Bring on 2025: landscape board general managers look forward to the year ahead
A statewide view
Jodie Gregg-Smith is General Manager, SA Arid Lands Landscape Board and current Chair of the landscape boards’ general managers. She believes that in 2025 landscape boards are well-positioned to help respond to South Australia’s land, water and nature challenges.
‘SA’s landscape boards have continued to mature and consolidate at both the local and state levels, working ‘as one’ where it makes sense to do so,’ said Jodie.
‘Many of the issues we address at the local level don’t end at the fence line and become whole of state matters.
‘These far-reaching issues impacting multiple regions include (but are not limited to): feral deer management; water policy and dam compliance; buffel grass control, monitoring, mapping and containment; kangaroo management; rangeland goat management; coastal protection…this list goes on!
‘The strength of the Landscape SA model rests in the local and strategic partnerships with communities, policy makers, local, state and Commonwealth governments, the conservation sector and industry.
‘Importantly, underpinning the effort of landscape boards is elevating the role that our First Nations partners have in the project design, delivery and evaluation of our work as well as informing the models we use.
‘The commitment made by each board to continue growing our cultural skills, networks, employment opportunities and meaningful on-ground impacts remains as prominent as ever.’
2025 will see also the landscape boards:
- review their 5-year strategic landscape plans
- update the framework to continually improve engagement and recognition of the role of First Nations in our plans and programs on their Country
- inform important legislation that will affect the way we as a state manage, restore and protect the environmental and production values of SA
- roll out year 2 of over 4 years ($50m+) investment of the Australian Government’s Natural Heritage Trust programs in: climate smart agriculture, protection of our state’s threatened and endangered plants and animals and building the capacity of our communities in natural resource management.
Region by region
The operational leaders of South Australia's 9 landscape boards share what's on the horizon for each of their regions in 2025:
Jodie Gregg-Smith - General Manager,
South Australian Arid Lands Landscape Board
'A flurry of activity in the SA Arid Lands will both create opportunities for the economy and tap into the region’s riches.
The board’s role in supporting a balanced and measured approach to the emerging industries, while preserving the cultural, ecological and community values, will become a higher priority than ever.
Climate impacts loom large, with the board’s work bringing a lens of mitigation or adaptation, looking at our footprint and those who value the region’s resources.
Wonderful opportunities will come from involvement in the International Rangelands Congress to be held in Adelaide in June. The board’s work will be shared on the global stage, with a rich opportunity to learn from other rangelands communities.
SAAL has commenced many new projects. Species like the plains wanderer, kowari, Idnya (western quoll), the purple spotted gudgeon, desert greenhood and other flora and fauna will be protected, along with the yellow-footed rock wallaby and western brushtail possum, which are endemic to our region.
Our Building Pastoral Sustainability (BPS) program will launch with a pastoral field day in March that brings together people, programs and experts to position our region for success and resilience to the unpredictable aspects of working in the outback.
The continued management and protection of our water resources, the Great Artesian Basin and the natural and cultural sites across the Lake Eyre Basin, are prominent in our work – hand in glove with many First Nations partners, industries and landholders.
Our board continues to foster relationships with our many First Nations groups. Listening and learning is an important part of making our investment decisions. Leaving country and culture ‘better than and more than’ remains our goal.
There is a continued focus on total grazing pressure, with the management of goats, kangaroos and large feral herbivores a high priority to overcome their impact and reduce the onset of drought conditions in the absence of ground cover. Partnering with landholders is key to this to avoid compliance and ensure timely action.
The board will begin its 5-year strategic plan review and will work with the community to ensure our future priorities are aligned with those of our regional stakeholders.'
Will Durack – General Manager,
Kangaroo Island Landscape Board
'Like most areas across the state, KI has had a dry start to 2025. Water is one of our most valuable resources and the board will be working hard to support landholders with a focus on future drought proofing and equitable sharing.
2025 will see the us continue to work with and for community to safeguard and enhance Kangaroo Islands role and reputation as a natural haven. Through our nursery we’ll support landholders to plant thousands of native species, providing critical habitat, shelter and nesting sites for woodland bird species.
We’re thrilled to be getting firsthand reports from landholders noticing an increase in the number and variety of native species on their properties within the feral cat eradication zone. 2025 will be a critical year to ensure we can attract sufficient funding to finish the Dudley feral cat eradication.
