NQ Dry Tropics on LinkedIn: Actively eroding gullies, declining land condition, weeds. Strathalbyn… (2024)

Landscape rehydration techniques at Weetalaba Station, near Collinsville, are expected to improve productivity and landscape function.The erosion site was an active alluvial fan that cut a shortened path to a nearby creek. Large active black soil gullies from overland water flows were dropping into the feature.The intervention, a series of dam walls and diversion banks, has resulted in spreading water across the landscape, increasing inundation and infiltration across the plain, increasing deposition of sediment, and slowing subsurface moisture movement.The long-term benefits of the works will include increased water infiltration, healthier soils, more diverse pastures, increased grazing capacity, reduced erosion, and improved water quality.The Mulloon Institute designed the project for the NQ Dry Tropics Landholders Driving Change project, funded by the partnership between the Australian Government’s Reef Trust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation.The Landholders Driving Change project has been supporting graziers across the region to implement works to restore and rehydrate the landscape.Local graziers attended a field day to hear from Mulloon Institute representatives Neil Cupples and Leon Van Wyk about the project.For key outcomes and further information: https://lnkd.in/gasYPMgQGreat Barrier Reef Foundation Mulloon Institute

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Since acquiring the family farm seven years ago, David Fowler and wife Lucy have focused on improving infrastructure to reduce energy consumption, improve water use efficiency and minimise surface and deep drainage irrigation loss. Most recently they installed an automated irrigation system on the 41 hectare property, at Osborne on the Burdekin River.David said long-term plans to automate had been accelerated thanks to support through the Major Grants Project under the Lower Burdekin Water Quality Program.At a recent event on the property, a group of growers and industry representatives had a chance to learn about the set up. David responded at length to the many questions from attendees, assisted by Justin Byers of Electrical and Automation Solutions (EAS), who designed and installed the system. David said it was important to have everything in place on the farm before taking the plunge with automation.“My first priority was getting all my pumps running as efficiently as possible. Next was installing pipelines to the outlets and the last step was automation,” he said.He said the ability to irrigate remotely from his mobile phone had enabled him to focus more on his family.“I like to get away on a weekend and go on holidays with the family, but during the season you're pretty much tied here if you can't irrigate remotely,"he said.“But with automation I just need to go for a drive around the farm once a week just to check everything and that's about it.”The Lower Burdekin Water Quality Program is delivered through the partnership between the Great Barrier Reef Foundation and the Australian Government's Reef Trust.CANEGROWERS Australia

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NQ Dry Tropics was invited to present at the Northern Australia Fire Managers Forum, held at Mercure in Townsville this week.It was an opportunity to provide an overview of the Cultural Fire for Grazing Landscapes project to a forum which draws representatives from across northern Australia to share best-practice fire management tailored to the needs of northern Australian communities and environments.The Cultural Fire for Grazing Landscapes project aims to revitalise and rebuild capacity of Traditional Owners across the Dry Tropics region, with a focus on cultural fire management practice and how it can be adapted and applied in the grazing landscape. The presentation generated a lot of questions and discussions. The project is delivered in partnership between Traditional Owners of the Burdekin Dry Tropics region, WWF-Australia, Firesticks Alliance, and graziers.The forum drew representatives from a wide range of organisations, including Queensland Fire and Rescue Service, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF), Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS), Queensland Reconstruction Authority, Transport and Main Roads, Aurizon, Agforce, Gudjuda Reference Group, Carpentaria Land Council Aboriginal Corporation, among others.The Northern Australia Fire Managers Forum meets every two years, alternating between Queensland, Northern Territory and Western Australia.The aims of the forums are to:- identify, develop, share and promote best-practice fire management tailored to the needs of northern Australian environments;- access relevant, up-to-date information and research outcomes;share information across jurisdictions and between agencies;- identify issues of mutual importance and interest, and where appropriate, to act collectively on those issues.It’s been a great few days. Hats off to Northern Region Rural Fire Service, Queensland Fire and Emergency Services for producing an excellent event.Queensland Fire and Emergency Services Firesticks WWF-Australia

