Mosaic Map: NRM funded projects
Key
site specific
region wide
Minnel Creek farmers work to halt soil erosion
Water corridor running through centre of cropping area designed to reduce land erosion
Property owner Mary Ward and local Landcare Coordinator Tammy Caldicott examine impacts of erosion
Solid earth walls were constructed to try to control flow of run-off water after storms in an attempt to stop major soil erosion
Farmers in the Minnel Creek sub-catchment north west of Goondiwindi are set to make a major change to their regional landscape.
After years of planning and undertaking small projects, 16 landholders with 24 properties between them are taking major action to deal with soil erosion.
Funding
They're doing this with the help of funding from the Australian and State Governments. The Queensland Murray Darling Committee Inc. (QMDC) and the Queensland Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Water have played a vital role and landholders have made a major contribution.
Activities and achievements
The landholders worked together to develop a sub-catchment plan with considerable help from QMDC. They identified erosion as a key priority and also looked at controlling weeds and pests, protecting vegetation, biodiversity, riverbanks and wetlands.
They'll also be developing earthworks to prevent erosion and water pollution; encouraging minimal and no-till farming to protect groundcover; converting formerly cultivated land to pasture and improving the soil; and fencing off land and establishing new watering points to spread grazing pressure.
Waggamba Landcare Coordinator Nicole Zeoli said combined action was important.
"By working together these farmers can have a significant impact on the landscape," Nicole said.
"They couldn't do all the work they identified was needed in the region without technical and financial assistance. And they could only get access to the amount of funding and technical support they received because they were working together."
Mary Woods, a long-time landholder participating in the project, said farmers sharing both knowledge and physical work was one of the most important aspects of the project.
"It's been really good to see landholders getting together and thinking together," she said. "They're joining with their neighbours to plan for the impacts of what happens on the farm boundary.
"I've been involved with these issues for such a long time that I feel like a mother hen, now that I see it's really happening, after a sometimes seemingly painfully slow process.
"The community here is fairly switched on and adopted best practice in a lot of areas a long time ago. But sometimes it's difficult for people to realise it's not enough to do it on your own. You all need to work together and that cooperative effort takes some time."
More information
- Nicole Zeoli, Waggamba Landcare Coordinator: NicoleZ@qmdc.org.au
See also
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