Gascoyne Muster pastoral working groups announced

6/8/02
The pledge made to pastoralists at the Gascoyne Muster in May has been honoured with the announcement of five working groups to report on key issues confronting Western Australia's pastoral industry.
Planning and Infrastructure Minister Alannah MacTiernan said the working groups would bring pastoralists together with representatives of other interests, scientists, and Government officers to address key issues.
"The Pastoral Forum in May identified the major concerns across the industry and we are now seeking workable solutions," Ms MacTiernan said.
"These broad based committees will work up practical proposals which address issues of sustainability, access and tenure.
"UWA Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Alan Robson, an agricultural scientist, will chair the Pastoralism for Sustainability Working Group, which will investigate and report on strategies for sustainable land management on pastoral rangelands."
The Aboriginal Access and Living Areas Working Group, chaired by Carol Martin MLA, will identify potential solutions for indigenous access and the creation of Aboriginal living areas on pastoral lands. It will also consider how these issues link with native title.
Jon Ford MLC would chair the Access to Pastoral Land Working Group which would examine issues relating to mining, prospecting, recreation and tourism, public access routes, camping, pastoralists' public liability and fees for access.
The development of an economic data model to monitor economic trends and indicators in the Pastoral Industry will be the responsibility of the Department of Agriculture's Mark Lewis who chairs the Economic Monitoring Requirements Working Group.
"Alternative land tenure models will be investigated by a working group chaired by the Department of Land Administration's Sandra Eckert," Ms MacTiernan said.
Each group would provide regular updates to the Minister on the areas under investigation. Final reports would be completed in June and July 2003, and the results would be discussed at the second Pastoral Industry Forum, scheduled for September 2003.
The sustainability and access working groups have been asked to provide an interim report by October 2002 so that their findings will be considered in developing the list of exclusions of land from pastoral leases, which was required to be completed by December 7 2002.
Media contact: Steve Keogh 9213 6400

PASTORAL INDUSTRY WORKING GROUPS
Pastoralism for Sustainability
The Working Group is to investigate and report on means to achieve sustainable land management on pastoral rangelands and ways to attain nature conservation outcomes on pastoral managed lands.

Access to Pastoral Land
The Working Group is to investigate and identify potential solutions to issues associated with access to pastoral lands. These issues include mining, prospecting, recreation and tourism access, public access routes, camping, pastoralist's public liability and fees for access (Aboriginal access will be dealt with by a separate group).

Aboriginal Access and Living Areas
The Working Group is to investigate and report on relevant issues and identify potential solutions to indigenous access and the creation of Aboriginal living areas on pastoral lands.

Alternative Models of Land Tenure
The Working Group is to investigate and report on potential alternative land tenure models for pastoral lands in Western Australia that can be demonstrated to be in the public interest.

Pastoral Industry Economic Monitoring Requirements
The Working Group is to investigate and identify the most appropriate economic data model to be utilised by the Pastoral Lands Board, Department of Agriculture and the pastoral industry in monitoring economic indicators and trends.