed, and we will be hoping to announce the new officer early next year.
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Before she finished with us, Monique (left) undertook a bush medicine workshop with students from Hincks Avenue Primary School. |
Still time to have a say on water review
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Back in 2016, a new water allocation plan for Eyre Peninsula groundwater resources was finalised. We are now undertaking a revision of this plan, to ensure it’s finalised by mid-2026.
Based on the latest monitoring of rainfall and groundwater levels - and due to increasing risks from salinity – underground water resources in our basins will no longer be able to meet the demands for local water supply, therefore allocations are very likely to change at the end of this revision.
Licence holders have an allocation and are entitled to take water for mains water supply, irrigated agriculture, industrial use, and for recreational use such as watering of golf courses. However, the water source is not unlimited and we need to adjust these allocations accordingly during the plan revision.
This week we are meeting with water users in both of the Prescribed Wells Areas and we look forward to hearing their feedback on the plan revision.
We encourage all water users to have their say during this revision process by:
Find out more about the plan and revision process in our FAQs on the YourSAy page.
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The Eyre Peninsula shines during summer with our coastal areas a drawcard for locals and visitors. These areas are also brimming with important biodiversity from threatened species to fragile dunes. Read on to find out about local birds, camping and getting invovled in citizen science.
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When you're at the beach, please remember that you're sharing it with local wildlife including threatened birds, who call it home. This includes Hooded Plovers who nest on EP beaches. Their nests are only shallow scrapes that are really hard to see so can be easily destroyed. Help these birds by:
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Looking out for signs that let you know they are present at the beach
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Sticking to activities along the water’s edge
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Keeping dogs on a leash
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Keeping your distance from birds, nests or eggs (if you spot them).
See our short brochure about sharing the beach with Hooded Plovers to find out more.
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Two adult Hooded Plovers with a chick on an EP beach, taken during a recent biennial count (photographed from a distance, by a trained staff member). |
Ten camping sites on Eyre Peninsula are now more structured with improvement works completed by local councils, through our Eyes on Eyre project.
This three-year project has focused on improvements to environmental management at priority coastal campgrounds including:
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Fitzgerald Bay (north of Whyalla)
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Point Gibbon (just south of Cowell)
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Redbanks (just north of Arno Bay)
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Lipson Cove (just north of Tumby Bay)
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Farm Beach (near Wangary)
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Greenly Beach (near Coulta)
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Walkers Rock and Talia Caves (north of Elliston)
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Speeds Point and Perlubie Beach (near Streaky Bay)
The funding for improvements has been about helping the community to look after our sensitive coastal environments while at the same time, improving infrastructure to provide a better visitor experience. Works have already resulted in vegetation recovery and reducing erosion.
An online booking system has also improved the management of local sites. Find booking details at www.eyrepeninsula.com/camping.
More information on how to travel responsibly can be found at www.eyrepeninsula.com/responsible-travel.
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Lipson Cove campground improvements include new signage, created by the District Council of Tumby Bay, with support from local Landscape Officer, Geraldine Turner. |
Get involved in citizen science
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During our summer months, goannas are one of the most commonly-spotted of our citizen science animals. Report sightings at www.epgoannas.com.au. Reporting sightings helps us to understand more about these animals.
Koalas, echidnas and malleefowl are the other animals we have citizen science programs for plus 6 iconic bird species:
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Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo
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White-bellied Sea-Eagle
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Little Penguin
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Bush Stone-curlew
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Australian Bustard and
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Osprey.
We also have Pix Stix posts at 15 locations across the Eyre Peninsula from Cowleds Landing at Whyalla, down to Tumby Bay and Greenly Beach and up to Perlubie Beach with a new site at Pildappa Rock.
By taking a photo at one of these Pix Stix, you are helping us to monitor long-term environmental changes. See all locations at www.pixstix.com.au.
Find out more about our citizen science programs.
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Landscape Officers have been monitoring and treating early germinating summer grass species including Fountain grass and Buffel grass.
For our eastern district team, this has seen them checking roadsides on Lucky Bay Road, Lincoln Highway and Cowell-Kimba Road.
