Funded by the northern Australia Hub of the National Environmental Research Program, researchers of the Conservation Planning Group are developing a planning framework to help catchment managers make better decisions about natural resource investments. The team (including Jorge Álvarez-Romero, Vanessa Adams and Bob Pressey) has actively engaged with researchers and managers across northern Australia, including the Gilbert (QLD), Daly (NT) and Fitzroy (WA) catchments. Jorge recently spent two months in the Gilbert River region, which strengthened collaboration with natural resource managers and landholders in the region. During this trip, Jorge visited and talked to land owners and managers to better understand their land management problems (e.g. weeds, pests, erosion and wildfires) and the activities undertaken to mitigate these problems, as well as how their grazing practices contribute to land condition. To achieve this goal, he collected information about the characteristics of their properties and production systems, the costs of managing their land, their expenditure in terms of individual management activities, and their opinion on how important these land management issues are. The results of the survey will be of use to land holders and help inform planning across the Gilbert and other catchments in the region. For more information visit the project’s website: http://www.nerpnorthern.edu.au/research/projects/11.
