Building on the success of the LDC project

An active complex gully system at Havilah Station.

THE Great Barrier Reef Foundation (GBRF) BBB project is up and running, and will build on the success of the Queensland Government funded Landholders Driving Change (LDC) project. 

The overarching aim of the three-year project is to continue to roll out activities that will help improve water quality outcomes for BBB waterways and the Great Barrier Reef lagoon.

The project will maintain momentum in delivery of: 

  • accelerated grazing support (extension) to encourage adoption of improved land management practice, and;
  • large scale gully remediation.

Below are some of the activities that will be included.

  • Sediment savings for land management practice change, delivered through:
    • at least 30 extension, training, education and field events held over the life of the project; and 
    • a minimum of 30 land management agreements on property, targeting land management practice change.
  • Sediment savings for Gully Type 1 works (small-scale gullies and erosion features), delivered through:
    • as part of the 30 land management agreements, remediation works on 15 small gullies will be completed; and
    • a medium scale landscape rehydration demonstration site targeting sediment savings will be completed.
  • Sediment savings for Gully Type 3 works (large-scale gully),  delivered with our partners Alluvium and Verterra, operating as an Unincorporated Joint Venture, through:
    • completion of the Strathmore gully site (Stage 2), located near the Bower River Hotel; and
    • design and implementation of a large-scale gully remediation project at Havilah Station.

Jason Carter, Principal Project manager, Alluvium, one of the partnering organisations that will help continue remediation work in the BBB.

The LDC branding will remain for this project to provide important continuity for the BBB community.

The community will be updated and informed of project progress through The Grit. Two editions of the newsletter will be produced in 2021, a Winter edition in June and a Summer edition in December.

The GBRF BBB project overlaps with the finalisation of the current LDC project. NQ Dry Tropics is working hard to manage transitional staffing, and monitoring and reporting arrangements.

The team in Bowen is always available to answer any questions. They will keep everyone informed about opportunities to get involved with the project, as well as updates on project progress.

In case you missed it in the last edition of The Grit, here are the funding details about the GBRF BBB project.

New LDC Manager Georg Wandrag

New project manager welcomed

Georg Wandrag has taken up the reins as LDC project manager.

Georg started in the role in early November and is based in Bowen. Some of you will have met him, and he has hit the ground running making himself known to the BBB community.

Georg has more than 20 years of experience in conservation, including leadership experience in working with teams and multiple stakeholder groups in remote and regional areas. 

Originally from South Africa, Georg has been in Australia for the past eight years, working in various roles in Western Australia, Tasmania and Northern Territory. He comes to NQ Dry Tropics from Kakadu National Park where he was Operations Manager for more than 18 months.

Queensland Government continues to support LDC

Through the 2020-2021 Queensland Government budget, NQ Dry Tropics has secured an additional $200,000 to invest in the Landholders Driving Change project to June 2021.

This funding is in addition to the $15 million already committed by the Queensland Government and recognises the progress achieved to date through this community-led project.

These funds will boost activities that are of high interest to landholders, including supporting existing cluster groups, the establishment of two new cluster groups, and a collaborative activity through the Influencing Other Land Managers activity area.

NQ Dry Tropics, the Office of the Great Barrier Reef and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation are committed to working together to support ongoing delivery of the Landholders Driving Change project.