Gascoyne Pastoral Industry Projects
Delivering innovative & practical projects
Gascoyne Pastoral Industry Projects
Delivering innovative & practical projects
Our Approach to Projects
A key role of the Gascoyne Catchments Group is to deliver innovative and practical projects, relevant to the Gascoyne pastoral industry. We aim to involve members and stakeholders in the implementation of projects; and provide practical advice when reporting on the outcomes and findings of our work.
We welcome proposals from our members for potential future projects and will seek funding to support the implementation of projects that are aligned with our strategic goals.
Current Gascoyne Pastoral Industry Projects
Bullseye Project
WA Beef Links Partnership Strategy
Field Days & Case Study
Rangelands Monitoring Tool
Our Guiding Principles
When determining the suitability of a potential project, the Gascoyne Pastoral Group considers three long term goals and the potential for the project to contribute to these objectives.
Rangeland Health
Rangeland health is the single most important factor that impacts our businesses. It determines long-term productivity, profitability and risk.
Improving rangeland health will increase productive capacity through higher carrying capacity and greater capacity to cope with variable seasonal conditions, including drought.
Rangeland health is important to us because it also effects ‘ecosystem services’, such as biodiversity, soil and water quality. Furthermore, it is crucial that our land management choices stand up to public scrutiny.
Marketability
Beef production in Australia has a range of new domestic and international markets emerging for our products and leveraging these is vital for our sector.
We work with pastoralists and others in the supply chain to take advantage of new markets and build lasting relationships with other members of the value chain.
Applied Research & Development
We are keen and active participants in applied research and development on production and sustainability. We are proactive in raising the profile of our industry and our region – telling our stories through our networks in addition to print and online media.
As a trusted and experienced body, we seek to influence policy and provide a united producer voice on local and regional issues, along with highlighting opportunities and key information to government agencies and other stakeholders.
Rangeland health + industry development
Bullseye (2017-2020)
The Gascoyne Catchments Group led the Bullseye project which aimed to help pastoral businesses within the southern rangelands and those further along the supply chain to collaborate to better deliver the specific beef and cattle products required by current and emerging markets.
Bullseye was funded through DPIRD’s Agribusiness and Innovation fund. The final report will be available on the website soon.
Supply Chain Tour Video Part 1 of 3
Supply Chain Tour Video Part 2 of 3
Supply Chain Tour Video Part 3 of 3
Value Chain Forum Video
WA Beef Links Partnership Strategy (2019-2024)
The Gascoyne Catchments Group has partnered with Beef Links, which aims to drive an integrated and complementary R&D programme for northern and southern production systems across WA that achieves profitable, consistent and sustainable beef yields matched to consumer expectations.
Beef Links is funded by UWA and the MLA donor Company.
Bullseye II aims to build on and capture the overall intent of Bullseye (Gascoyne Catchments Group-led program, grant administered through DPIRD’s Agricultural Sciences Research and Development Fund) in assisting pastoral businesses to connect with current and emerging cattle and beef marketing opportunities. Bullseye II is based on four key elements:
- Supply chain awareness
- Business analysis
- On-station innovation
- Quantifying cattle performance along different value chains
Gascoyne Catchments Group Field Days and Case Study
October 2018 – June 2020
In partnership with Rangelands NRM, the GCG is sub-contracted to deliver a series of workshops and case studies which aim to build pastoral resiliency to climate change. The latest activity is a Rehydration workshop with environmental consultant Richard Marver and soil conservationist Col Stanton. The workshop will cover ESRM plans, practical on-ground erosion control measures using earth working machinery, as well as pasture identification and information on rangelands self-monitoring tools for pastoralists.
Rangelands Monitoring Tool
2007 – current
Gascoyne Catchments Group has developed the Rangelands Monitoring Tool© as an industry driven and endorsed rangelands self-assessment and reporting tool. This tool was developed to maintain, emphasise and build on the information collected using existing Pasture Monitoring Sites, an initiative developed and established by the Department of Agriculture and Food WA in the early 1980s. Based on the plant species defined in the app, the tool is currently only relevant to Gascoyne and Pilbara pastoralists.
The Rangelands Monitoring Tool© is a process of rangeland assessment that provides:
- perennial shrub & grass trends to monitor pasture composition;
- perennial shrub & grass indicators to monitor trends in range condition;
- monitoring for soil health, stability, infiltration rates and nutrient cycling;
- a method to record and assess the type and severity of rangeland erosion;
- improved day to day management decisions on pastoral leases.
The evidence collected from this self-assessment tool is used to communicate with regulators, agricultural industries and conservation agencies. It also provides a credible basis on which to disseminate information to the general public on the condition and management of the Rangeland resources. Most importantly, it assists pastoral managers in adjusting management responses to specific land and vegetation indicators.
In 2019, the Gascoyne Catchment Group launched an iOS application to allow for easier use of the tool in the field.
The app cannot be downloaded on to your desktop computer. Please launch the App store from either your iPhone or iPad and download the app from there. To utilise the app, you need to obtain a username and password. To do so, contact us via email at monitoring@gascoynecatchments.com.au
