Cross Property Planning to Balance Production and Conservation

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2012 – 2018

Funded by the NSW Environmental Trust Community Bush Regeneration (Large Projects) and the Australian Government

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Across the mid-Murrumbidgee region, native vegetation now exists predominantly in small, scattered remnants across multiple properties. The Cross Property Planning (CPP) project worked with landholders in the Kyeamba Valley, Tarcutta-Humula, and Junee-Illabo-Bethungra regions using a cross-property approach to protect and reconnect native vegetation across this fragmented landscape.

Working at the landscape scale has huge benefits for native flora and fauna, protecting and improving crucial habitat and biodiversity. It also has benefits for production, including weed and pest control, creation of habitat to attract beneficial insects, and improvements to soil and water quality.

The benefits of the project for landholders include:

Working alongside others from your community to share ideas, see other management strategies in action, and build knowledge and expertise;
Discussing alternative management options for your property with scientists, agency experts and other producers;
Learning more about the native vegetation and wildlife in your area, and how can assist in protecting it; and
Accessing support and funding to carry out work on your property to improve your production/conservation balance and to assist with increasing landscape connectivity.

[/vc_column_text][vc_tabs][vc_tab title=”Workshops & field days” tab_id=”10ee67f3-65e4-2″][vc_column_text]A key part of the Cross Property Planning project is the many workshops and field days which are offered to land holders. Responding to the production essentials and knowledge needs in each area, the workshops draw on the expertise of a range of partners including:

NSW Office of Environment and Heritage
Australian National University
University of Melbourne
NSW Department of Primary Industries
Riverina Local Land Services
Invasive Animal Cooperative Research Centre
Waratah Fencing
NSW Rural Fire Service

Reports from some of the many workshops we have held include:

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The approach to on-ground works has been to coordinate works through the cross-property groups, to develop plans on each land holder’s property which contribute to landscape scale conservation goals.

Direct funding has been provided to land holders through the project to support on-ground works including:

Planting tree corridors and other areas of native vegetation
Protecting existing areas of native vegetation, or paddock trees, through fencing to control stock access and additional plantings
Participation in area-wide pest management programs, such as fox baiting
Restricting stock access to dams or natural waterways
Undertaking weed management.

The coverage of the CPP on-ground works is shown in the Project Map. Stories from some of the land holder’s involved in the project, discussing the work they have done, and their long-term NRM goals are included below.

Humula-Tarcutta CPP Group:

Len Ellis, Humula – “Pasture cropping boosts feed at Humula”

Peter McCallum, Tarcutta – “Dealing with erosion at ‘Waddon’ “

Peter Reeckman, Humula – “You’ve got to have trees!”

Bob Schofield, Oberne – “Addressing gully erosion at ‘Clearview’ “

Lawrie and Nic Sykes, Humula – “You just need to be sustainable”

David Tooke, Humula – “I was completely astounded by the volume of water”

Junee-Illabo-Bethungra CPP Group:

Skye Bellamy, Downside – “Dedication to Landcare on ‘Coombiana'”

Skye Bellamy, Downside – “Wildlife corridors and shelterbelts”

Max Chamberlain, Downside – “Landcare: A farmer’s experience”

Peter and Kellie Crawford, Wantabadgery – “Good encouragement to get more trees in!”

Pat and Marion Drew, Bethungra – “NRM is a part of farming”

Peter, Sandra, Anthony and Rhonda Heffernan, Wantiool – “Planning paves the way”

Toby Jones, Eurongilly – “Trees to target weed spread”

Tracey and Bruce MacLeod, Wantabadgery – “Trial and error results in habitat continuity”

Stuart Meiklejohn, Downside – “Replacing what has been lost”

Bill and Maria Muller, Bethungra – “Building biodiversity, knowledge and partnerships”

Fiona and Daniel Rankin, Bethungra – “Planning for the future”

Kyeamba CPP Group:

Andrew and Robert Dunn, Book Book – “Protecting and enhancing remnant native vegetation”

