Kimberley
Waterways Discussion Paper
Please consider the
Kimberley waterway values discussed below and provide input and comments. This information will be incorporated in the
North West Region and Statewide Waterways Strategies. Specific examples may be
used where appropriate.
Name: Chris Henggeler, representing the opinion of:
Department/Organisation: Kachana Pastoral Company
SOCIAL/CULTURAL VALUES
The
Kimberley waterways are important socially.
There are specific Aboriginal interests for Heritage sites and Native
Title rights. Recreational activities include fishing, swimming and
boating. And many appreciate the
aesthetic characteristic of rivers.
What social/cultural aspects of
waterways are of primary importance to you?
A
locally driven common will to ensure the health of our landscapes which would
then permit a sustainable use of our waterways for activities we value
socially/culturally
What
do you consider the main impacts/threats to social values provided by waterways
in the Kimberley?
Their lack of health due to largely
dysfunctional landscapes
What
management actions do you recommend to maintain and enhance the social and
cultural values of Kimberley waterways?
Clear, realistic and
well defined landscape goals for each catchment area and incentives for primary
stakeholders to explore more effective methods of management.
Future
management outcomes may provide for multiple use of waterways.
e.g.
a Conservation Reserve with recreational access areas for Traditional owners.
Do
you have any recommendations on achieving this with minimum impacts?
If locals and
government could agree that healthy riparian areas (waterways) can only exist
within the setting of healthy landscapes (like healthy urinary tracts, arteries
and veins can only exist in a healthy body), then logic would seemingly dictate
that only after we achieve a reasonable level of landscape health could we
begin to determine what privileges we as humans wish to exercise thereon. The
fact that in a 700mm rainfall area we do not have more perennially flowing
creeksystems, is a fairly good indicator that perhaps we should primarily
exercise caution in defining "use" and focus on recreating some form
of higher level of eco-system function (more effective water cycles, more solar
energy and carbon effectively sequestered in our landscpes each year, etc).
This would give us a sound basis on which to determine land use including
"traditional practices".
How
can we best ensure that social values do not impact on the quality and health
of waterways?
Landscape goals
defined and driven by primary stakeholders and endorsed by the community at
large and careful monitoring that any practices are not in conflict with the
desired outcome.
Do
you have any ideas on improving understanding of cultural importance?
Effective
communication of cultural values based on higher levels of environmental
literacy across the board. This needs to take into account cultural knowledge
that remains from earlier times, more
recent cultures eg Pastoral, Afgahn, and other historic heritages, through to
present recreation orientated cultures.
ENVIRONMENTAL VALUES
The Kimberley is renowned for unique waterways, remoteness
and wilderness. Large areas of the
region are relatively unimpacted with a diverse range of native vegetation,
animals and ecological processes. There are three Ramsar wetland sites of
international significance in the Kimberley, supporting populations of
freshwater and saltwater crocodiles, and 160 species of birds, including
significant breeding and migrant populations. Of the 26 remaining “wild” or
near pristine waterways classified in WA, 17 are in the Kimberley.
Environmental values are also culturally significant to traditional owners.
What
environmental values of Kimberley waterways do you consider to be most
important?
The
statement above is inaccurate to misleading! It appears to be based on (or at
least to be in line with) a scientifically flawed report produced by Waters and
Rivers in 1997 (if I recall correctly).
- There are no "unimpacted areas" in the
Kimberley; There haven't been any for thousands of years if we are to believe
scientists. The Kimberly as we know it, is very much a product of human impact.
The vast majority of it's environments had become "addicted" to human
management (direct or indirect) long before more recent migrations of humans to
the area. If we view the Kimberley region as a whole, "lack of active
management" now prevails; what management does occur is fragmented and
often by default.
-
"Wilderness" seems to be the politically correct expression
for "we do not understand this environment, let us study it and control
public access"
- "Pristine" seems to be the politically correct
way of saying "Wow, this is beautiful. Let us keep it this way."
(Try saying that to a little puppy-dog, a cute baby or an
egg where the chick is about to hatch and then come back and take a photo a
year later.)
