The Department of Parks and Wildlife’s well-regarded Land for Wildlife conservation program is partnering with NRM WA to help participants manage their bushland for wildlife habitat.

Land for Wildlife is a voluntary scheme to encourage and assist private landholders to provide habitat for wildlife in bushland on their property.

There are currently 1941 registered landholders, with a total of 286,614 hectares of bushland being managed as wildlife habitat through the program.

Mr Jim Sharp, Director General Parks and Wildlife, said the collaboration with NRM WA regional organisations would benefit private land managers and the State’s biodiversity conservation.

“This agreement and partnership arrangements with the NRM organisations is an exciting development for private land conservation in Western Australia,” he said.

As a result of the agreement, the Northern Agricultural Catchments Council (NACC) will take on a leading role to deliver Land for Wildlife in the WA’s Northern Agricultural Region – encompassing 7.5 million hectares from Gingin to Kalbarri and east to Mullewa, Perenjori and Kalannie.

NACC CEO Richard McLellan said the organisation was excited by the new collaboration, and was looking forward to working with Parks and Wildlife.

“We are particularly looking forward to connecting with existing Land for Wildlife member land managers across the region, to maintain this important land stewardship program, and to introducing the scheme to new land managers,” he said.

“Our role in the partnership will be to provide field extension and expertise in land management support to landholders; community engagement; and information dissemination; as well as providing considerable local knowledge about land management practices and local biodiversity conservation.”

Mr Sharp said Parks and Wildlife, which has run Land for Wildlife since 1997, will continue to administer the program through coordination of property assessments, registering and supporting new participants and communications including the Western Wildlife newsletter.

Jim Sullivan, Chair NRM WA, said the services each NRM organisation will provide to Land for Wildlife members would be determined in coming months.

“It is anticipated that NRM bodies will work with landholders in each region, linking them into networks and local communications,” he said.

For more information or to become a participant, visit www.dpaw.wa.gov.au/landforwildlife