The BBG is the only Australian winner of the coveted Thiess International Riverprize. As winners of the annual prize in 2001, the BBG gained valuable international recognition of its work to protect and rehabilitate the Blackwood River.
The Blackwood River Basin is located in the south-west of Western Australia and covers approximately 22,000 square kilometres. The region has a Mediterranean climate, with cool, wet winters and hot, dry summers. Annual rainfall ranges throughout the basin from an average of 350mm in the upper catchment to 1400mm on the coast.
An estimated 78% of the catchment is devoted to agriculture and as a result, large amounts are cleared. This clearing has led to a number of serious environmental and social issues, particularly that of dryland salinity.
The aim of the BBG is to work with the community and landcare zones to manage these issues and to maintain a balance between environmental protection, cultural diversity and economic productivity in the Blackwood.
Our Mission
The Blackwood Basin Group is a non-profit, community-based organisation that coordinates environmental management within the Blackwood River Catchment. Formed in 1990 from community-led concern about the declining health of the Blackwood River, the BBG has since worked with 54 catchment groups, assisted over 500 farming families and delivered more than $16million of Landcare activities throughout this iconic river basin. We have a rich history of achievements for innovation in community-led action, and faced many challenges along the way to remain a Landcare leader.
The catchment is divided into nine Landcare Zones and the NRM (Natural Resource Management) activities undertaken in these Zones are coordinated by Natural Resource Management Officers (NRMOs) in direct collaboration with community groups and landholders.
The Blackwood River Basin is located in the south-west of Western Australia and covers approximately 23,500 square kilometres. The region has a Mediterranean climate, with cool, wet winters and hot, dry summers. Annual rainfall ranges throughout the basin from an average of 350mm in the upper catchment to 1400mm on the coast.
An estimated 78% of the catchment is devoted to agriculture and as a result, large amounts are cleared. This clearing has led to a number of serious environmental and social issues, particularly that of dryland salinity.
The aim of the BBG is to work with the community and landcare zones to manage these issues and to maintain a balance between environmental protection, cultural diversity and economic productivity in the Blackwood. For over two decades, the BBG has delivered over $16million of projects in partnership with local communities, industry and agency groups to improve the health of our iconic Blackwood River.
Our Strategy
The Blackwood Basin Group is a major component of the South West Region (about half of the total area). There is strong regional identification of the basin area of the Blackwood River by the local community. As the peak environmental body for the Blackwood Basin, the Blackwood Basin Group has a role in enhancing the concept of the Basin as a region and encouraging social cohesion through the commonality that sharing the watershed brings. The Blackwood Basin Group provides community leadership and a forum for progress, along with a community representative forum for testing and developing ideas.
The Blackwood Basin Group aims to provide a forum for all stakeholders in the Basin to identify, quantify and resolve sustainable land management issues in the Basin. This is achieved by communication, monitoring and education.
The Blackwood Basin Group has recently updated our long and short-term environmental, social and economic targets through extensive community consultation. These are outlined in the Blackwood Basin Strategy 2017.
“A Resilient Blackwood Basin in a Changing Climate – Concept Plan”
Our Chairman
The Blackwood Basin Group has a 15-member Board, representative of Local Government, Landcare groups, industry and government agencies across the 23,500 square kilometre Blackwood catchment.
Per Christensen
Chairman & Middle Catchment representative
Per has spent his life working in Natural Resource Management (NRM). A retired biological scientist, now based in Balingup, Per remains active in NRM groups and his passionate approach and wealth of experience brings great value to the BBG committee.
