Under ‘Reef Alliance: Growing a GREAT Barrier Reef’ project, we are aiming to reduce soil movement from grazing properties into waterways in the Burnett priority area. This means protecting streambanks, addressing gully erosion and retaining good ground cover. This is good for your business and good for the Reef!
We are seeking to work with commercial-scale graziers, with property within the priority area (refer to map), who are keen to participate in extension and training with the view to implementing practice change. This project will have the most impact on retaining soil (and, therefore, reducing sediment to the Reef and meeting project aims) where the property features damaged streambanks and/or seriously eroded gullies. If this sounds like your property – give us a call to see if we can help.
We are able to offer graziers in our priority area one-on-one, tailored extension and training to help implement management changes needed to retain valuable top-soil on your property. There are some relatively low cost options to reduce soil movement which align well with good grazing practices and therefore have the potential to improve your profitability. These include
pasture budgeting to better match stock number to feed availability,
timely stocking rate decisions and herd management to reduce the risk of over-grazing and
changes to the grazing systems and herd management to (better) enable rotational grazing and pasture spelling for pasture recovery and improved groundcover.
Under the project, together, we review all aspects of your grazing management looking for areas for improvement and devising feasible options to address any areas of concern. This may include participation in relevant training or seeking specific technical advice from industry specialists.
As part of the project, ‘on grounds works’ may be identified as a way to reduce sediment movement including
protecting a streambank through fencing and providing cattle with off-stream watering points and
repairing badly eroded gullies and the associated works or structures to reduce the risk of future erosion at the site.
If these on ground works are likely to significantly reduce soil loss from your property, there is the opportunity to apply for incentive funds to help complete these works.
Thank you to those graziers who have already expressed a interest in this project.
For more information please contact Veronica Chapman, our Project Extension Officer, on 0448 114 502 or veronica@betterburnett.com
The Reef Alliance Program is a partnership between agricultural industry, regional NRM bodies and facilitated by the Queensland Farmers’ Federation (QFF), with the common goal of securing the future health of the Great Barrier Reef. The Reef Alliance Program is funded by the Australian Government and delivered through the Reef Trust