Regenerating Soils and the Rangelands

Purpose: Through participative research identify methods to improve soil health.  By coordinating with a broad range of organisations and community groups we hope to be able to build on knowledge from other areas and previous projects to investigate and improve the quality of our soils, primary production systems and products produced. 

Contact: Roxane - 0746274481

Outcomes:

Significant outcomes of primary production systems that support biology will include:

• Reduced greenhouse gas emissions    

• Improvements to soil carbon and improved plant health will impact positively of greenhouse gas emission inventories

• Prevent soil loss                                

• Improved plant growth and root structure will provide physical protection, and improved biology and organic matter will improve soil structure

• Improved water quality                        

• Reduced leaching of nutrients

• Reduced sedimentation of waterways   organic matter and roots ‘gluing’ soil

• Rejuvenate regional communities by improving primary productivity we hope to be able to support social and economic growth (new jobs, higher returns) to our local communities

• Improve Primary production                 

• Plants and soil will use resources more efficiently, improving the health of plants (increased grazing potential, harvest and feed quality)

• Improve drought resilience                   

• Improved water holding capacity

• Reduce chemical use & contamination Reduced reliance on pesticides as healthy plants can resist insect and disease attack better.  Weed growth should be significantly reduced if the soil food webs are healthy and suitable.

2006-2007

Fitzroy Basin Association

Purpose: To increase the rejuvenation potential of productive soils in the Western Downs (Taroom Shire)  through the use of various biological, chemical and mechanical means.

Contact: Roxane - 07 4627 4481

Challenge: Past Landcare, agency and MLA projects have concentrated on the mechanical renovation of pastures such as buffel and bluegrass, and various cropping rotations.  Land managers investigated the soil/plant biological characteristics that prevent root breakdown, and   soil microbes from performing their functions.

Proposed solution: A range renovation options that promote soil biological activity will be investigated and trialed on demonstrations sites to investigate potential solutions to this problem. 

Outcomes:

• Improved pasture and livestock performance

• Better understanding of the functioning of the soil environment

• A suite of new tools and techniques land managers can implement to address imbalances in the soil environment

• Implementation of new skills in soil and pasture condition assessment.

• Identification o the impacts that the soil biological environment has on the performance of productive pastures and crops

2004-2005

National Landcare Program -

Natural Resource Innovation Grant

Water Quality Community Ownership

Establish a community based water quality-monitoring program.  Providing the opportunity for pesticide, nutrient, pH, EC, sediment and salinity measurements to be conducted on waterways, lakes and dams within the Shire.

2004-2005

Envirofund

NRM Field Officer - Upper Dawson Catchment

Employment of 1.2 staff to implement and support the implementation of the Central Queensland Strategy for Sustainability 2.

2003-2005

Fitzroy Basin Association

Landcare in the Upper Dawson

 Assistance provided to support Landcare Activities in the Dawson River Catchment, including field days, newsletters and monitoring activities.

2003-2005

Fitzroy Basin Association

Black Ant Creek Catchment Rehabilitation

Project Summary

This is a long-term program combining the skills and knowledge of local producers, DNR and DOW, working together strategically to restore an endangered community (remanent Brigalow Scrub – Acacia harpophylla) to its natural state on a local government controlled stock route.  The Brigalow scrub is important as wildlife corridor linking both Frank Creek and Black-Ant Creek Catchments and an in-danger community.  The aims are to:

o        Establish a benchmark of vegetation / fauna communities and important assets within the site.

o        Eradicate the infestation of Mother of Millions which directly affects 40ha of the brigalow scrub

o        And the regenerate the community to its native state and to monitor and evaluate the changes against set benchmarks.

Natural Heritage Trust

Future Profit

This project is a ‘Future Profit’ working partnership between a Landcare group, DPI, DNR and industry, with Landcare as the lead agency. Landholders were assisted to develop an ethos for business planning and holistic management of natural, human, financial and production resources. This process proved to be extremely successful as it was driven by a community group, while utilising adult learning principles, group knowledge and local group direction as guiding principles.

The core of this program revolves around the Future Profit, 8 workshop series, with many innovative workshops, field days and extra curricular activities evolving over time. One of the most innovative outcomes has been the establishment of the Western Downs Beefplan Group as an ongoing Future Profit Group which has continued to increase members knowledge and skills.

Participant Summary

On average there were two people per business attending.  The average combined holding size for each of these businesses was 2000 to 3000 acres (140,000 acres in all)

PMP Planning for sustainable productivity in the Taroom Shire

The Taroom Shire Landcare Committee has an ethos of assisting landholders to sustainably manage their natural resources, while keeping a focus on all other resources (Human, production and financial).  A pilot program from 1995 – 1997 trialling a six to eight workshop series has demonstrated the success of holistically managing all of these resources within a business planning and adult learning framework combined with group processes.

This project focuses on the further development and delivery of the Future Profit5 Integrated Workshop Series.  It revolves around the development of partnerships between local government, State Agencies, Landcare Groups and the private sector and utilises group-learning processes combined with Business Planning Principals to develop long term sustainable agricultural practices.

Aims

The future Profit action plan has been developed to include:

o        A minimum of seven groups of landholders to complete the series between 97/2000.

o        Four extra workshops linked to the series annually

o        Ten field days/trials and demonstrations, which are, direct outcomes of the workshop series.

o        Establish a benchmarking and best practice group by 1998/99

November 2000 – March 2002

Natural Heritage Trust

Strategic Erosion Control

To assist Primary Producers in Taroom Shire to;

·         Protect 6,000 ha of farming and grazing land from erosion.

·         Repair 500km of contour banks

·         Create a whole of community benefit by protecting the Dawson River Catchment from siltation

·         Promote Landcare on a broad scale by fliers/ newspapers / and word of mouth.

·         Initiate a joint venture between Queensland Department of Primary Industries (QDPI), Taroom Shire Landcare Group and local producers.

·         Share the benefit of DLP funds with the maximum number of producers.

Outcomes

During the life of this project, there has been an increased awareness of the urgent need to protect fragile farming and grazing lands from erosion.  The numbers of landholders rebuilding contour banks is growing daily.   Even more people are interested in building new contour banks as more than 200km have been surveyed in the last 12 months.

 On ground works summary

Drought Landcare Program