Oyster Harbour Catchment Group Inc

What Oyster Harbour Catchment Group Inc does

Oyster Harbour Catchment Group Inc (OHCG) is a not-for-profit community organization incorporated in 1994 (with roots to 1990) that leads natural resource management programs across the 3,000 km² Oyster Harbour Catchment in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, covering 48 sub-catchments from Albany to Tenterden. The organization operates with 2-3 part-time paid staff plus volunteers and an elected committee led by Chairperson Jason Hastie, delivering a portfolio of programs spanning fertiliser management, soil testing, stream restoration, revegetation, endangered species conservation (Western Ringtail Possum, Australasian Bittern), pest control training, and citizen science. Core technology is conventional environmental science: GPS mapping, GIS analysis, soil testing, and on-ground restoration techniques, with no proprietary software or AI/ML capabilities.

The business model is project-based grant funding rather than fee-for-service revenue. Primary funding comes from federal, state, and local government grants (Healthy Estuaries WA $25M state commitment, Saving Native Species Program, Urban Rivers and Catchments Program, State NRM Program, Regional Landcare Partnership), supplemented by corporate sponsorships (e.g., Rio Tinto) and tax-deductible donations through Donorbox. OHCG acts as a fee-for-service contractor for government-identified environmental priorities, particularly as a delivery partner for the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) and the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD). Demonstrated outcomes include a 46% reduction in phosphorus application on participating farms, engagement with 1,000+ farmers since 2016, 14,000+ paddocks tested for soil science, and 2008 National Landcare Community Group Award recognition. The 2025-2028 King River Warracoolyup project ($1.39M) and ongoing Healthy Estuaries WA delivery indicate sustained government commitment despite no disclosed revenue figures.

Name

Oyster Harbour Catchment Group Inc

Legal name

Oyster Harbour Catchment Group Inc

Website

https://ohcg.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Oyster Harbour Catchment Group Inc is a Western Australian not-for-profit community organization that delivers natural resource management programs across a 3,000 km² catchment, serving rural landholders, farmers, and conservation stakeholders through government-funded projects on soil health, water quality, and threatened species.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Conservation Services

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water Resources & Watershed Protection (BPAGAGAK), Oceans, Coastal & Marine Resource Management (BPADALAI), Stormwater Management & MS4 Compliance Services (BPALAMAL)

Keywords

• Catchment management services
• Natural resource management
• Landcare community programs
• Sustainable agriculture support
• Waterway restoration services

Headquarters

HQ city

Mt Barker

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Funding: Primary funding from federal, state, and local government programs including Healthy Estuaries WA (State Government), Saving Native Species Program (Australian Government), Urban Rivers and Catchments Program, State NRM Program, Regional Landcare Partnership, and various project-specific grants. The group operates as a fee-for-service contractor for government-identified priorities.
2. Donations and Memberships: Tax-deductible donations through direct debit or online payment platform (Donorbox). Free membership provides newsletter subscriptions and event notifications.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorship funding for specific projects and programs, including Rio Tinto for revegetation projects and other corporate partners.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Oyster Harbour Catchment Group Inc is a nonprofit community organization that leads landcare, sustainable agriculture, and natural resource management projects across the 3,000 km² Oyster Harbour Catchment in the Great Southern region of Western Australia. It connects rural landholders and farmers with technical expertise and government funding to support fencing, revegetation, soil testing, fertiliser management, pest control, and threatened species conservation. The group operates as a fee-for-service contractor for government-identified NRM priorities while also running citizen science, community education, and training programs.

Product overview

Oyster Harbour Catchment Group Inc is a nonprofit community organization offering a portfolio of environmental programs and landholder services rather than a unified technology product. The core offerings include the Healthy Estuaries WA Program as the flagship initiative, supported by the Fertiliser Management Program for soil testing and nutrient mapping, Stream Restoration Services for waterway protection, and citizen science programs like the Annual Ringtail Tally for Western Ringtail Possum conservation. Additional services encompass wildlife programs (CLAWS for cat management, Australasian Bittern Conservation), soil health initiatives (Dung Beetle program, Soil Microscopy), landholder training (1080 Pest Control, Southern Grazier Network), community resources (Rural Events Toolbox, War on Weeds booklet), and volunteer engagement activities including community planting days. The organization acts as a coordinator and facilitator for natural resource management across the Oyster Harbour Catchment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Healthy Estuaries WA Program A flagship $25 million State Government coordinated program delivered through OHCG that delivers fertilizer management, stream restoration, and community science forums to revitalize waterways and estuaries. Targeted at landholders, farmers, and community stakeholders across seven at-risk estuaries in Western Australia.
• Fertiliser Management Program Whole-farm soil testing, plant tissue testing, whole-farm nutrient mapping, and accu-spread field days enabling farmers to make informed fertilizer decisions tailored to each paddock. Delivered in partnership with DPIRD.
• Stream Restoration Services Stock exclusion fencing, revegetation along waterways, and riparian management workshops to retain water in the landscape and protect water quality. Subsidy up to $7,000 per kilometer available for fencing and revegetation of waterways.
• Annual Ringtail Tally Citizen science program engaging community members to record distribution information about the critically endangered Western Ringtail Possum to guide conservation efforts across the catchment.
• CLAWS (Cat Laws and Wildlife Survival) Program reducing roaming domestic cats through community education on responsible pet ownership, cat enclosure subsidies, feral cat control, and research on toxoplasmosis prevalence, including a PhD research partnership with the University of Western Australia.
• Australasian Bittern Conservation Wetland habitat protection and revegetation in partnership with Birdlife Australia focused on the Manypeaks area, including fencing, predator control, and wetland appraisal to protect this endangered species.
• Dung Beetle Soil Health Initiative Collaborative project with Wilson Inlet Catchment Committee assessing dung beetle distribution and diversity to determine seasonal and species gaps, aiming to mitigate negative impacts of flies and improve soil health and pasture quality.
• 1080 Pest Control Training Four-hour training course ensuring pest animal bait users have knowledge, skills and competencies to use 1080 pest animal bait products safely for themselves and the environment. Targeted at rural landholders.
• Soil Microscopy Service Compound microscope available for members to undertake their own soil health analysis, including slide preparation materials and qualitative assessment sheets.
• King River Warracoolyup Restoration Project Community-led restoration of the King River Warracoolyup area running from 2025 to 2028 with total project value of $1,394,896, including $1,127,212 from the Australian Government's Natural Heritage Trust.

