Oyster Harbour: Farmers contributing to estuary reinvigoration through changing fertiliser practices

In an effort to revitalise and revegetate Albany’s Oyster Harbour, farmers are preventing excess nutrients from entering the estuary by changing their fertiliser management practices. Farmers like Chris Norton, a beef and sheep farmer, have been participating in the Healthy Estuaries program and have reduced their farm’s fertiliser use as well as contributing to the overall health and improvement of the estuary. “We’ve been part of the program for nearly four years and now our fertiliser management program is working exceedingly well,” Mr Norton said. “Now we’ve got to the point where we are not putting phosphate on some paddocks where we’ve got enough. “This is a big jump for a farmer that’s all his life just put on a bag of fertiliser which is the easiest way to do it. “But nothing’s fallen over, we’re still getting very good production in our cattle and sheep, and the grass is growing well.” Important information that could affect nutrient management decisions is readily available to farmers participating in the Healthy Estuaries program, in the form of resources and accessible events. WA Minister for Water Simone McGurk recently visited Albany program participants at Yakamia Creek to personally see the hard work dedicated to protecting and revitalising the estuary. “It was great to meet the team from Oyster Harbour Catchment Group and South Coast NRM and hear how passionate they are about their work and the support they have been given through the program. “It’s encouraging to see the progress that’s been made in just a few years, and I can’t wait to see what these committed community members can achieve,” she said. The Creek flows into Oyster Harbour and more than 56 local people and organisations, such as the City of Albany and the Minderoo Foundation, have worked closely with the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development and the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation through the program. Over the past year, about 3600 native seedlings have been planted along a 200m stretch of Yakamia Creek following the removal of invasive plants and site recontouring.