Dealing with salinity in Wheatbelt Valleys - Department of Water

with Salinity in Wheatbelt Valleys:
Dealing
Prospects and Practical Options
Processes,
Merredin, 30 July – 1 August 2001
BACKGOUND AND PURPOSE
CONFERENCE OVERVIEW
The valley floors were originally the most productive areas of the Western Australian Wheatbelt. Farming
communities were established, towns grew, and roads, and railways were first constructed there. The valley
floors are now seriously affected and futher threatened by salinity. The impacts affect all who live and work
there.
The three-day conference was designed to consider the causes and extent of salinity in the Wheatbelt Valleys,
the extet to which a range of values will be affected, and to develop a Shared Vision for managing the problem
and deciding what we need to do to achive a realistic yet livable outcome.
PROGRAM
The event was in three parts:
Field Tour to provide a visual landscape overview and to discuss management options on-site with
locally informed people. Theme tours related to Aquaculture (Buegge’s Farm), Catchment Water
Management (Belka Valley) and Lakes Management (Lake Baarndee) .
Conference Papers were presented to establish the current situation with salinity in
Wheatbelt Valley’s by leading scientists and managers in natural resource management.
Case Sudies were also presented. The Program and presented papers are available on the
conference website (www.avonicm.org.au/avonicm/wbeltvalleys).
Workshop to develop a Shared Vision and identify Next Steps towards achieving the Vision.
The workshop was focussed on 5 Key Conference Questions through a range of
management Themes.
ATTENDANCE
The conference was opened by the Hon. Judy Edwards, Minister for Environment and Heritage, and
Water Resources.
Total attendance was 223 people from 26 different rural, government or community interest groups.
Farmers who attended were over 30% of the total number. Representatives from 6 state government
agencies and 3 national organisations also attended. Other representation was from Aboriginal
interests, local government, consultants and contractors, universities, industry and research
organisations.
The workshop was attended by 155 of the conference delegates.
Presented by the State Salinity Council and Avon Working Group
Supported by CALM, CSIRO, the Department of Agriculture, GRDC,
the National Dryland Salinity Program and the Water and Rivers Commission
For information contact Monica Durcan, ph/fax (08) 9291 8249, email mdurcan@iinet.net.au