Kangaroo Island farmers pride themselves on their land stewardship. Through our sustainable ag programs, we’re looking forward to supporting great existing practices and pushing the boundaries on new and emerging ideas that are good for production and the environment.'
Kim Krebs – General Manager,
Alinytjara Wilurara Landscape Board
'There’s always a lot happening in the Alinytjara Wilurara region of SA, and it’s all exciting, challenging and humbling.
2025 is going to be a year of listening for the Alinytjara Wilurara Landscape Board. We’re going to be travelling across our 250,000km2 to talk with Aṉangu about healthy Country. We want to hear from our community about what their healthy Country priorities are and what role they want Alinytjara Wilurara Landscape Board to play in helping them achieve it. We’ll be using these important conversations to develop our next five-year regional strategic plan.
The year ahead is also about continuing to deliver on our projects, all of which we do in partnership with the ranger teams from Yalata, Far West Coast, Oak Valley and the APY Lands. This joint action will see us doing long walks to survey nganamara (malleefowl) mounds, using Felixers and Celium traps for cat and fox control, placing tracking collars on camels to monitor their movements across the seasons, and the ever-present campaign to keep the Great Victoria Desert buffel grass free.
Our board members will be guiding our ecological and cultural decision making and actions towards a healthy and valued region, managed responsibly now, for the future benefit of people and Country. It will be a busy and extremely satisfying 2025.'
Jonathan Clark – General Manager,
Eyre Peninsula Landscape Board
'This year marks five years since we became a landscape board.
We’ve achieved a lot during that time and this year is shaping up to be another productive one with threatened species projects gearing up – focusing on the recovery of Sheoak Grassy Woodland areas and creating a safe haven island for threatened species, off the coast near Elliston through a collaborative conservation effort – plus a new sustainable agriculture project getting underway.
There are also major pieces of work being reviewed – the Eyre Peninsula Water Allocation Plan for our groundwater sources and our next five-year regional landscape plan – as well as our Caring for Country - Aboriginal Participation Plan being ready for implementation.
As always, we are fortunate to have staff who are passionate about safeguarding our natural resources through all the work we do.'
Tony Fox - General Manager,
Northern and Yorke Landscape Board
'This year we’re continuing important work on the draft Guuranda – Yorke Peninsula Coastal Access Strategy, which aims to protect our coastlines.
No one wants to see the fragile coastal dune system harmed beyond repair, so it’s important that we work collaboratively to take a balanced approach that’s sustainable for both the environment and for continued recreational use by locals and visitors.
Eighty per cent of our region is used for agricultural production, so we hope to see major revegetation projects in 2025 that focus on connecting sections of existing vegetation across farmland.
We'd also like to progress a threatened plant species seed bank and nursery to support any future broad-scale, biodiverse revegetation work.
With the challenges posed by these dry times, we’ll continue working hard to support producers with sustainable agriculture practices.
Making the most of water is one thing but so is looking at long-term opportunities and innovations related to farm diversification.
The carbon and biodiversity credit markets are options that are looming and we’re setting ourselves up to help farmers explore these enterprises into the future.'
Michael Garrod – General Manager,
Landscapes Hills and Fleurieu
'I am sure that 2025 will be one of our most busy and most rewarding years in Landscapes Hills and Fleurieu.
With a newly minted team in place, we are now ramping up an important dam compliance campaign with a focus on the approvals needed to build new dams or modify existing dams.
We have moved from the review to the amendment phase of two water allocation plans – for the Eastern and the Western Mount Loft Ranges. Working together with our partners, communities, and water users to get the balance right in the new plans will be critical for our region, and for the state.
We have made fantastic progress in tackling the feral deer and feral goat populations that threaten our region’s productivity and biodiversity values. This year will see increased effort and investment as we push toward to the goal of functional eradication of both these species from the Hills and Fleurieu.
Our efforts to recover threatened woodland birds across the Mount Lofty Ranges will see a step change early in 2025 as we launch the ReBird the Ranges initiative and action plan. The plan has been developed through the hard work and passion of more than 20 partner organisations, and sets a collective vision, goals and actions for how we can work together to reverse the decline of 78 species of birds.
