The Clarke River (720,000ha) and East Burdekin (510,000ha approx) catchments have been identified as generating high sediment loads, contributing to the degradation of water quality in the Burdekin Basin. These issues have been identified from the Burdekin Rangelands Subregional Strategy and observation by CSIRO, ACTFR and DPI&F extension staff since 1989.

Issues affecting the Clarke River and East Burdekin catchments include: pasture degradation, declining biodiversity, erosion hot spots, degradation of riparian and frontage country, emerging woody weed problems, overgrazing, and woodland thickening.

This project will provide Grazing Land Management training in a PMP context to graziers and then part fund on-ground works facilitating the adoption of improved land management practices, including:

• riparian zone management
• wet season pasture spelling
• conservative stocking rates
• potential use of fire for management and environmental outcomes
• protecting of-concern/endangered RE’s, critical habitat and
• reclamation of strategic and identified degraded areas

Gathering of data to quantify environmental improvements at the catchment scale by water quality and land condition monitoring will also occur in this project.

Highlights 

This project commenced in October 2006 with the employment of a project officer. Applications for incentives have been assessed and on-ground works are due to commence.

Links to other activities

The Clarke River/East Burdekin Catchment has synergies with a number of other projects in this area including AgSIP 02 (evaluating extension approaches), Grazing Systems Trial at “Wambiana” and Healthy Burdekin Catchment project at “Virginia Park” research projects, SPIRAL, AgSIP 09 (monitoring rangeland condition in Queensland pilot), & the cross regional Biodiversity Management and Condition Assessment: A toolkit for Queensland’s Tropical Rangelands project.