Esperance Regional Forum Inc. (ERF) is an independent not-for-profit association evolving from the 1985 Esperance Land Conservation District Committee (ELCDC). ERF is involved in coordinating activities that manage, protect or recover the regions natural land, water and biodiversity resources.

Funding

The majority of ERF’s funding comes from the Australian and Western Australian Governments through the regional body South Coast NRM Inc. Other funding received in the past has come from the Department of Water, the Department for Environment and Conservation, Royalties for Regions Program, Lotterywest, company sponsorship and the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts. 

ERF strives to acquire funding from a range of sources to enable the delivery of many activities in the region.

Projects

Since 1985, the group has delivered a broad range of projects, assisting in the restoration and rehabilitation of degraded land and catchments in the Esperance region, with efforts over the last three years especially concentrated (but not limited to), within the Lake Warden Wetland System.  

In conjunction with several smaller projects, ERF currently manages three large projects, these are:-

• ‘Protection of the Ramsar Values of Lake Warden and Lake Gore - Core’,
• ‘Protection of the Ramsar Values of Lake Warden and Lake Gore - Competitive’, and
• ‘Benwenerup – Landscape scale protection of Environmental, Social, Cultural and   Economic Assets’. 

ERF delivers the two projects within the Lake Warden Catchment to address the priority threats through implementing a suite of on ground actions identified in management plans and strategies for these sites and adjacent landscapes.

ERF’s third major project focuses on the Stokes Inlet and its catchments which lies west of Esperance. It is highlighted for management given its high community values.  The Stokes Inlet is known as Benwenerup by the Traditional Custodians and some of its important values identified include the ease of access, fishing, camping and the beauty of the area and its serenity. 

The key goal is to protect the values of this landscape, which encompasses environmental, social, economic and cultural values.  This project is addressing targets that improve soil management methods, increase uptake of natural resource management and reduce weeds of national significance (bridal creeper).

Within all of ERF’s projects, the team works closely with landholders and various stakeholders to ensure all understand the importance of these catchments and why it’s necessary to secure its sustainable future. ERF supports, initiates, and educates land management practices that are environmentally sustainable and provide long term social and economic community advancement and benefit.

About the erf Logo

The colours of the erf logo represent;

Teal = Air Green = Nature Blue = Water Brown = Earth