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Caring for Country....togetherNQ Dry Tropics's vision for reconciliation is that we all work together to care for Country, building respectful relationships and creating meaningful opportunities to provide diverse pathways towards reconciliation. To wrap up National Reconciliation Week, on Friday, members of the NQ Dry Tropics Traditional Owner Management Group shared a breakfast with staff members. It was an opportunity to socialise but also to reflect on reconciliation, and acknowledge the release of the NQ Dry Tropics Reconciliation Action Plan late last year.#NationalReconciliationWeek

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A visit to the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) has given a group of Burdekin cattle producers an opportunity to learn more about the science behind water quality research.If farmers are to be part of the water quality solution, they need access and communication lines to government, policy makers and scientists to help come up with workable solutions. The visit enabled graziers to share how practices they’re putting in place are reducing their environmental footprint while also improving the viability of their farms, and scientists were able to talk about the research they’re doing and why it mattered.Scientists explained the implementation of the Paddock to Reef (P2R) Integrated Monitoring, Modelling and Reporting program in the Burdekin region, and how results provide evidence of links between land management activities, water quality and reef health.Monitoring is used to measure the on-ground change in land management practices and water quality at the paddock scale. This feeds into catchment models that track progress towards water quality targets through the Great Barrier Reef Report Card.A shout out to Dr Lyndon Llewllyn, Dr Renee Gruber and Angus Thompson who delivered informative presentations and answered a lot of questions. Other highlights included a tour of the Coral Core Archive facility and the National Sea Simulator.The Paddock to Reef program provides the framework for evaluating and reporting progress towards Reef 2050 water quality targets through the Great Barrier Reef Report Card. The program is jointly funded by the Australian and Queensland governments.The AIMS visit was part of NQ Dry Tropics’ Herding Change Through Grassroots Recovery project funded by the partnership between the Australian Government’s Reef Trust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation.The project has worked with Burdekin graziers on changed grazing practices to manage riparian zones and maintain end-of-dry season groundcover to improve water quality and farm production. Many of NQ Dry Tropics projects merge best-practice science with best-practice land management and come up with solutions that work for farmers, the government, and the Great Barrier Reef.Australian Institute of Marine Science Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water Great Barrier Reef Foundation Queensland Government NRM Regions Queensland

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STAFF PROFILE:TONY KYLE — CARING FOR COUNTRY FACILITATORTony Kyle’s wealth of experience in Indigenous partnerships and agriculture is standing him in good stead in his new role at NQ Dry Tropics.A descendant of the Gia and Ngaro tribes of the Bowen to Whitsunday region, Tony’s early years were spent on Bindal and Juru country, where he gained experience working in the sugar cane, cropping and cattle industries.More recently he spent eleven years working in GBRMPA’s Indigenous Partnerships Unit enabling Traditional Owners to enact their cultural authority on Country as part of initiatives to improve the conservation of threatened turtles and dugongs.Prior to this Tony had attended the Burdekin Rural Education Centre (BurdREC) in its foundation year and completed certificates in Tropical Agriculture and Animal Husbandry.In his role as Caring for Country Facilitator, Tony will support the development of Traditional Owner partnerships, and assist in the delivery of activities identified in NQ Dry Tropics' Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan, which launched last year. This includes enhancing cultural awareness among staff within the organisation, and supporting Traditional Owners to achieve their caring for Country aspirations across the Burdekin Dry Tropics region.“My passion is to enable Traditional Owners to undertake natural resource management and conservation on Country, to empower them to build capacity and undertake the cultural obligations of caring for Country, Tony said.When not working Tony enjoys spending time with his family, and both playing and listening to music.Welcome aboard Tony!@countryneedspeople @caringforcountry

