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THEY’RE COMING BACK – RE-EMERGING SPRINGS

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Weigh Bridge
Waddi tree in flower

Funded by

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Lying beneath parts of the Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, and New South Wales, the Great Artesian Basin, (GAB) is  Australia’s largest groundwater basin and one of the largest underground freshwater resources in the world. The GAB is the main source of water for most of inland Australia including Queensland’s Desert Channels region. Springs emerging from its underground reservoirs are therefore vital for both biodiversity and the pastoral industry. However, the ecosystems supported by these springs face multiple threats, from invasive pest species (cane toads, feral cats, and prickly acacias among others), to misguided farming practices. 

To preserve the GAB springs, Desert Channels Group will team up with local landholders and Aboriginal communities to implement a long-term plan for the conservation and sustainable use of land and water in western Queensland. This project, funded by the Australian Government Natural Heritage Trust, will run for the next four years until June 2028.

The project aims to reduce the impact of invasive species by removing weeds and controlling pest animals by trapping and humane lethal protocols. Regular assessments of flora and fauna diversity will be conducted to guide actions. From a human perspective, traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) from Aboriginal communities will be actively included in management practice, with landholders being consulted about measures to reduce impacts of cattle on GAB springs. The main goals of the project are to improve the habitat conditions of GAB springs while raising  an awareness of best farming practices and TEK among landholders by June 2028.

Other projects

Emergency Plan

BANC Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan < Back to All ProjectsThe plan outlines preparedness response and recovery actions for each asset with the aim of reducing the impact of catastrophic events.Funded byThis project is funded by the Australian Government...

WATERTIGHT

REHABILITATING THE GREAT ARTESIAN BASIN < Back to All ProjectsBore drainFunded byFurther info When you get a call from DCQ staff members, remember this is not about compliance, it’s all about explaining what is going on, confirming a few facts and answering any...

MAKING THE LAND PRODUCTIVE: REHABILITATION AFTER DROUGHT

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...

PRICKLY ACACIA ERADICATION

PRICKLY ACACIA ERADICATION < Back to All ProjectsThe artesian springs are highly valued because of their outstanding natural and cultural features. Funded byFurther info The Road to Eradication – a full history of the program. Three Years of Unprecedented Success –...

LANDCARE

LANDCARE < Back to All ProjectsInvolving local groups of volunteers to repair the environment.Funded byFurther info >>Contact usLANDCARE The sustainable Agriculture (SAF) support landholders in the region to adopt climate-smart, sustainable agricultural...

Springs

Artesian Springs < Back to All ProjectsThe artesian springs are highly valued because of their outstanding natural and cultural features. Funded byFurther info Current management and research into South Australian Springs Australian Government listing on the...

WADDI TREES

AUSTRALIA'S LONELIEST TREE - THE WADDI < Back to All ProjectsWaddi tree in flower Funded byOccurring in isolated populations on the fringe of the Simpson Desert in inland Australia, the Waddy tree (Acacia peuce), is one of the country's rarest trees. This ancient...

Long term ecological monitoring trial

Here at DCQ we use drones for lots of things but one of the main things we do is to use them to take lots of overlapping pictures of a site which computers can stitch together for form one image like grandma used to do when making a quilt. Now when you have this image...

Ayrshire Downs field day

A big thank you to our hosts, the Ogg family on Ayrshire Downs, who allowed us to hold a workshop on their property this week bringing together landholders, Government Officers from the Department of Regional Development, Manufacturing and Water and DCQ to provide...

Camel herd monitoring

The data from the monitoring program for the DCQ camel heard is due to be released in April and so monitoring has recommenced now that it’s drying out a bit. The camels still have their tags tracking their movement and the heat map shows how they favour some areas of...

SPRING MONITORING

Our focus at this time of the year (Feb-March) is in accessing outcomes that come with the rain and so its lots of revisits to our monitoring sites throughout the region and you will see the DCQ vehicles out and about. This year, with the rain being so widespread and...

NEW SPRINGS ARRIVAL

We have been lucky enough to undertake the final monitoring on a very special project area north of Aramac. Conceived and funded by the Queensland Government under the Natural Resources Investment Program the aspirational aim was for DCQ to develop and undertake works...

BRICKWORK

Landholders from Muttaburra to Windorah, Boulia and Urandangi have been working on improving degraded country, and stopping erosion. With workshops and demonstrations funded by the Australia Government’s National Landcare, and Sustainable Agriculture Programs the...

PRICKLY ACACIA ERADICATION

PRICKLY ACACIA ERADICATION < Back to All ProjectsThe artesian springs are highly valued because of their outstanding natural and cultural features. Funded byFurther info The Road to Eradication – a full history of the program. Three Years of Unprecedented Success –...

Emergency Plan

BANC Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan < Back to All ProjectsThe plan outlines preparedness response and recovery actions for each asset with the aim of reducing the impact of catastrophic events.Funded byThis project is funded by the Australian Government...

WATERTIGHT

REHABILITATING THE GREAT ARTESIAN BASIN < Back to All ProjectsBore drainFunded byFurther info When you get a call from DCQ staff members, remember this is not about compliance, it’s all about explaining what is going on, confirming a few facts and answering any...

MAKING THE LAND PRODUCTIVE: REHABILITATION AFTER DROUGHT

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...

LANDCARE

LANDCARE < Back to All ProjectsInvolving local groups of volunteers to repair the environment.Funded byFurther info >>Contact usLANDCARE The sustainable Agriculture (SAF) support landholders in the region to adopt climate-smart, sustainable agricultural...

WATER QUALITY

WATER QUALITY < Back to All ProjectsThe project will improve water quality in the headwaters of the Thomson River.Further info WATER QUALITY This water quality project delivers a strategic approach to ensure clean water essential for community services. It also...

