In the heart of Western Australia, three-and-a-bit hours south-west of Boorloo/Perth, you’ll find Katanning, a small country town where sheep and wheat farming are the main forms of industry. As in many regional areas, the town is keenly feeling the effects of a heating planet, environmental degradation and biodiversity loss. That’s where organisations like Katanning Landcare, a Bank Australia customer, come in to help come up with local solutions to global challenges.
A historic commitment to conservation
Katanning Landcare’s journey began in 1990 as a response to local environmental concerns. “The organisation was founded as a not-for-profit community group to address erosion on surrounding farmland and dust storms blowing through town,” says Ella Maesepp, a Senior Landcare Officer at Katanning Landcare. “Over the years, our focus has expanded to include salinity, biodiversity conservation, wetland management, sustainable agriculture, and, more recently, water security and climate change.”
To date, Katanning Landcare has planted over 4.5 million native seedlings, erected more than 2,000 kilometers of environmental fencing and played a crucial role in rehabilitating local waterways and supporting sustainable farming practices. And they couldn’t do it without the help of local farmers, volunteers, townsfolk and other aligned organisations.
The struggle to save the Carnaby’s cockatoo
One of Katanning Landcare’s most urgent focus areas is the protection of the Carnaby’s cockatoo. These iconic birds, known for their distinctive white plumage and black-tipped wings, are only found in south-western WA, and their population is severely in decline.
“Carnaby’s cockatoos are a species in crisis,” Ella says. “With the loss of habitat from clearing for urban development and mining, we need to act quickly to help ensure their survival.”
Katanning has become an important refuge for the birds, with the town serving as a significant winter breeding and feeding area for the species. With the help of a community customer grant from Bank Australia, an investment initiative through our Impact Fund, Katanning Landcare has been able to launch several projects aimed at providing immediate support for the cockatoo population.
Community-led solutions: From nesting boxes (built by Scouts!) to watering stations
One of the most innovative solutions supported by the Bank Australia grant? The installation of artificial cockatoo nesting hollows, built by local Scouts, which aim to fill the gap left by the loss of old eucalypt trees.
“Carnaby’s cockatoos need large hollows for nesting, which take about 80 to 100 years to form in mature trees,” says Annabel Paulley, a Project Officer with Katanning Landcare. “By providing artificial boxes, we’re giving them an immediate alternative that caters to their needs while preventing other birds, like galahs and ring-neck parrots, from taking over.”
Katanning Landcare has also developed a pioneering elevated watering station, found high above the ground – and not just so the cockies can enjoy their drink with a view. The stations are a critical addition in an area where many natural water sources have become undrinkable. “Most of the local lakes and creeks are now saline,” Ella says, “which makes it hard for the cockatoos to find fresh water. This elevated watering station gives them access to clean water, safe from predators.”
Mal, a local farmer who collaborated with Katanning Landcare to build the watering station, is proud of the impact this project is having. “Along with my son-in-law, Jason, we used recycled materials to build this station about three meters off the ground,” he says. “It’s been incredibly satisfying to see the cockatoos use it. We’ve had them visit regularly, and it’s rewarding to know we’re playing a role in their survival.”
The grant has also allowed Katanning Landcare to run community workshops on how to track and monitor cockatoo sightings to better understand where the birds are and how to better support them.
The increasing presence of the Carnaby’s cockatoo
For local farmer Geoff, the arrival of Carnaby’s cockatoos on his property has been a welcome sight. “For the first 43 years of my life, I never saw a Carnaby on our farm,” he says. “Now I've got a mob of about 50 of them visiting regularly. They come down to the river, chew on the pine trees, and drink from the dam,” he says with a smile. “I like the Carnaby’s. It’s great to see them around, but we know they’re still endangered, so we’ve got to keep doing our part.”
This sentiment is echoed by Sally Williams, the Executive Officer at Katanning Landcare. “The Carnaby’s cockatoo is an iconic species, and we’ve spent years planting trees and installing nesting boxes to help their breeding efforts,” she says. “This grant from Bank Australia is a vital boost that will allow us to continue this work and, hopefully, increase the population numbers over time.”
Katanning Landcare are happy to have found a bank that shares their values around protecting nature and biodiversity. “As a landcare organisation, we're passionate about the environment and about minimising our impact on the planet,” Sally says. “As an ethical, customer-owned company, we feel Bank Australia aligns strongly with these core values, and we're proud to bank with them.”
Learn more about Bank Australia’s community customer grants.