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It was a real milestone day at Strathalbyn Station for the Hughes family last month when they paused to mark 20 years since Richard and Dyan purchased the 32,000ha property from Jim and Linda Dunn.The Dunns had broken it into 10 paddocks by the time they sold (there were three when they arrived), and the Hughes set about continuing that work.By 2019, they had 69 paddocks and this year, they can count 78 paddocks used to rotate the grazing pressure around the property.Richard and Dyan’s son Bristow and wife Ureisha have managed Strathalbyn and the extended Wentworth Cattle Company operations since 2015.They have enthusiastically tackled several projects with NQ Dry Tropics, not least being the Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA)Regenerative Grazing and Integrated Weed Management projects. https://lnkd.in/g_-RfZiJThey also participated in the Stomping Out Sediment in the Burdekin project, experimenting with unconventional approaches to gully management, including evaluating the use of livestock as a tool to remediate gullies.The Hughes have undertaken a number of large-scale gully remediation projects supported by different investors, making a spectacular difference to parts of their property.The anniversary was marked by a field day featuring guest speakers •Dr Christine Jones, Amazing Carbon•Dick Richardson, Nature's Equity•Raymond Stacey, RCS•Leanne O'Sullivan, Glenalpine StationTopics of discussion included a range of gully rehabilitation measures and grazing practices that have been implemented on Strathalbyn.This field walk was supported by MLA. Grazing Naturally Nature's Equity, LLC

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STAFF PROFILE:CLAIRE CORNEL, GRADUATE GRAZING EXTENSION OFFICERClaire Cornel is excited by the opportunity to support landholders to improve soils and pastures, leading to more productive enterprises and a healthier environment.Claire is the latest in a distinguished line of recent graduates to join NQ Dry Tropics under the Queensland Farmers’ Federation’s Agricultural Extension Work Placement Program.She is about to complete her Bachelor of Ag Science at the University of Queensland, having previously gained a Cert III in Production Horticulture.She credits an inspiring Ag teacher at school for her choice of career path, and said she was looking forward to putting her knowledge into practice as a member of the Grazing Team:.“My passion is soil health and diversity, which is the driving factor to improve pasture management,” she said.“I’m looking forward to understanding the reality of grazing and how landholders have adapted to the land’s demands.“This work matters because it helps graziers make positive changes to benefit the land and communities, while preserving the reef, waterways and soils.”Claire’s prior work experience includes stints on finger lime and avocado farms, at a garden centre, and as part of a fire ant eradication program. She is a keen gardener who also spends her spare time hiking and identifying plants.Born in Brisbane but raised in Beerwah, she only recently moved to the region is impressed by what she has seen so far:“This region is quite new to me but even in the few weeks I’ve been here I’ve found a sense of community and love of the land. It only takes a short drive for a complete change of scenery,” she said. Great to have you as part of the team Claire!NRM Regions Queensland AgForce Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (Queensland) Great Barrier Reef Foundation The University of Queensland

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STAFF PROFILE:JAEDA LENOY, ON-COUNTRY PROJECT OFFICERNew recruit Jaeda Lenoy couldn’t be happier to have secured the role of On Country Project Officer at NQ Dry Tropics.Jaeda is a proud Birriah, Juru, Ngaro and South Sea Islander descendant on her father’s side of the family, as well as a Bundjalung, Gumbaynggirr and Maori descendant on her mother’s side. Born and raised in Townsville, she said she was excited to connect with the many Indigenous communities active within the Burdekin Dry Tropics region, while further indulging her passion for on-Country exploration.“The opportunity to work on Country — walking, seeing, breathing the air — is better than anything,” she said.“This role enables me to work on two out of three of my North Queensland Cultural lands, connecting with neighbouring groups, helping foster the trust and bonds necessary to execute agreed tasks, as well as gathering and processing knowledge of other Indigenous parties and Elders.“Connecting with the land and observing how the Western approach to recording and research compares with Indigenous methods is interesting and eye opening in a way that keeps me engaged and coming back for more.”Jaeda is currently a member and Alternate Director of the Birriah Aboriginal Corporation. She is also involved with Indigenous adolescent health group ROADMAP as a Queensland Female Representative, and part of its Knowledge Exchange and Analyst team.She spends whatever free time she has left creating artworks, driving and camping, spending time with family, or watching a good series — preferably anime or K-Dramas!Great to have you on board Jaeda!Indigenous Environmental NetworkIndigenous Climate Hub Indigenous Climate Hub Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Recruitment

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