Griffith University Associate Professor Andrew Brooks, left, is helping the LDC team assess and select priority sites for rehabilitation works.  He is pictured with landholder Christian Cormack, of Glen Bowen.

Gully assessment to be complete this month

THANKS to the landholders who nominated potential gully remediation works. It was great to receive a high level of interest and it is expected all nominated gullies will be assessed and prioritised by the end of this month.
This process started last week with leading gully expert working on the LDC project, Griffith University Associate Professor Andrew Brooks, visiting several properties accompanied by LDC Project Manager Andrew Yates and field officers.
The aim is to develop fast, effective and economical approaches to gully remediation, drawing upon the knowledge of graziers and technical specialists.
Although all 17 sites cannot be remediated under the LDC due to funding and time constraints, the LDC intends to produce a high resolution spatial map of these active gullies, and where possible eroding stream banks, to develop a rehabilitation investment prioritisation for the BBB beyond the life of the LDC.
This means there will be multiple shovel-ready projects available to take advantage of future funding opportunities.

ON-GROUND WORKS OPPORTUNITIES

BBB landholders also have a suite of funded on-ground works available to them as part of the Landholders Driving Change project to help them reduce sediment in the water flowing into the Great Barrier Reef lagoon.
Here are some of the options available:

  • Diversion banks and water spreading structures – to control water flow across paddocks and manage water flow at, before, or after, erosion features i.e. grassed or ungrassed diversion banks.
  • Sediment traps / Silt traps – to slow water flow and collect sediment from erosion features.
  • Direct on ground rehabilitation – earthworks, grade control, soil stabilisation, revegetation.
  • Within gully management structures such as rock chutes, rock armouring, use of mulching products, spray-on batters, bio-layering, gully reshaping.

Landholder Christian Cormack (front) leads Griffith University Associate Professor Andrew Brooks and NQ Dry Tropics LDC team members Brendan Smith and Andrew Yates into a gully that will be assessed by the LDC team for possible rehabilitation.

  • Road and farm trail works – construction of cross banks (whoa boys), rehabilitation or re-siting roads.
  • Contour ripping – to enhance pasture and soil water holding ability.
  • Re-seeding of pasture – to improve productivity of pastures, repair degraded areas, or repair preferentially-grazed areas (i.e. can also require fencing or ripping).
  • Water distribution infrastructure and water points – to control grazing pressure and enable grazing land management change.
  • Off-stream water points – to manage grazing pressure off natural water features.
  • Permanent paddock fencing – to manage pastures or specific erosion features.
  • Permanent riparian fencing – to promote protection of high value wetland and waterway areas.
  • Temporary fencing – with, or without, cattle exclusion to improve land condition.

Contact the LDC team to discuss a tailored solution for your property.

Click here to read Andrew Brooks comments about how unstable soils in some areas of the Bowen, Broken, Bogie (BBB) catchment are especially prone to erosion. Andrew Brooks media release 10.05.17