Gully field days show landholders
what’s involved in remediation

LDC has hosted field days at the Havilah and Gattonvale large-scale gully remediation site to bring landholders in at the beginning so they can see firsthand what is involved in remediating a gully.

NQ Dry Tropics hosted two field days on LDC’s large-scale gully remediation project on Havilah and Gattonvale stations before ground was broken.

NQ Dry Tropics Land Remediation Officer Dan Hazelman (pictured) said the idea was to hold three field days — Before and After the Wet, and After Remediation — for graziers to hear from engineers and civil contractors and get an appreciation for what’s involved in gully remediation from start to finish, as well as maintenance.

Topics covered included:

• identifying and discussing erosion activities and processes that occur in a gully;
• inspecting and identifying soil layers with basic slaking/dispersion testing;
• discussing the remediation techniques proposed at the site, their purpose and influence of the erosion process in the future; and
• establishing monitoring techniques by establishing markers points of ground level, head cuts and other key points to re-inspect following the wet season.

Dr Andrew Brooks, from Griffith University, and Bob Shepherd and Simon Hunt from Department of Agriculture and Fisheries were guest speakers at the most recent field day.

Andrew Brooks talked about erosion activities and processes that have occurred in the gully and participants walked the gully to inspect the different processes. They also identified how those processes changed during the wet season based on marker points established during the first field day held in December last year.

Remediation techniques to be carried out at the site were also discussed, including their purpose and influence of the erosion process in the future.

Bob Shepherd and Simon Hunt discussed grazing land management practices that can be implemented post works, and how those practices can be managed long-term.

A third field day will be held post works. A date is yet to be confirmed.