Unprecedented interest in a series of erosion and pasture rehabilitation workshops across the Desert Channels Region signifies the drive of landholders to improve pastures and return country to a sustainable level for commercial production after the ravages of drought. The workshops extended from Longreach to the NT Border, from the Channel Country to Boulia.
Driving the practical approach to pasture rehabilitation and erosion control was the Grader Guru, Daryl Hill. Daryl demonstrated brick-work contouring on scalded and damaged country and erosion control on gullies, catchments, roads and fence lines.
The workshops were organised by DCQ’s Regional Agricultural Landcare Facilitator and were held at Girraween in the Muttaburra district, Longway near Longreach, South Galway in the Channel Country, Badalia 50 km west of Boulia and Headingly at Urandangi.
The long-term benefits of slowing water through brick-work contouring were demonstrated at Longway where a profusion of perennial grasses and herbage species were inspected on what Warwick Champion described as being a ‘scalded ridge’ only five years ago. DCQ Landcare Facilitator, Doug Allpass, says..
there was an unprecedented interest in the workshops and practical grader demonstrations.
Results from the demonstration days were immediate, with one property implementing almost immediate application of these concepts with plans for over 10,000 acres of the affected country.
The workshops and demonstrations were funded by the Commonwealth Government National Landcare Programs.
When Warwick and Rosemary Champion of Longway, near Longreach, were shown the techniques of brick-work ploughing instead of contour grading to slow water and control erosion, they took it to heart. Using the technique shown to them by erosion expert Darryl Hill, Warwick worked some hard country and the pasture diversity is impressive. The system slows the flow of water during rain making it accessible to pasture species.