A Burdekin grazier couple who installed fencing the equivalent of the distance between Ayr and Townsville have taken out a prestigious national award.
NQ Dry Tropics, the Burdekin Dry Tropics natural resource management company, nominated Glenalpine Station couple Barry and Leanne O’Sullivan for the 2013 Reef Rescue Grazier Award after they transformed the layout of their cattle grazing land. Continue Reading…
Life as a primary producer isn’t easy, no matter where you live. For primary producers in the dry tropics however, there are some unique challenges.
Dry tropics producers may endure long periods without rain and when it does arrive, it comes in monsoonal downpours. A big wet season can destroy fencing, remove topsoil and cause the loss of nutrients and seeds.
As Sustainable Agriculture Officer, Josh Schwarz, says, “Those soils represent your earning potential because pastures love to grow in them. Soil erosion leaves subsoils behind and unfortunately, the subsoils in our region are often of poor quality and they dissolve easily.”
That’s why helping farmers minimise sediment loss and maximise water quality is a priority for NQ Dry Tropics. NQ Dry Tropics staff meet station owners, listen to their plans and try to work with them to achieve their goals.
“All landholders have a dozen things they’d love to establish on their property if money wasn’t a limiting factor. It might be fencing, it might be returning vegetation to a stream bank or restoring soil health. If we can help them, we do,” Josh says.
Staff work with landholders by providing technical expertise, extension activities, training and grants. Landholders are consulted throughout and projects are tailored for each property.
We’ve been here for 20 odd years and we’ve always wanted to improve our fencing and water infrastructure so we can better manage our pastures. NQ Dry Tropics has made this feasible and we’re really happy with the result and the input we’ve received.
Wayne Shadforth, Lincoln Springs Station
The Desert Channels Group (DCG) have recently embarked on an important project to ensure the continued high standard of water quality in the region. Surface water monitoring is happening at a number of locations in the Galilee Basin.
“The regular collection of water samples at some of the most important river systems in the Desert Channels, North Queensland Dry Tropics and Southern Gulf regions will help to determine baseline information about the quality of the water in our rivers” said Christine O’Brien, DC Solutions Project Manager.
Thanks to funding from the Australian Government’s Reef Rescue Initiative and support from NQ Dry Tropics, north Queensland sugarcane farmer Stephen Lando now knows the answer.
For the past six years, Stephen and his team have been learning how to grow cane with minimal environmental impact and maximum productivity.
One of the ways they’ve learned to improve water quality and reduce carbon emissions while at the same time reducing operating costs, minimising labour and maintaining high productivity is through a process called minimum tillage. Continue Reading…
The future is bright for the Deguara family, a Mackay Whitsunday sugar cane family who not only works the land, but has expansion of their operations on the cards with a strong focus on improving the environment.
Sugarcane grower Gerry Deguara heavily involves his two sons, Sam and Joe, in his farming operations. Based in the Reef Catchments area of Mackay Whitsunday, Gerry says a key ingredient to keeping younger growers interested in being land stewards is to offer a bit more of a challenge. Environmental issues certainly makes this possible with a great effort into improving their soil, irrigation, chemical and nutrient to improve water quality through their participation on ‘Project Catalyst’, a project with partners including NRM groups Reef Catchments, NQ Dry Tropics, Terrain in addition to the Coca-Cola Foundation, WWF and the Australian Government through the Caring for our Country’s Reef Rescue program. Continue Reading…
Students at Thuringowa State High School are the first to try out a new biodiversity learning initiative that’s allowing them to get up close and personal with some scaly and furry friends.
NQ Dry Tropics has developed ‘Healthy Habitats for Schools’ to enable schools to meet new Education Queensland curriculum requirements relating to the management of grounds and the teaching of biodiversity concepts. Continue Reading…
Collinsville grazier Brett Stagg knows the value of water.
While the past season has been good, Brett’s number one priority is to secure water for the long-term.
While acknowledging it as no small task to organise water for his 6620 hectare property, Mr Stagg said he has been greatly assisted by the Australian Government’s Caring for our Country Reef Rescue initiative and encouraged other graziers to investigate on-ground grants this new financial year.
Mulgowie Farming Company is working on getting more out of the land without compromising its health.
Australian owned and operated, Mulgowie Farming Company has been growing sweet corn, fresh beans and other vegetables for almost 30 years.
It was started by the Emerick family in the Lockyer Valley, Queensland, and now has 400 staff working 5,000 hectares in Queensland and Victoria. Mulgowie sells direct to supermarkets, agents and markets.
By Kathy Cogo, NQ Dry Tropics
It’s a radically different way to water cane and has neighbours looking over the fence. It uses far less water, increases yield and really improves the quality of water that runs off farms.
Paul Villis grows cane near Ayr and he’s trialing trickle, or drip, irrigation on part of his farm. Trickle irrigation comprises rows of plastic tape buried underground that delivers water directly to the roots of the plant through tiny drippers that regulate water flow. Continue Reading…
