New approach to an old problem

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Returning life and productivity to otherwise unproductive farmland is the focus of this innovative local farmer.

And a group of locals and visitors recently took a tour to check out an innovative farming approach at his property at Gimlet Ridge, East of Perenjori.

Local farmer, Rod Butler is focusing on soil health and low-input farming techniques to return productivity otherwise unproductive farmland.

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A combination of no-kill cropping techniques and high density short duration grazing (HDSDG) are being demonstrated at Gimlet Ridge, with most work taking place at the beginning of the farming season, in April.

Rod, a participant of NACC’s Round 4 of Farming Demonstration Grants, guided participants on Friday through the NACC Innovative Practices Farm Demonstration project sites on his farm and explained the concepts around no-kill cropping and high density short duration grazing, demonstrating the positive results that he has achieved.

An innovative approach

No-kill cropping encourages seedlings and low succession plants, together with a seeded grains mix to grow in nutrient-poor soils, increasing ground cover and ideally returning moisture and nutrients to the soil.

Rod has conducted this across his farm and in some cases combined it with HDSDG which aims to mimic nature and the way large animal herds move over large areas as packs, flattening the grass, covering the soil surface with mulch and dung, allowing biological decay before the next growing season and the affected area to rest.

The movement of hooves which loosens the capped soils and increases water infiltration in soils is also hypothesized to stimulate seed germination and plant growth.

The road to success

Success was particularly evident in paddocks previously dominated by dry, capped soils supporting little to no life.

These paddocks are now blooming with biodiversity, including a number of native grasses and herbs that had not been seen in those paddocks for many years prior to receiving treatment.

Perenjori Farming Forward’s Phil Logue, stated that it was inspiring to see the positive change in the landscape of Gimlet Ridge since the introduction of Rod’s alternative farming practices, particularly considering that when Rod first began, his methods were quite unusual compared to common practice in the region.

Key take home ideas from the event were the importance of plant life and ground cover for soil health alongside the challenge of shifting our views of traditional farming practices and the role and impacts of livestock in a changing agricultural climate.

Rod’s demonstration has been conducted with support from NACC’s Sustainable Agriculture program, thanks to funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Programme.

For more information, visit NACC’s Farm Demonstrations web page. If you have an idea for an innovative and sustainable farm demonstration that you would like to run on your farm, keep an eye on the website to find out when Round 6 of the Farm Demonstration grants will open.

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In 2020-21 I talked about ‘raising the bar’. In 2021-22 we worked on setting the bar on fire. Over the last 12 months, the team at NACC NRM has not stopped.

The Sustainable Agriculture team has extended the program’s reach through collaborations with grower groups in the regions. Specifically, the Beyond Reasonable Drought project and Grower Group Alliance – South West WA Drought Innovation Hub – Geraldton Node project. The Beyond Reasonable Drought partnership with grower groups supported farmers across the region to improve the environmental sustainability of their agricultural production and drought resilience. The outcomes of this project have been consolidated through our successful Expression of Interest to the South West WA Drought Innovation Hub, with support from grower groups across the region, to host the Geraldton Node of the Hub. The program continues to focus on working with agricultural networks to share technical expertise and provide opportunities that will improve land management practices in agriculture across the region.

The conservation outcomes of ranger teams have expanded through work on several land tenures. Maintaining Heritage sites such as Willi Gulli, Racecourse Paddock and Buller River has long been a priority. During 2021-22, the teams have increasingly focused on threatened species and ecosystems.

To this end, Western Mulga rangers have improved management across 19,000 ha for the conservation of Malleefowl through firebreak and access management. They completed the maintenance of water holes and supported the monitoring of over 90 Malleefowl mounds.

Similarly, the Kwelena Mambakort Aboriginal Corporate ranger team have contributed positively to Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo populations by installing artificial hollows and habitat restoration.

All ranger teams have collected native seed, propagated native plants for restoration, and planted native vegetation in key locations across the NAR. Seed collection provides valuable industry experience and has facilitated the planting of over 100,000 seedlings during the year.   

In September 2021, the NACC NRM team delivered the WA Threatened Species Forum, held in tandem with the National Malleefowl Forum. Given the impact of COVID and the timing of this event, having more than 100 delegates from all over Australia was a significant achievement. The two Forums brought together 12 events over five days and featured 14 local artists, 25 businesses and 36 youth participants.

Following the successful relaunch of our updated NARvis, NACC NRM was invited to help lead a significant piece of strategic planning work for the region with Mid West Development Commission and the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development. With funding from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund, the consortia delivered a Regional Drought Resilience Plan covering the shires of Northampton and Chapman Valley and the City of Greater Geraldton, along with significant technical analysis of drought vulnerability for the South West land division. The development of this plan also included extensive community consultation to ensure that local knowledge and technical advice guided the development of priorities for action.

This planning work links to existing NACC NRM on-ground projects, including Beyond Reasonable Drought and the Chapman Catchment Collaborative regeneration project.

It was a busy year for events with face-to-face events becoming commonplace again. During 2021-22 we hosted events in Gingin, Moora, Dalwallinu, Cervantes, Jurien Bay, Walkaway, Nabawa, Perenjori, Kalannie and Morawa. We supported events in Karakin, Thundellara, Perenjori, Paynes Find, Wubin, Cataby, Warradarge, Northampton, Yuna, Dalwallinu and Dandaragan.

We also supported on-ground works throughout the region, including at the following locations Yuna, Dalwallinu, Dandaragan, Merkanooka, Goodlands, Kalannie, Bunjil, Yardarino, Canna, Kondut, Latham, Kadathinni, Nabawa, Red Gully, Sandy Gully, Waddy Forrest, Devils Creek, Perenjori, Bowgada, Ellendale, Wandana, Namban, Hill River, Warradarge, Gillingarra, Regans Ford and Moonyanooka.

Our region is vast – slightly larger than Tasmania, which for comparison, is serviced by three separate NRM organisations. Covering the NAR region and its many environmental threats is challenging. We continue to focus on partnerships and collaboration to address this challenge. We know that by working with our community through passionate delivery of collaborative on-ground projects and education, the community will value and actively protect our region’s natural capital.

This year we have launched a new Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). The RAP Working Group consulted widely and developed an Innovate RAP which Reconciliation Australia approved in March 2022. The activities to fulfil these commitments are now in full swing.

Sadly, at the end of 2021, we farewelled former NACC NRM CEO Shelley Spriggs, who lost a long battle with cancer. Shelley was an inaugural inductee to the NRM Leadership Honour Roll. I will always be grateful for her guidance and no-nonsense approach, not to mention her passion for life.

While we have said farewell to some, we have welcomed many new faces across all programs, including our Administration team. We have also hosted a school-based trainee from Nagle Catholic College who has been working towards a Certificate II in Conservation and Ecosystem Management. This trial position has been very successful, and we look forward to making this opportunity available again in 2023.

During 2022 we have taken on new projects that align with our organisational and program objectives, and we have successfully completed some great initiatives that support continued conservation and sustainability outcomes. I want to thank the whole team who continue to go above and beyond for the organisation and each other proving their ongoing commitment to our purpose and our values.