Establish a staged project commencing with 16km of cattle fencing located in Bush Paddock on Mt Elliott, subdividing areas used consistently for rotational grazing, from areas of Brigalow / Belah forest community. The Threatened Ecological Community will be strategically grazed maintaining production & enhancing biodiversity of the endangered ecosystem, promoting sustainable grazing practices, & highlighting the rationale that production & biodiversity conservation can coexist & compliment the operation of a substantial grazing enterprise.
Stage 1 ‐ Control erosion on major property waterway & around dam by‐washes by fencing 3 km section adjacent the waterway. 3 additional water points need to be established external to the waterway to allow access to water for stock. A trough currently located within the waterway will be required to be relocated out of the waterway. Some earth works will be required (i.e. drains) to assist the stabilisation and drainage of the area.
Stage 2 ‐ Rehabilitation of QLD Bluegrass pastures by controlled stocking rates on downs country through additional fencing, establishing new & strategically located watering points.
Stage 3 ‐ Expand areas of QLD Bluegrass pastures by controlled stocking rates on downs country through additional fencing, establishing new & strategic watering points.
Ambathala Creek will be segregated from the rest of its’ current paddock to allow more strategic grazing in this area. This will be done through cost effective fencing which has been explored throughout other areas of the property. Electric fencing will be used with three plain wires. This has proven to be adequate for other internal fences throughout the rest of the property.
The paddock is on the western side of the creek and is currently around 4451 hectares. This will be cut into two sections consisting of around 3000 ha and 1451 ha. The 1451 ha paddock will then be separated by two segregating fences, which will allow movement of stock from one end of the creek to the other allowing for a more strategic rotational grazing system for the cattle. The completion of the project will need the construction of around 10km of fence. This project is building on the rest of the property as the owners have been selecting certain areas to fence and graze separately.
Water spreading involves creating low bunding rills that follow the contour of the ground. The water collects against the bunding and then fills into the borrow pit from which the dirt is taken to make the rill. The water is then delivered further on in a slower and even sheet. To select areas effected by previous overgrazing and erosion and turkey bush infestation. We aim to develop and improve an area of around 500 to 600ha. We will seek advice from the Manns family, "Dijoe" Bourke (Water Spreading Field day at Rangelands Conference 2010). We will utilise hand held lazer levels to maintain accuracy amongst rills for even water spreading. One of the project sites will be located in the North East corner of Wallen and the other in the middle of the place concentrating on the eastern side. Will hire machinery and construct project myself. Total funds South West NRM is contributing to this water spreading project is $10,890.
This project will achieve fencing for the protection of Wallam Creek as it traverses through Tilquin. A fence consisting of 2 kms of 2 barb and 4 plain wires will helpimprove water quality, reduce erosion and increase groundcover and allow for total grazing control of domestic animals. This stretch of the creek has historically been a koala habitat, but sightings have dimished during recent drought years. This is a conservation project with no grazing by sheep or cattle planned for the creek enclosure. This fencing will provide public benefit and compliment 65 kms of riparian fencing already exisiting in the northern catchment of the Wallam creek. The fencing project will stretch along the western side of Wallum Creek. These alluvial floodplains are a mixture of grey and red soil with Coolibah, rivergum and sandlewood vegetation.
Erect 5 Km of permanent electric fence enclosing 600 ha of highly diverse virgin timbered landtype. The fence will start from an existing landcare electric fence project that runs along the Paroo. This project will enclose another area of creek and virgin landtypes into a revegetation program with the aid of a fence to control the total grazing pressure. The proposed new fence heads east for 3 kms and turns south for 2 km encompasing 600 ha on the southern boundary .
The project contributes to the cost of using a Loader to push a bank across the inlet of an earth tank and prevent it from filling. The tank is on the boundary of “Paddabilla” and provides unmanaged water to feral cattle and native grazing animals. Andrew Gardiner has already shut down several dams on “Paddabilla” and the entire property is watered by a Bore and troughs, this allows water to be turned off as soon as stock are moved out of the paddocks.
The country around this tank is a seasonal wetland of about 494 hectares and is under constant grazing pressure from animals hanging on this tank and normally has low ground. This project will not only allow the area to be rested from feral animals but then allow for beneficial grazing pressure when stock are in the paddock (size 1050 hectares) and rested for the rest of the year.
The project its self is small, while the outcomes will be big! The Project budget is $1100 (Incl. GST).
The project is to install three water tanks and six troughs into six paddocks to allow high density stocking. The entire property is currently under rotational grazing with around 3000-4000 sheep in 2000 acre paddocks for up to three weeks. Moves are based on availability of perrenial grasses, and stock are moved when there is still plenty of feed left in paddock.
Currently one water in each paddock suits adult sheep, but lambs don’t water well and then need to be split in to smaller mobs. By putting these extra water points, the landholder will be able to keep the lambs in larger mobs and increase stock impact to achieve even grazing of pastures across the paddocks and increase the resting time of other paddocks.
“Rosscoe Downs” is in a natural migration pathway for kangaroos and goats, has excellent pastures and permanent water from artificial watering sources and few predators. This project will fence a dam to exclude all animals from water at it, with a high integrity fence.
This project is costing over $10,500 with SWNRM contributing $5060 to assist the owners of “Rosscoe Downs”.
"Woolly Paddock" has been divided in two separate sections through the construction of a fence which the owners of Amaroo have constructed through their own funds. This will allow the country to regenerate and increase ground cover. This area has been identified as some of the worst country for not regenerating after periods with little rainfall. The owners Rick and Jenny Keogh, want to regenerate the country in Woolly Paddock through re-invigorating pastures. They will do this through scattering Mitchell Grass hay and (locally sourced) grass seed throughout the project area. The bulk of the hay will be providing protection from weather conditions and input organic matter and seed into the soil. The seed will germinate and allow faster cover of the ground to occur. This project area will be grazed sparingly and in a rotation for as long as the property is being managed by the current owners. This will help with groundcover management and soil retention. These activities will be consistant with many other activities which the owners have implemented throughout the property. Following this proposed activity monitoring of the plant diversity will take place to assess the production and environmental benefits.