Buffel grass, Fountain grass and African lovegrass have also been surveyed and treated along the Port Augusta to Whyalla stretch of Lincoln Highway, Port Bonython Rd, Whyalla to Iron Knob
Road, and the Eyre Highway from Kimba to Wudinna – more than 500km of roadsides.
The good news is that significantly less plants have been found so far in these areas compared to last year.
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However, emerging weed Eragrostis trichophora - known as Hairyflower Lovegrass – has also been controlled as it has potential to be declared (pictured).
These summer grasses are active during the warmer months and can germinate and set seed quickly after summer rain events. Follow up work on these weeds is planned after rain. Silverleaf nightshade will also be targeted in the next round of control.
We encourage landholders to keep an eye on the emergence of these summer weeds and grasses, and actively control local spreads. See our pest plant page for factsheets and get in touch with us if you see these summer weeds off your property so we can work on control before the plants set seed (which leads to spread).
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Grassroots Grants projects
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We love hearing about how the Grassroots Grants projects that we have funded are progressing.
It was great to see recently that the Friends of Parnkalla Walking Trail group finished their project to remove weeds and revegetate this popular area at Port Lincoln (pictured).
This involved many volunteer hours of weed control and revegetation works, plus creating educational signage to help raise awareness about the native flora and fauna species that are along the trail. Well done to this group!
If you are working on a Grassroots Grants project, please get in touch with your project officer to share how it’s progressing or email us at EPLBadmin@sa.gov.au so we can share your project success too.
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Soil is the most valuable natural asset on any property and is a critical asset to agriculture production and natural biodiversity. Across Eyre Peninsula, we have 15 main soil groups ranging from calcareous soils, hard red-brown soils over alkaline sub soils, deep loamy textured soils, and deep sands to ironstone soils.
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Each soil type and its position in the landscapes presents its own opportunities and challenges for management. For example, calcareous soils generally have inherently low fertility and limit the availability of phosphorus and trace elements, lighter sandy soils are inherently prone to wind erosion, and loamy soils on steep slopes can be prone to water erosion while poorly structured soils in low rainfall areas can express patches of dry saline land.
Whilst many of these soil management issues result from inherent soil characteristics, these risks can be exacerbated by human activity. For example, the risk of wind erosion is increased where surface cover levels are low which can result from cultivation, poor seasonal conditions for crops or overgrazing. Find out more about soil management.
We’re involved in a statewide soils project that aims to equip land managers with an understanding of the latest soil science plus how test results can help with on-farm actions to improve soil health or constraints.
Next year demonstration sites will be established to look at improving soil cover and possible fertiliser carryover/availability following a dry year. Planning is also underway for pre-seeding events to be held in March as well as a soil pit field walk with Franklin Harbour landholders.
If you have any queries about interpreting soil test results for agricultural production or managing soils issues in the region, Brett Masters from EP Ag Research, can be contacted on 0427 899 328.
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Presenting soil management information from soils pits (left) Rodrigo C. da Silva, soil scientist, University of South Australia with (right) Brett Masters from EP Ag Research who is working on our soils project. |
Elliston gazania swap - December 6 & January 7
Community members are encouraged to call into our Elliston office (6 Memorial Drive) between 1pm-4pm on December 6 or 9:30am to 3:30pm on January 7, to swap controlled gazania plants for native plants. As gazania plants should NOT be transported but instead disposed of in a bag in your bin, only bring along photos of your controlled gazania plants.
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Tumby Bay and Whyalla school holiday science fair - January 21 & 22
We’ll be at these interactive events, aimed at school-aged children. Look out for our malleefowl mound when you attend. See our events page for more details about these free events, presented by the Science Collective.
2025 Soil events for landholders
Through our soil extension project, events will be held next year. This includes pre-seeding events in March and a soil pit field walk with Franklin Harbour landholders. Keep an eye on our website and social media for details as they are finalised.
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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.
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Need to check your stock water? We offer free salinity testing for landholders.
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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.
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Spot a feral deer, fox, rabbit, cat, goat or wild dog? Report your sighting on FeralScan. See our pest animal page for more details.
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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.
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Find out what is happening across statewide landscape management on the Landscapes SA website or subscribe to the statewide newsletter to hear news from across the state.
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