Quantifiable outcome

• 46% reduction in phosphorus applied on participating farms
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead government partner for Healthy Estuaries WA program ($25 million State Government commitment). DWER provides scientific expertise, monitoring, and coordination across seven estuaries. OHCG acts as fee-for-service contractor delivering on-ground works.
• Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey partner in fertiliser management program, providing agronomic expertise, soil testing analysis, and technical support for nutrient management decisions. Joint delivery of Whole Farm Nutrient Mapping and workshops.
• South Coast NRMcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional NRM body covering 9.6 million hectares. Delivers Saving Native Species program with OHCG for Western Ringtail Possum conservation. Coordinates broader regional conservation efforts.
• Birdlife AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Australasian Bittern conservation in Manypeaks area. Birdlife Australia provides wetland appraisals and expertise for protecting this endangered species.
• City of AlbanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal government partner for urban conservation projects including Yakamia Creek rehabilitation, CLAWS cat management program, and King River restoration project support.
• Torbay Catchment GroupsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in joint Western Ringtail Possum conservation project under Saving Native Species program. Collaboration on events and community engagement across adjacent catchment.
• Wilson Inlet Catchment CommitteesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdjacent catchment group partner for joint projects including Dung Beetle initiative and Australasian Bittern habitat protection with Wilson Inlet Catchment Committee.
• Friends of the Porongurup RangesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation nonprofit partner for Ranges Link project connecting Porongurup and Stirling Ranges. Joint work on wildlife corridors and ecological restoration.
• Southern Aboriginal CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in King River Warracoolyup restoration project providing cultural heritage guidance and input for rehabilitation activities and interpretative signage.
• University of Western Australia (UWA)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner in CLAWS project conducting PhD research on toxoplasmosis prevalence in roaming cats and its impact on native animals, livestock, and human health.
• The Nature ConservancysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational conservation organization collaborating on Oyster Reef Restoration project in Oyster Harbour (2020).

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Leschenault Catchment Council: Regional catchment council in Western Australia's South West, focused on the Leschenault estuary and catchment. Direct peer as a community-led NRM organization delivering water quality, revegetation, and landholder programs.
• Northern Agricultural Catchments Council: Regional NRM organization covering the northern agricultural region of Western Australia. Direct peer operating the same community-led NRM model with funding from similar state and federal programs.
• Peel-Harvey Catchment Council: Regional catchment council in Western Australia managing the Peel-Harvey estuary system. Direct peer as a community-led NRM body delivering on-ground restoration, water quality monitoring, and landholder engagement on an estuary-coastal catchment.
• GeoCatch (Geographe Catchment Council): Regional catchment council in Western Australia covering the Geographe Bay catchment. Direct peer delivering fertilizer management, water quality, and landholder engagement programs under a similar state-funded NRM model.
• South Coast NRM: Regional NRM body covering 9.6 million hectares in the South Coast region of Western Australia. Direct peer as a co-delivery partner on Saving Native Species and other programs, operating the same natural resource management model across an adjacent and overlapping geography.
• Torbay Catchment Group: Adjacent catchment group operating in the Torbay catchment area of Western Australia. Direct peer as a community-led landcare nonprofit collaborating on joint Western Ringtail Possum conservation and community engagement activities.
• Wilson Inlet Catchment Committee: Adjacent catchment group covering the Wilson Inlet catchment in Western Australia's Great Southern region. Direct peer as a fellow community-led catchment organization collaborating on joint initiatives such as the Dung Beetle initiative and Australasian Bittern habitat protection.

Broad incumbents

• The Nature Conservancy Australia: International conservation organization that partnered with OHCG on the Oyster Reef Restoration project in 2020. Broad incumbent in the environmental conservation space with global brand, larger funding capacity, and broader program scope than regional catchment groups.

Emerging players

• BirdLife Australia: National bird conservation organization that partners with OHCG on the Australasian Bittern conservation program. Comparable as a conservation NGO that delivers threatened species programs and engages citizen scientists, though at a national rather than catchment scale.

Regional players

• Rangelands NRM: Regional NRM body covering the WA rangelands. Comparable as another WA-based NRM organization but operating at a much larger geographic scale and in a different ecosystem context (rangelands rather than coastal catchments).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/oyster-harbour-catchment

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Oyster Harbour Catchment Group Inc