Most of us would agree that it is easier to ride a bicycle
from point A to point B than to balance it on one spot. The dynamics of
ecosystem processes (even in dysfunctional environments) far more complex than
we will ever totally understand. Attempting to manage environments based on
public perception and on dominating value-systems within a culture will fail if
we do not align our management practices with ecological laws and principless.
May I refer the conscientious citizen to Dr David Suzuki's latest book:
"GOOD NEWS FOR A CHANGE".
Kimberly waterways to Australia are as important as all the
veins and arteries in say 5% of our body. To the Kimberley they are as
important as 100% of all the veins and arteries. Emotional, cultural and
spiritual values flow on from that.
What
management actions do you recommend to protect environmental values of
waterways in the Kimberley?
Ecologically sound,
socially desirable and financially affordable management contracts referenced
against clearly defined landscape goals for each catchment.
What
steps would you recommend to protect and enhance aquatic plant and animal
biodiversity in the region?
These sort of
challenges will soon make themselves known (as will their priority) once we
begin with out-come based management of our resources.
Which
weed and/or feral animal species do you consider to be the most threatening to
the environmental values and waterways of the Kimberley?
Lack of understanding
of eco-system function: A punctured vacuum will fill. Australia 250 years ago
could arguably be considered to have been a biological vacuum maintained by
fire and radiation from the sun despite some migratory movement on wind
currents (to which I include migratory birds). Not only did we puncture that
vacuum, we disrupted the way stability was maintained and for over two hundred
years have been creating means for new species to colinise the vacuum. A
"weed" or a "feral animal" is a living organism that
challenges our comfort zone. It is almost always a biological indicator of preceding
management actions.
Do
you have any suggestions on controlling introduced plant and animal species and
therefore minimising impacts on the Kimberley environment and waterways?
These sort of
challenges will soon make themselves known (as will their priority) once we
begin with out-come based management of our resources.
Do
you have any ideas on improving understanding of ecological importance?
Promote environmental
literacy: www.environmental-literacy.com or http://kachana.com/index9.html
Are
there any particular catchments, waterways or issues within the Kimberley that
you consider need greater attention and management?
Those whose ill-health is increasingly
impacting on human communities. Those that promise to offer sanctury for
endangered species.
ECONOMIC VALUES
Pastoral
Much
of the Kimberley region is leasehold land for grazing purposes. Stock on these properties access waterways
to obtain a reliable, good quality source of water, as well as shade from
vegetation along the foreshore. Weeds
and feral animals in the Kimberley can cause problems in terms of productivity,
river health and water quality.
What waterway values do
you consider most important to the pastoral industry?
It
is interesting to note that country managed by CALM, country managed by
aboriginal interest groups and country managed by industry related interest
groups (pastoralism included) all shows similar symptoms of ecological
dysfunction. The export product of the pastoral industry is made up largely of
water; water imbued at a watering point and water cycled through plants. A
healthy biological component of the water-cycle would therefore have to be
considered of highest value to the pastoral industry.
Do you have any comments
in relation to improved waterway management on pastoral properties?
Does
the management of veins and arteries differ greatly between an athlete,
electrician, body-builder,
concert-pianist and computer programmer? Given that pastorlism at present only
utilises a minimum of the resource when viewed on a total catchment scale,
perhaps we need to distinguish between "landuse" and "landscape
management". A healthy body can then be used for one or more of the five
uses described above (not to mention all the other possibilities). Pastoralism
probably offers the greatest immediate opportunity for Australia to improve
water catchment health in a useful timeframe, BUT the actions needed to
revitalise landscapes and improve water-cycles at whole catchment levels needs
to be distinguished from industry related enterprises.
http://www.kachana.com/index26.html
Eco-tourism
The Kimberley region is rapidly becoming more popular and
accessible as a holiday destination for Australians and visitors from
overseas. Eco-tourism is beneficial in
terms of economic returns to the region, increasing knowledge and understanding
of the Kimberley and its waterways, and allowing tourists to enjoy the regions
natural features. However Eco-tourism
also places pressure on the resources, with impacts on waterways at camp sites,
day visit areas and boat mooring sites.
What aspects of Eco-tourism are of
primary importance to you?
