A warm welcome to the LDC project in 2021

LDC Manager Georg Wandrag

By LDC Manager GEORG WANDRAG

 

I was appointed as project manager for the Landholders Driving Change project in November 2020, and along with the LDC team, I look forward to working with the BBB community for the next phase of the project.  

Progress and success of the LDC project is a testament to the hard work and commitment of the BBB community, the LDC team, and LDC’s delivery partners. The foundations have been laid to support future investment.

The BBB catchment delivers about 50 per cent of the fine sediment load from the Burdekin Basin and it remains a priority catchment for improving water quality outcomes.

I encourage you to read the latest updates which provide a comprehensive overview of the project’s achievements thus far:

Pictured, from left, are: Rodger Walker and Chris Poole (NQ Dry Tropics), with Paul Humphreys (Department of Agriculture and Fisheries) at the Paddock to Reef training organised by the Great Barrier Reef Foundation and hosted by
NQ Dry Tropics.

Testing aggregate strength by measuring slaking and dispersion in water. LDC staff attended soils training in Bowen earlier this year.

The GBRF funded phase of the project overlaps with the finalisation of the Queensland Government’s funded project activities. NQ Dry Tropics is working hard to manage transitional staffing, and monitoring and reporting arrangements.

Staff members have been busy continuing to update their knowledge and skills and have undertaken Paddock to Reef Integrated Monitoring, Modelling and Reporting program training and soils training.

This year is shaping up to be a busy one. BBB landholders have been encouraged to apply for a Sediment Loss Prevention Grant to assist them with implementing changes to improve their land management. 

The application process was competitive with project proposals ranked based on assessment criteria. The closing date was 26 March and proposals are currently being assessed. Successful projects need to be completed within one year.

A large-scale gully remediation project has been identified on Havilah Station near Collinsville. This site was identified as a priority gully cluster in the LDC’s gully prioritisation report. 

A concept design is being developed, and when finalised, local contractors will undertake earthworks.

A calendar of educational workshops is also being developed, and BBB landholders and project stakeholders will be invited to attend these as they roll out throughout the year. 

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

The community will continue to be updated and informed of project progress through the dedicated newsletter, The Grit. Two editions of the newsletter will be produced each year, a Winter edition distributed in June, and a Summer edition to be distributed in December.

I encourage you to contact one of the team members to get involved with Landholders Driving Change.