Chairperson’s Report
Thanks to our 3 LPMTs Graeme Newton, Pat Darling, Jeff Taylor and their co-ordinator Russell McPherson. Each of them were long-time board members who only retired because their circumstances changed which meant they were no longer eligible for membership. Special thanks to Ricky, who as outgoing Chairman has left this organization in a very stable position and well equipped for the future.
Welcome to our new Board members who joined us during the year, Henry Gratte and Rod Desmond. Although this turnover of Board members is unfortunate, I believe we still have a very stable group of Board members with a lot of experience in the history of this organization. She has grown this organization into a widely respected group and we are very fortunate to employ an EO of her caliber.
Overview
Russell MacPherson became the CWBA Dogger Coordinator this year as a contracted position for the CWBA. We are extremely fortunate to have Russell still involved with our organization and his long-term knowledge of the region and relationship with landowners is invaluable. He is still the first point of contact for all livestock attacks reported by landowners in the region.
Russell continues to work with the Executive Officer and Board of Management to ensure that all livestock attacks, dog sightings and any other information provided by landowners or LPMTs are recorded so that the group has a clear understanding of what activity with Wild Dog presence is ongoing. /observations and good data are recorded within the region. The CWBA continues to employ a part-time Executive Officer in Linda Vernon who is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Association, including providing executive support to the Board of Directors, administration and financial duties, overseeing the implementation of the Operational Plan, designing and delivery of community engagement activities and the development of management and strategic planning activities for the Association. The Association's financial management is overseen by the Council and the Executive Officer who are supported by the services of a Bookkeeper, Anne Richardson of Scindian Accounting Services.
CWBA Aims & Objectives
Declared Pest Rate
9 | P a g e As this is the CWBA's second year of raising a declared pest rate, administering this rate has also been a challenge. The CWBA worked with DPIRD through a series of concerns to see how both parties could look to improve this process. The CWBA lacks confidence in the BRAMS declared pest rate modeling provided due to past experience of errors in modeling and not a clear understanding of the modeling process.
The CWBA needs access to this information to make timely and effective decisions about our audit programs. This is not understood, unclear, and undocumented between DPIRD and the CWBA, other than a fairly broad statement in this year's Directions Notices. Overall, the CWBA Board of Directors was very pleased with the continued support of landowners in the region for the implementation of the stated pest rate, as without access to this form of sustainable long-term funding, the CWBA would not be able to implement effective pest control programs. Declared Pests to implement.
Funding & Grants
Partnerships and Agreements
The CWBA has continued to work closely with the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development's biosecurity team to implement our second declared pest tier and fulfill all of its reporting obligations as a recognized biosecurity group under the BAM Act 2007. This application has continued to provide an important consistent communication and information link, liaison and support between the Ministry and the CWBA and the CWBA looks forward to continuing its relationship with Kim Haywood. CWBA worked with Tracey Kreplins, Research Scientist, Invasive Species, Sustainability and Biosecurity to collect feral dog DNA samples as part of her Wild Dog DNA and Kinship.
Discussions have been held with DPIRD about a social license to operate and improved communication about declared pest control activities, particularly in relation to Wild Dog control in Western Australia. DPIRD engaged a consultant to undertake a mid-term review of the WA Wild Dog WDAP Action Plan) and the CWBA is participating in surveys and discussions with the consultant, as well as submitting a business case for consideration by DPIRD in the development of the WA Wild Dog Plan No 2. Improvement and maintenance activities continue along the State Barrier Fence which is managed by DPIRD with over 75 km of fence within the CWBA area being improved or replaced during this period.
The state barrier fence continues to be the number one tool for managing declared pests and preventing them from entering the CWBA region from the rangeland. This infrastructure and its maintenance is essential to ensure that effective control activities can be implemented in the CWBA region. The CWBA had many meetings and discussions with staff from the Australian Nature Conservancy over these twelve months and could not agree to a new MOU for Wild Dog Control, with the main reason being that they were “unwilling to jeopardize our RCP permit not. non-compliance therefore, if you are able to obtain a stand-alone CWBA LPMT RCP Permit for Mt Gibson, there should be no impediment to proceeding with MOU discussions.