Finally, one of the things that is really energising me is the work ahead of us, as a federation of landscape boards, to tackle the challenge of achieving adequacy and equity of resourcing. South Australia has arguably the best set of institutional and funding arrangements for Natural Resource management (NRM) bodies in the country, but it is far from perfect.
In line with a bunch of recommendations from John Hill’s recent Independent Review of the Landscape SA Act, we need to work together to find ways to ensure we see that investment in NRM happens where it is needed, and at the scale it is needed – and I have lots of ideas about how we might do that.'
Steve Bourne - General Manager,
Limestone Coast Landscape Board
'I’m excited to progress the Limestone Coast’s Feral Deer Eradication Program integrating all aspects of support to landholders including compliance for feral and farmed deer.
The program includes education and support to landholders by implementing aerial culling and ground shooting, and enforcement.
I thank the efforts and support of responsible landholders who consistently work with the Limestone Coast Landscape Board to eradicate feral deer from the Limestone Coast landscape.
Equally, 2025 will see many opportunities to consult with the Limestone Coast community and industries to secure the future of water in our region.
The conversations and decisions are hard and if we do good work now, we have a chance that our children will gain the benefits of available water to pursue their endeavours.
Our karst springs and alkaline fens restoration project in the Eight Mile Creek area is underway. The site includes three of the region's unique karst springs.
Restoring this site from farmland to wetland will provide a range of biodiversity benefits including threatened species refuge and provide agricultural benefits to the landscape.'
Brenton Grear - Director, Green Adelaide
'This year, I’m excited about finalising and starting implementation of Adelaide’s first metropolitan-wide Urban Greening Strategy on behalf of the state government.
We’ll be working with our local government partners, state agencies and communities to make greening and biodiversity a critical part of our growing city.
Also, the task of progressing our ambition of reintroducing platypus to the River Torrens / Karrawirra Pari is both fascinating and challenging.
I’m also really keen to develop our second regional landscape plan and finalise the review of successes and learnings from the past 5 years that’ll help us craft a fresh and reflective strategic direction for 2026 onwards.
We’ll keep constantly seeking ways to back our community, metro councils and other stakeholders to deliver on-ground greening action through our grant programs to create a cooler, greener and wilder capital city.
Plus, continue to engage Adelaideans to learn about, value and protect our beautiful environment, across animals, plants, water, landscapes and coasts.
All this while working collaboratively with the state’s other landscape boards to practically look after the environment of our state.'
Andrew Meddle – General Manager,
Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board
'I’m excited about the planned changes ahead that will shake up our ‘business as usual’, with a new Chair, a new landscape board, and increased investment in frontline services across our region as part of positioning our landscape board for the next 5 years.
I’m looking forward to working with many partners, which will bear fruit on several fronts across our region. Working in partnership with the First Peoples of the River Murray and Mallee on Murray crayfish releases and supporting the Riverland Rangers team, collaborating with the Ngarrindjeri Aboriginal Corporation on turtles and restoring Country, working alongside Mid-Murray Landcare and local councils – these partnerships are extending the reach of the landscape board and helping communities across our region. We’re also reviewing our attendance at events to ensure we can connect with more community members and help more people, and I can’t wait to see our new events trailer in action.
Another exciting development is the review of our Regional Landscape Plan – an opportunity for innovation and the first time that the landscape board has used rubrics to assess performance. Our current plan has served us well over the last 4 years and it is time for its evolution. The Planning and MERI team do much valuable work behind the scenes, from managing referrals to assessing our performance and supporting continuous improvement. Having a robust and deliverable plan is vital to the success of the organisation.
Finally, our Grassroots Grants are opening soon, with more than $500,000 committed to making a difference in communities we serve across our region. Grassroots grants have initiated great outcomes over recent years and I’m looking forward to seeing what new and perhaps quirky projects come forward in 2025.'
More information
SA's 8 regional landscape boards and Green Adelaide work with partners to deliver practical, on-ground programs to manage landscapes.
Each regional landscape board has a general manager responsible for managing the board’s business and staff while Green Adelaide, which focuses on metropolitan Adelaide, has a director.
Contact your local landscape board to find out how you can get involved in caring for land, water and nature in your local area. Contact details for all boards can be found on the Landscape SA website.
