The Belyando-Suttor catchment region is characterised by grazing
and board acre cereal cropping. This project addressed priority
resource use, management, sustainability, and capacity issues
across the region.
The on-ground incentives scheme provided funds for 73 kilometres
of fencing of riparian, protecting nearly 6,000 hectares of
riparian vegetation. A further, 9 kilometres of fencing was
funded to protect over 500 hectares of remnant vegetation. An
additional 73 kilometres of fencing and 13 watering points
were funded to enable landholders to improve cattle management on
their properties, develop wet season grazing strategies and to
restore over 23,000 hectares of over-grazed land. A
total of 3,150 hectares of weeds were successfully
eradicated.
Stage 1 saw the employment of a project officer, organisation of
capacity building workshops for landholders in the Belyando Suttor
area, and the establishment of a soil health trial on a
representative property to develop benchmarks. Community engagement
was increased with the revitalisation of the Belyando Suttor
Implementation Group.
Stage 2 continued with one-on-one extension by the project
officer and the organisation of workshops/field days and
information on Property Management Planning/Farm Layout and mapping
GIS & GPS, grazing management programs, water quality
monitoring, understanding climate, soil health and cultural
heritage to provide capacity building within the catchment.
Priority areas for on-ground activities were:-
- Salinity prevention and remediation in the Logan Creek
catchment and some isolated properties;
- Weed control in areas such as Beaufort Creek, Alpha, Monteagle,
Fletcher’s Awl, Degulla and Albro;
- Water quality improvement in the headwaters of the Belyando
River, Logan Creek and Police Creek at Mt Coolon;
- Biodiversity linkage in a high conservation area from Splitter
Creek to Darkies Range and some isolated properties
On-ground activities included:
- fencing of riparian areas, wetlands and high value vegetation
and to land type; and
- biodiversity stewardships.
