SEPWA Projects
SEPWA Projects in the Esperance Port Zone
SEPWA is involved in various projects within the Esperance Port Zone to varying levels of involvement with different organizations and the group does have a very close association with the Esperance Department of Agriculture.
Current Projects
"Use of chemicals on farms: the impact on the farming family"
Is the health of farming families being put at risk with exposure to farm chemicals inside the family home? The South East Premium Wheat Growers Association (SEPWA) has teamed up with the Combined Universities Centre for Rural Health (CUCRH) to investigate the concerns about the possible transmission of chemical residue to other farm family members. With exposure to farm chemicals one of the biggest occupational risks of farmers and their employees, the project aims to increase people's awareness about the safe handling of chemicals in order to reduce the risk of contamination to other people.
Duration - February 2011 - February 2012
Chemicals on Farms Project details
Combined Universities Centre for Rural Health (CUCRH)
Grain in Containers from the Esperance Port ?
The presence of a container crane at the Esperance Port and newly deregulated market has got Esperance Port Zone (EPZ) grain growers thinking: "Could container export be an option for our regions grain production?"
In response to this SEPWA has developed a project proposal to the state governments 'Royalties for Regions' grants scheme to investigate this question.
Duration - August 2011 - December 2011
Contact Nigel Metz on 9083 1115 for further information. Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Grain in Containers Project details & Stage One Findings
Click here to download PDF of Container Export Process report
Agronomy Jigsaw - Finding the pieces that maximise water use efficiency.
Left to right, David Hall from DAFWA and SEPWA Project Officer, Nigel Metz discuss the Agronomy Jigsaw project. (Please note Nigel was involved in Movember at the time of this photo).This project will assist grain growers to maximise the benefit of their inputs which will improve the efficiency of production and reduce potential waste of inputs and increase water use efficiency. The project will be run over three years and focus on a range of issues including nutrition, lime, gypsum, radiometrics and more.
The project will be run across the south coast from Esperance to Albany and involve other grower groups including Ravensthorpe Agricultural Initiative Network (RAIN), Fitzgerald Biosphere Group (FBG) and the South Stirlings Pallinup Group.
The Agronomy Jigsaw project is funded by the Grains Research and Development Corporation with support from the Department of Agriculture and Food WA.
Duration: July 2009 - June 2012
Contact Nigel Metz on 9083 1115 for further information, or email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Agronomy Jigsaw Project details
Putting Precision Agriculture on the ground in Western Australia
SEPWA was involved in a precision agriculture project led by the CSIRO in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture and Food. The state wide project looked at ways that precision agriculture (PA) can be adopted for farm efficiency gains via managing paddock and farm variability.
The project examines the benefits of managing farm inputs via precision agriculture as well as making better use of spatial data such as yield maps, topography and other soil survey methods. SEPWA's involvement in this project has now wound down, however the project will continue to be run by the CSIRO until June 2011
Duration: July 2008 - June 2011
Contact Nigel Metz on 9083 1115 for further information or Roger Lawes at the CSIRO in Floreat on 9333 6455. Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Precision Agronomics Project details
Projects