The CWBA's position on RCPs is that under the Code of Practice it is the responsibility of land owners/managers to have the RCP in their name, not the RBG. The CWBA recognizes the value of networking between RBGs across WA as well as nationally. Unfortunately, without consultation with RBGs after four and a half years of supporting and funding the Wild Dog Control Coordinator in Western Australia, Australian Wool Innovation made the decision to close the position on 1 September 2020.
CWBA has been working on developing an initial partnership with the Liebe Group to use their communications networks, resources and facilities to improve and increase landowner engagement in the CWBA region.
LPMT (Dogger) Program
Community Bait Rack Program - Fox & Wild Dog Baiting
CWBA Annual Aerial Baiting Program for Wild Dogs
Community Rabbit Control Program - Rabbit Baiting
Feral Pig Control
The CWBA will consider many of these recommendations when undertaking its future operational plans. Many thanks must go to Rachael Mason of the Mingenew-Irwin Group, and the landowners, but especially Brad Collins and Carl Forward for their time and effort and local knowledge which has been invaluable in continuing to address this issue with the CWBA Board of Management to manage.
Restricted Chemical Product Permits
17 | P a g e We have identified that landowners and recognized biosecurity groups would benefit from access to GIS software and map data/tools to then be able to assist landowners in producing appropriate maps (although the current form states that hand-drawn maps are enough). But ultimately we feel that the paper application form is really not fit for purpose in this day and age. DPIRD should seek to move to an online application with a client ID log-in, access to online mapping (initial discussion was around the Smarty Grants online application tool) linked to an internal DPIRD database which perhaps RBGs could also access (view only).
RCP applications can then be more targeted, ensuring that the right information is collected, traceable and then easily adjustable, especially in relation to baiting programs and timeframes. We recognize that the RCP application form has been updated over the past 12 months and good work has been done by DPIRD staff in this space, but believe greater steps can be taken.
Community Engagement
Wild Dog Activity and Stock Losses
Summary
Area of Operation
Financial Report Summary
Auditors Report
We draw your attention to the fact that the responsibility for the preparation of the financial statements and adequate disclosure rests with the Committee. This includes the maintenance of adequate accounting records and internal controls, the selection and application of accounting policies, and the safeguarding of funds from the Association. The purpose of our audit of the financial report is to express an opinion on that report, and this report on management issues includes only matters that come to our attention in the course of our work and should therefore not be construed as a comprehensive statement not be considered. of management issues that may exist.
Our audit procedures highlighted the following items; corrections have been made as required to ensure the accuracy of the financial statements. We have not noticed any other important matters that need to be raised or brought to the attention of the Management Committee. If you would like to discuss any of the above items or require any further information, please contact us immediately.
It presents a true and fair view of the financial position of the Central Biosecurity Wheat Belt Association as at 30 June 2020 and its performance for the year then ended. This financial report is a special purpose financial report prepared to meet the financial reporting requirements of the Societies Incorporation Act 2015 (WA). No other applicable accounting standards, Australian accounting interpretations or other authoritative pronouncements of the Australian Accounting Standards Board have been applied.
The Association is a non-profit making organization and therefore exempt from income tax liability by virtue of section 23(3) of the Income Tax Assessment Act. b) Goods and Services Tax (GST). We have attached the financial report, being a special purpose financial report, of Central Wheatbelt Biosecurity Association which contains the balance sheet as at 30 June 2020, and the income statement, a summary of significant accounting policies, other explanatory notes and the declaration by members of the committee. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor's Responsibilities for the Audit of the Financial Statements section of our report.
We are independent of the company in accordance with the ethical requirements of the Accounting Professional and Ethical Standards Board's APES 110 Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants (the Code) relevant to our audit of the financial report in Australia. The association's committee is responsible for preparing and presenting a true and fair view of the annual report and has determined that the accounting practices described in note 1 to the annual accounts, which are part of the annual report, are in accordance with the accounting reporting requirements of the company. Associations Incorporation Act 2015 and is appropriate to meet the needs of members. The committee's responsibilities also include establishing and maintaining internal control relevant to the preparation and fair presentation of the financial report, which is free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error; select and apply appropriate accounting principles; and make accounting estimates that are reasonable in the circumstances.
