Eastern Hills Catchment Management Program

The Eastern Hills Catchment Management Program (EHCMP) is a highly successful partnership between the Shires of Kalamunda and Mundaring, City of Swan, EMRC, Perth Region NRM and Swan River Trust. The strength of the program has been recognised through a Premiers Award in 2001 and two National Local Government Awards, one for Natural Resource Management (NRM) and one for Innovation, in 2007.

The Eastern Hills region is unique in that the success of Eastern Hills Landcare relies largely on the commitment of local communities to protect and enhance the quality of their natural environment. Lifestyle, conservation and water quality issues dominate the agenda, with on-ground activities being balanced between public and private property.

The team includes a Natural Resource Management Coordinator and a number of Natural Resource Management Officers. Officers are based at EMRC, and the Shires of Mundaring and Kalamunda.

Key activities include production of the Greenpage newsletter, Bush Skills for the Hills workshops and close liaison with local governments.

Community groups

Eastern Hills Natural Resource Management Officers work in partnership to support a large, active and diverse community network. The network comprises of over 130 friends of groups and four catchment groups throughout the Shire of Kalamunda, Shire of Mundaring and the City of Swan. In total there are over 1,700 volunteers contributing 30,000 volunteer hours per annum toward environmental projects. The level of community participation for these environmental restoration and landcare activities are amongst the highest in Australia.

The Shires of Mundaring and Kalamunda and the City of Swan have a number of Friends Groups and Catchment Groups that would love to have new members. By being a member of these groups you can learn more about bush and river restoration in a social atmosphere, with the satisfaction of knowing you have contributed to the improvement of your local environment.

2012 Calendar of Events

If you would like to be involved or to find out more, please contact:

Eastern Hills Catchment Management Program Coordinator

Phone: (08) 9424 2242
Email: mail@emrc.org.au

Greenpage newsletter

The Greenpage is a landcare newsletter produced for the volunteer community networks in the eastern hills natural resource management sub-region. The newsletter provides information on current issues affecting landcare, reports on work being undertaken within the region and provides updates on activities, training and funding opportunities. The newsletter is produced every month except January.

The most recent Greenpage newsletters are available for download below (PDF version):

Bush Skills for the Hills

Bush Skills for the Hills is a series of free, hills-focussed workshops for the community. The workshops are a refreshing mix of information and practical hands-on sessions designed to give participants both the 'WHY' and 'HOW' of managing land, bush and creeks in the hills environment.

For information on upcoming workshops please click here. Registration is essential.

The 2012 program of Bush Skills for the Hills workshops is available to download below.

Bush Skills for the Hills - Program 2012

Native fish fauna monitoring

The EMRC's Eastern Hills Catchment Management Program (EHCMP) team has secured a grant from the State Natural Resource Management Office for $34,458 to conduct fish monitoring along a 26 km section of the Helena River, between the Mundaring Dam and the confluence of the Swan River. This survey follows from a freshwater habitat survey conducted on permanent pools along the Helena River and nearby tributaries in 2006.

Permanent water is a vital refuge for freshwater fish since very few of the rivers and creeks flow all year round. Helena River is an important tributary of the Swan River.

The survey will assess the diversity and abundance of fish species in the river reaches and tributaries of the Helena River between September and October 2010 and representative samples of permanent pools between April and May 2011.

From the survey a report will be compiled which will determine the status of native and exotic fish species in the Helena River and inform environmental flow requirements for native freshwater fish.

The findings of this report will be used to make recommendations with regards to conservation of native freshwater fish species in the Eastern Hills and to develop strategies to increase fish habitat through restoration and protection. The final report and recommendations are set to be completed in July 2011.

Below you can download a brochure of Fish in the Helena Catchment and the final report. Please note photos in the Fish of Helena Catchment brochure are by

M. Allen: Western Hardyhead, Freshwater Cobbler:

S. Beatty: Western Pygmy Perch

J. Langdon: Redfin Perch

D. Morgan: Swan River Goby, Western Minnow, Eastern Mosquitofish, Nightfish

G. Schmida: Goldfish

Natural resource management fact sheets

EMRC Natural Resource Management fact sheets provide important information on weeds, Dieback disease and environmental management of bushland.

Click here for the full list.

For further information please contact:
Rebbekah Lamont - Administration Officer, Environmental Services
Phone: (08) 9424 2216
Email: rebbekah.lamont@emrc.org.au