- NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT VISION FOR THE NORTHERN AGRICULTURAL REGION OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA
The NARvis Invasive Species goals aim to improve knowledge of invasive species risks and impacts, increase coordinated surveillance and data collection, and increase coordinated management across the Northern Agricultural Region.
Available evidence shows substantial invasive species research, surveillance and management activity across the region. Recognised Biosecurity Groups, government agencies, landholders, Traditional Owners and Custodians, Aboriginal ranger groups, natural resource management organisations and other community organisations all have roles in managing invasive species.
Assessing progress against the numerical NARvis targets is more difficult. Existing programs generally report measures such as animals controlled, baits distributed, area treated, monitoring sites, landholder participation and pest distribution rather than the specific units used in the NARvis goals.
The assessments below therefore use verified minimums i.e. only activities or participation that can be substantiated from available published information are counted. These minimums should not be interpreted as the total amount of invasive species activity undertaken in the region.
2026 Assessment: Progress demonstrated – target not yet verified
A review of available published information identified a verified minimum of five research or assessment activities relevant to invasive species risk, distribution, impacts or management in the Northern Agricultural Region.
Much of the available evidence relates to feral pigs and other vertebrate pests. Research and assessment activities have included:
These activities have improved understanding of invasive species distribution, population dynamics and responses to coordinated management.
The verified minimum does not represent the total number of invasive species research projects undertaken in the region. No comprehensive regional register of research projects aligned with the NARvis definition has been identified, and published information is substantially more detailed for vertebrate pests than for other invasive species. It is therefore not yet possible to determine whether the 2030 target has been achieved.
2026 Assessment: Strong progress – numerical target not yet verifiable
Coordinated surveillance and monitoring of established invasive species occurs across much of the Northern Agricultural Region.
The Central Wheatbelt Biosecurity Association, Midlands Biosecurity Group and Northern Biosecurity Group undertake coordinated pest monitoring across large parts of the region. The Carnarvon Rangelands Biosecurity Association also operates on pastoral properties within Northampton and Greater Geraldton, while the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) participates in regional surveillance and research activities undertaken with biosecurity groups and landholders.
Monitoring methods include landholder reports of pest sightings and impacts, field observations, trapping and control records, camera-based surveillance and observations associated with aerial control activities. Regional feral pig surveillance has also included camera networks and automated image analysis to improve understanding of pest distribution, population activity and response to control. FeralScan provides an additional mechanism through which pest sightings and activity can be recorded.
Verified minimum: 5 stakeholder organisations participating in coordinated surveillance, comprising the Central Wheatbelt Biosecurity Association, Midlands Biosecurity Group, Northern Biosecurity Group, Carnarvon Rangelands Biosecurity Association and DPIRD. Additional participation by individual landholders and other regional organisations is demonstrated in published reporting but cannot be consistently quantified.
Available reporting demonstrates substantial landholder involvement; however, it does not consistently identify the number of unique individuals or organisations contributing monitoring data each year. Membership figures, participation in pest-control activities and numbers of monitoring sites provide evidence of broader engagement but do not directly measure the NARvis indicator. The available evidence is therefore insufficient to determine whether the numerical target of 50 participants has been reached.
2026 Assessment: Strong progress – target appears on track
Coordinated invasive species management is occurring extensively across the Northern Agricultural Region through Recognised Biosecurity Groups, landholders, government agencies and other regional organisations.
A conservative review of published 2024-25 reporting identified a verified minimum of 14 distinct coordinated invasive species management actions across the Northern Agricultural Region.
Four separate collaborative feral pig aerial culls were undertaken through the Midlands Biosecurity Group and Central Wheatbelt Biosecurity Association program in the Mingenew–Morawa area during October 2024 and February, April and June 2025. The Northern Biosecurity Group separately completed four feral pig aerial cull programs between March and June 2025, involving approximately 200 cull hours across 5,476 km².
Other verified activities included coordinated wild-dog aerial baiting, multi-landholder rabbit management, fox control on conservation estate, an aerial emu control operation and surveillance and control of declared opuntioid cacti.
The verified minimum does not represent the full number of management actions undertaken. Routine property-level baiting and trapping, individual pest-management activities, incidental control and other interventions were excluded where available reporting did not allow them to be reliably distinguished as separate coordinated actions. Activities reported by more than one collaborating organisation were counted only once.
The following indicators provide additional information about the distribution, impacts and management of important invasive species within the Northern Agricultural Region. They complement the assessment of the NARvis goals above but should not be interpreted as direct measures of whether those numerical goals have been achieved.
Wild dogs can cause significant economic and animal welfare impacts through predation on livestock. The Central Wheatbelt Biosecurity Association records livestock losses reported by participating landholders and wild dogs controlled through its management program. Available data provide a useful long-term indication of wild dog impacts and management within the Shires of Dalwallinu, Morawa and Perenjori.
The distribution map provides an indication of the known distribution of feral pigs in Western Australia. More recent regional monitoring demonstrates that feral pig distribution and abundance can change in response to seasonal conditions and management. The map should therefore be interpreted as an indication of broad feral pig distribution rather than a current measure of population density.
Feral pigs damage agricultural production and natural environments through predation, rooting and disturbance, competition, damage to crops and infrastructure, and the potential spread of weeds and disease. They occur across parts of the Northern Agricultural Region, with significant populations in some northern and inland areas. Their distribution and abundance can change in response to seasonal conditions and management.
Regional management increasingly combines landholder reports, camera monitoring, trapping, ground control and aerial surveillance and culling. Coordinated programs involving the Central Wheatbelt Biosecurity Association, Midlands Biosecurity Group and Northern Biosecurity Group provide an important landscape-scale approach to feral pig management.
These data were obtained from the National Feral Pig Plan Review 2024, developed by the Biosecurity team at the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development. These data will be updated every five years, following the release of the latest Feral Pig Strategy report.
Skeleton weed is a high-priority eradication target and is declared pest in Western Australia. It competes with crops and can reduce agricultural productivity. The Western Australian Skeleton Weed Program undertakes surveillance and control with the objective of preventing spread and progressively eradicating infestations where practicable. Annual reporting provides information on known infestations, surveillance and treatment.
The most recent program reporting provides updated information on skeleton weed distribution, surveillance and treatment across Western Australia, including areas within the Northern Agricultural Region.
Available evidence demonstrates that invasive species research, surveillance and coordinated management are occurring across the Northern Agricultural Region.
However, the datasets and annual reports used by organisations undertaking this work were generally developed for operational and statutory biosecurity purposes rather than specifically to measure the NARvis goals. As a result, there is a difference between evidence that work is occurring and evidence that a numerical NARvis target has formally been achieved.
For this reason, the Report Card uses conservative verified minimums and does not extrapolate missing data or assume that membership, individual pest control activities or animals controlled are equivalent to the measures specified in the NARvis goals.