Emerging Springs – Highlights

Emerging Springs - Highlights < Back to All ProjectsFurther info Click here to Subscribe to our Youtube channel: www.youtube.com/subscription_center?a... LIKE us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Desert-Channels-Group/ Current management and research into South...

GAZING AND GRAZING INTO THE FUTURE

A project dedicated to assisting the progression of the grazing industry into the future is one that deserves close attention and support from all involved in the industry. One of 10 projects under the Queensland Government’s Drought and Climate Adaptation Program...

UNDERSTANDING WET SEASON SPELLING

As part of the Sustainable Agriculture project DCQ has in conjunction with our Regional Agriculture Landcare Facilitator, Doug Allpass, spent the week out and about interviewing landholders on how they implement wet season spelling. The videos, key communications...

WADDI TREES

AUSTRALIA'S LONELIEST TREE - THE WADDI < Back to All ProjectsWaddi tree in flower Funded byOccurring in isolated populations on the fringe of the Simpson Desert in inland Australia, the Waddy tree (Acacia peuce), is one of the country's rarest trees. This ancient...

NEW SPRINGS ARRIVAL

We have been lucky enough to undertake the final monitoring on a very special project area north of Aramac. Conceived and funded by the Queensland Government under the Natural Resources Investment Program the aspirational aim was for DCQ to develop and undertake works...

SEEDY BUSINESS

Sometimes, even mother nature needs a hand. Having perfected cost-effective control of invasive Prickly Acacia, we have moved on to seeding key treated areas to turbo charge the recovery of the native grasses that have been decimated by this weed. Prickly acacia,...

ARTESIAN SPRINGS

Artesian Springs< Back to All Projects The artesian springs are highly valued because of their outstanding natural and cultural features. Funded byFurther info Current management and research into South Australian Springs Australian Government listing on the...

THORNVILLE QUANDARY

In this month’s video, we have the premiere release of the Thornville Quandary where Peter and Mark Delahunty of Thornville, in the Muttaburra Region, tell of how their successful Prickly Acacia control left Mitchell Grass Downs with very little Mitchell Grass. In...

Emergency Plan

BANC Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan < Back to All ProjectsThe plan outlines preparedness response and recovery actions for each asset with the aim of reducing the impact of catastrophic events.Funded byThis project is funded by the Australian Government...

WATERTIGHT

REHABILITATING THE GREAT ARTESIAN BASIN < Back to All ProjectsBore drainFunded byFurther info When you get a call from DCQ staff members, remember this is not about compliance, it’s all about explaining what is going on, confirming a few facts and answering any...

MAKING THE LAND PRODUCTIVE: REHABILITATION AFTER DROUGHT

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...

PRICKLY ACACIA ERADICATION

PRICKLY ACACIA ERADICATION < Back to All ProjectsThe artesian springs are highly valued because of their outstanding natural and cultural features. Funded byFurther info The Road to Eradication – a full history of the program. Three Years of Unprecedented Success –...

LANDCARE

LANDCARE < Back to All ProjectsInvolving local groups of volunteers to repair the environment.Funded byFurther info >>Contact usLANDCARE The sustainable Agriculture (SAF) support landholders in the region to adopt climate-smart, sustainable agricultural...

Emerging Springs – Highlights

Emerging Springs - Highlights < Back to All ProjectsFurther info Click here to Subscribe to our Youtube channel: www.youtube.com/subscription_center?a... LIKE us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Desert-Channels-Group/ Current management and research into South...

Long term ecological monitoring trial

Here at DCQ we use drones for lots of things but one of the main things we do is to use them to take lots of overlapping pictures of a site which computers can stitch together for form one image like grandma used to do when making a quilt. Now when you have this image...

NEW SPRINGS ARRIVAL

We have been lucky enough to undertake the final monitoring on a very special project area north of Aramac. Conceived and funded by the Queensland Government under the Natural Resources Investment Program the aspirational aim was for DCQ to develop and undertake works...

ARTESIAN SPRINGS

Artesian Springs< Back to All Projects The artesian springs are highly valued because of their outstanding natural and cultural features. Funded byFurther info Current management and research into South Australian Springs Australian Government listing on the...

IS DIESEL BECOMING A THING OF THE PAST?

For those of you who, like us, spend huge amounts of time and money on spraying weeds, you will be well aware of the issues, costs and benefits of using diesel when basal bark spraying chemicals onto weeds. The increased cost of diesel, along with its health and...

WADDI TREES

AUSTRALIA'S LONELIEST TREE - THE WADDI < Back to All ProjectsWaddi tree in flower Funded byOccurring in isolated populations on the fringe of the Simpson Desert in inland Australia, the Waddy tree (Acacia peuce), is one of the country's rarest trees. This ancient...

EDGBASTON GOBY MAKING A COMEBACK

Students from the Aramac State School got to build on their class learning program with a field visit to the property Ravenswood, near Aramac. Here, a rare and threatened species, the Edgbaston Goby is making a comeback thanks to a new wetland built with funding from...

UNDERSTANDING WET SEASON SPELLING

As part of the Sustainable Agriculture project DCQ has in conjunction with our Regional Agriculture Landcare Facilitator, Doug Allpass, spent the week out and about interviewing landholders on how they implement wet season spelling. The videos, key communications...

KEEPING UP WITH THE CAMELIDS

In August 2022 we fitted our camel herd with GPS ear tags to track their movements within their paddock of prickles and match this to ground based monitoring. This is a transfer of knowledge from our on-farm technology program and gives you a look at this type of...

Springs

Artesian Springs < Back to All ProjectsThe artesian springs are highly valued because of their outstanding natural and cultural features. Funded byFurther info Current management and research into South Australian Springs Australian Government listing on the...

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