Any
form of tourism needs to sustain or enhance the resource that it promotes. Tourism
that does not lead to a direct enhancement of the ecological resource cannot be
considered to be economically sound despite lucrative cash-flow. Tourism like
any other enterprise or form of land-use needs to factor in full costs:
environmental, social and financial. Much of what goes by the name of
"Eco-tourism" is riding on the emotions of the clientel and is
ultimately at the expense of those who would wish to live in this region in
future times.
What
do you consider to be the main impacts of tourism in the Kimberley?
Despite high cash
turnover we see the seasonal bleeding of finances out of the area and resulting
social, cultural and environmental impoverishment. Short term gains at the
exepense of longterm appeal.
What
management actions do you recommend to ensure there are no detrimental impacts
from tourism operations on Kimberley waterways?
These sort of challenges will soon make
themselves known (as will their priority) once we begin with out-come based
management of our resources.
Irrigation
The Ord River is the only waterway in the Kimberley utilised
extensively for agriculture at present.
The Ord Irrigation Area is of great importance to the economy and
community of Kununurra and surrounds.
Both Lake Kununurra and Lake Argyle were constructed on the Ord River to
enable irrigation in the area. The Ord
Irrigation area currently covers approximately 15 000 hectares, with sugar cane, fruit and vegetables the main
crops. The proposed Ord Stage 2 development will substantially increase the
irrigated area, as well as the volume of water used for irrigation each year.
What
aspects of the irrigation industry are most important to you?
The sustainability
of diverse, environmentally sound, socially desirable and financially lucrative
primary production enterprises.
What
do you consider to be the main threats to the irrigation industry in the
Kimberley?
Big business and both
flawed and restrictive legislation. An escalation of issues (including
salinity) in the upper Ord as a direct result.
What
management actions do you recommend to ensure that irrigation does not have
detrimental impacts on Kimberley waterways?
These sort of
challenges will soon make themselves known (as will their priority) once we
begin with out-come based management of our resources.
Commercial Fishing / Aquaculture
Both commercial fishing and aquaculture are important to the
Kimberley economy and community. It is important to monitor and protect fish
stocks, habitat and breeding areas, and maintain the overall ecological health
of waterways in the region.
What important benefits do commercial
fisheries bring to the Kimberley region?
Don't know.
What do you
see as potential threats to the commercial fishing industry?
Contamination and lack
of sustainable supply of natural nutrients.
Can you think
of any impacts an expansion in aquaculture in the Kimberley region may have on
waterways?
Positive:
More local experience and knowledge. A healthy mix of small local enterprises
offering our youth employment and investment opportunities while catering for a
growing market demand.
Negative: Potential further depletion/contamination of the
resource base. Big business implementing high-cost labour saving infrastructure
and mining the resource to satisfy shareholder interests outside the region.
What management do you recommend to
protect commercial fishery and waterway values?
These sort of
challenges will soon make themselves known (as will their priority) once we
begin with an out-come based management of our resources.
WATERWAY
MANAGEMENT
What
aspects of waterway management are currently working well and don’t need to be
changed?
Ord Land and Water
have succeded in initating comunication within the cumunity. This body has also
demonstrated that it is capable of communicating "community will" to State and Federal bodies.
Do
you have any ideas for improved management practices to achieve healthy
waterways?
Once we have a
critical mass of local comittment to realistic landscape goals, these sort of
challenges will soon make themselves known (as will their priority). All hinges
on out-come based management of our resources at the grass-roots level.
What will be the outcome of the current
situation continuing for the next 5 years?
More of the same.
Please add any other comments or issues
you feel are important to waterways management?
We
thank Rivers and Waters for the opportunity to comment.
We encourage you to forward this questionnaire for input
from people dealing with similar
challenges in other parts of the world.
We recommend monitoring programs as offered by Dr Elaine
Ingham to more accurately identify existing trends in microorganism populations
in current and future management situations.
www.soilfoodweb.com
We invite Waters and Rivers to send a representative to our
Landscape Management Workshop:
Kachana, September 4th,5th & 6th
2002.
(for details contact: kachana@bigpond.com)
Our model areas are only a few hectares each, but we are
already actively impacting about 50 square km and indirectly a whole lot more
(see: http://www.kachana.com/index22.html )
If what we have achieved in ten years of management is in
the long-interest of the local community, more people should know about it and
we request greater encouragement.
If what we have achieved is undesirable, we need to know
about it.