Sue Dunn, Book Book – “Taking a holistic approach to NRM in the Kyeamba Valley”

Steve and Sarah Palmer, Book Book – “Tree planting proves fruitful at ‘Kyeamba Downs'”

Steve and Sarah Palmer, Book Book – “Learning from – and working with – our neighbours”

Trevor Parker, Book Book – “Protecting groundcover at ‘Book Book'”

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Land holder and Flora & Fauna Surveys

Land holder Surveys

In mid-2013, thirty-five land holders involved in the CPP Project were surveyed to gain a greater understanding of their expectations, goals, practices and knowledge in relation to the management of native vegetation on their properties.

The results from these surveys are being used to assist Murrumbidgee Landcare to deliver more effective extension strategies, better address the needs of local land holders, and work more effectively with land holders to protect and restore our native vegetation.

A copy of the results of the initial survey is available here.

In late 2015, a follow-up survey was conducted, to learn more about land holder’s perceptions of native vegetation and biodiversity, how they value these, and what works they have undertaken in an effort to protect or enhance native vegetation on their properties.

A summary of the results from the follow-up survey is available here.

Flora and Fauna Surveys

In spring 2013, 30 flora and fauna surveys were conducted across 24 farms of land holder’s involved in the CPP project. Dr Fiona Christie (University of Melbourne) was engaged to undertake formal bird surveys, while Alison Elvin (Natural Capital) was engaged to complete the flora surveys.

The aim of the surveys was multi-purpose:

To provide a snapshot of species diversity ‘on farm’ throughout the region;
To provide farmers involved in the project with information about the species found on their site, and the implications that may have for their ongoing management of that site;
To encourage farmers to continue to participate in conserving biodiversity on their farm, and across the broader landscape, whilst not impacting on the productivity of their farm;
To provide baseline flora and fauna information to the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) database, adding to the data available for scientific analysis; and
To help guide Murrumbidgee Landcare’s future connectivity programs.

A copy of the full report is available here.

In addition, you can access a copy of the Conclusions and Recommendations from the report, and a list of the Species Recorded during the surveys.[/vc_column_text][/vc_tab][vc_tab title=”Contacts” tab_id=”1503988462693-3-2″][vc_column_text]

Contacts

Many stakeholders from external organisations have been involved with the Cross Property Planning project, providing a wealth of knowledge and experience in a range of specialist fields.

The table below includes details of each person’s involvement with the project, along with contact details in case you would like further information, or to request their involvement in your own projects.

If you would like to talk to us directly about the CPP project, contact Nicole Maher: nmaher@mli.org.au, or 0438 452 814.

External stakeholders involved with the CPP project

Name	Organisation	Involvement with CPP project	Contact details
Phil Bowden	Pulse Australia	Conducted research on integrated pest management on project landholder’s properties Presented our “Pasture and cropping update” field day	www.pulseaus.com.au
Fiona Christie	University of Melbourne	Conducted bird surveys on project landholder’s properties Presented our “Flora/fauna monitoring” workshops Authored “Flora and fauna surveys” report Authored “Use of remote sensing cameras” guide	https://www.unimelb.edu.au/
Mark Conyers	NSW Department of Primary Industries	Presented our “Soil nodulation & nitrogen, pastures and animal health” workshop	https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/
Tarnya Cox	Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre	Presented our “Managing rabbits” workshops	www.invasiveanimals.com
Mason Crane	Fenner School, Australian National University	Installed nest boxes on project landholder’s properties Led our “Family night stalks” Presented our “Nest box monitoring and maintenance” field days Authored “Paddock trees” report	https://fennerschool.anu.edu.au/
Ian Davidson	Regeneration Solutions PL	Presented our “Nest box monitoring and maintenance” field days	www.regenerationsolutions.com.au
Sofie de Meyer	Murdoch University	Presented our “Soil nodulation & nitrogen, pastures and animal health” workshops	https://www.murdoch.edu.au/
Ron Duggan	Riverina Local Land Services	Provided project landholder’s with our “Pindone/1080 chemical accreditation” training Helped coordinate our landscape-scale fox baiting program	https://www.lls.nsw.gov.au/regions/riverina
Alison Elvin	Natural Capital	Conducted flora surveys of project landholder’s properties Presented our “Whole of farm integrated weed management” workshops Presented our “Healthy dams” workshop Authored “Integrated weed management farm plans” for project landholders Authored “Flora and fauna surveys” report Authored “Dam restoration on ‘Nunlong’: Species and planting guide” report
John Feehan	The Dung Beetle Expert	Provided dung beetle starter populations to project landholders Presented our “Dung beetle” workshops	www.dungbeetleexpert.com.au
Kelly Glass	Jayfields Nursery	Provided seedlings and guards for project plantings Assisted with selection of appropriate species for revegetation works on project landholder’s properties	www.jayfieldsnursery.com
Phil Graham	NSW Department of Primary Industries	Presented our “Pasture and cropping update” field day	https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/
Vince Heffernan	Moorlands Biodynamic Lamb	Presented our “Ecologucal agriculture” workshop	www.moorlandslamb.com.au
David Hunter	NSW Officer of Environment and Heritage	Presented our “Frogs on farms” workshop Authored “Frogs: A glovebox guide” book	www.environment.nsw.gov.au
Janelle Jenkins	Riverina Local Land Services	Conducted research on sub-clover health and nodulation on landholder’s properties Presented our “Soil biology” workshop Presented our “Sub-clover research findings” workshops Presented our “Soil nodulation & nitrogen, pastures and animal health” workshops	https://www.lls.nsw.gov.au/regions/riverina
Michael Leane	Riverina Local Land Services	Provided project landholder’s with our “Pindone/1080 chemical accreditation” training Helped coordinate our landscape-scale fox baiting program Presented our “Managing rabbits” workshop	https://www.lls.nsw.gov.au/regions/riverina
Richard Lloyd	Riverina Local Land Services	Helped coordinate our landscape-scale fox baiting program Presented our “Managing rabbits” workshop	https://www.lls.nsw.gov.au/regions/riverina
Damian Michael	Fenner School, Australian National University	Authored “Conserving reptiles in agricultural landscapes” report	https://fennerschool.anu.edu.au/
Tony O’Brien	Henty Mens Shed	Constructed the nest boxes for installation on project landholder’s properties
David Orchard	Charles Sturt University	Conducted research on integrated pest management on project landholder’s properties Conducted research on the use of native species to suppress weeds on project landholder’s properties Authored “The flora of Wagga Wagga: A guide for revegetation and restoration” book	https://waggaflora.com/
Peter Orchard	Charles Sturt University	Conducted research on integrated pest management on project landholder’s properties Conducted research on the use of native species to suppress weeds on project landholder’s properties Conducted research on revegetation of understorey species on project landholder’s properties Authored “Establishing native shelter belts on your farm” report	https://www.csu.edu.au/
Neville Prince	Waratah Fencing	Presented our “Fencing demonstration” field day	www.waratahfencing.com.au
Steve Quinlan	NSW Rural Fire Service	Presented our “Women on fire” workshops	www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/plan-and-prepare
Barry Sampson	Weed Biocontrol	Presented our “Biological weed control” workshops
Phil Samson	Jensam Farm Services	Presented our “Rodenator demonstration” field days	www.jensanfarmservices.com
Colin Seis	Pasture Cropping	Presented our “Pasture cropping” workshop Presented our “Practicalities of pasture cropping” field day	https://winona.net.au/pasture-cropping/
Emily Stearman	Riverina Local Land Services	Presented our “Animal health update” workshop	https://www.lls.nsw.gov.au/regions/riverina
Kristy Stone	Riverina Local Land Services	Presented our “Animal health update” workshop	https://www.lls.nsw.gov.au/regions/riverina
Campbell Wilson	Earth Integral	Conducted site visits of project landholder’s properties to assess and provide recommendations for low-cost erosion remediation Authored “Erosion control options and recommendations: Oberne” landholder report	www.earthintegral.com

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