First stop for the steering committee is Todsure, a property that has undertaken a range of small scale erosion rehabilitation works, and a member of the Scottville Cluster Group.

After COVID delay, MIP Steering Committee tours BBB works

A steering committee provides oversight of the LDC project, and in June, committee members joined the LDC team on a bus tour showcasing LDC’s achievements. 

Coronavirus (Covid 19) put a spanner in the works last year. 

A LDC steering committee bus trip of the BBB was postponed until this year. On June 1, committee members, Department of Environment and Science (DES) representatives, and the LDC team visited four properties that have taken part in the LDC project.

The day provided an opportunity for committee members to see firsthand project progress and to discuss lessons learned about the project’s integrated and collaborative approach to delivering a suite of interventions and management efforts at a catchment scale to improve water quality and long-term sustainable land management.

Sites visited:

  • Todsure: on-ground small-scale gully remediation works.
  • Glen Bowen: on-ground large-scale gully remediation works.
  • Strathmore: on-ground large-scale gully remediation works.
  • Mt Pleasant: landscape rehydration site and learning hub activities.

A huge thank you to landholders Barry Collett, Christian Cormack, Owen Howard and Garlone Moulin who spoke about why they got involved in the LDC project, and about the projects undertaken on their properties.

Stan and Judy Fordham chat with Elisa Nichols and Rae Schlecht, of DES. The Fordhams are members of the Scottville Cluster Group.
From left, LDC’s Cherry Emerick, NQ Dry Tropics CEO Scott Crawford, DAF’s Bob Shepherd, GBRF’s Christian Roth, and DES’ Rae Schlecht.
Fiona George, of Terrain. Terrain is delivering the other Major Integrated Project (MIP) in the Wet Tropics.
Paul Lawrence, Executive Director, Science Delivery and Knowledge, Science and Technology Division, Department of Environment and Science (DES).
Bob Shepherd, DAF, Christian Roth, Great Barrier Reef Foundation (GBRF), and Roger Landsberg, Trafalgar Station, and steering committee member inspect Glen Bowen gully remediation sites.
Grazier Judy Fordham and Rae Schlecht, DES.

MIP committee views BBB work

LDC is one of two Major Integrated Projects (MIPs) recommended by the Great Barrier Reef Water Science Taskforce. 

The Taskforce was established in May 2015 to provide advice to the Queensland Government on how to achieve water quality targets and priorities for investing $90 million over five years.

This is theTaskforce report, the recommendation to develop and implement two major integrated projects is outlined on page 72.

The other MIP aims to reduce nutrient and pesticide runoff from cane and banana farms in the Wet Tropics region.

The Queensland Government committed a total of $33 million to fund the MIPs, which have concentrated efforts at a catchment scale. They are currently being evaluated to determine how effective they have been.

A steering committee was appointed to perform progress oversight and an endorsement role, providing advice to the Department of Environment and Science and the MIP project managers on matters that impacted program implementation, success, and delivery of products and outputs.

The steering committee has also guided the implementation of a program of works that explored opportunities to build on and value add to activities already being, or scheduled to be delivered, in the project areas.

This has included advising on opportunities for collaborating or coordinating with other programs, and avoidance of duplication of works or investment.

MIP steering committee members:

Bob Speirs (independent chair of the committee); Kevin Gale, Department of the Environment and Energy (Reef Trust) – unable to attend field trip; Jeanette Durante, Department of Science (social science) – unable to attend field trip; Paul Lawrence, Department of Science (landscape and soil science); John Rolfe, Central Queensland University  (economics); Mark Hickman, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (agricultural management); Elisa Nichols, DES (Executive Director, Office of the Great Barrier Reef); Roger Landsberg (grazier); Stephen Ryan, Australian Cane Farmers Association; Scott Crawford, NQ Dry Tropics and Stewart Christie, Terrain.

From left, Mark Hickman, DAF, LDC project panel member Bob Harris, LDC project manager Georg Wandrag, NQ Dry Tropics CEO and LDC project director Scott Crawford.
Grazier and LDC project panel member Bob Harris, second from right, discusses grazing management practices with Scott Robinson, Elisa Nichols and Rae Schlecht, of DES.
Melissa Hele, of Department of Environment and Science (DES), and John Rolfe, CQU.
From left, landholder Barry Collett, Bob Shepherd, DAF, who played an instrumental role in helping the Scottville Cluster Group design and implement small gully erosion rehabilitation methods, and grazing land management plans, LDC’s Rodger Walker, and Bob Speirs, the MIP steering committee chairman.
Glen Bowen landholder Christian Cormack (left) and NQ Dry Tropics CEO Scott Crawford.
Jamie Gordon, Mt Pleasant Station.
Landholder Barry Collett (back to camera) shares insights of works carried out on his property Todsure with (from left) Bob Shepherd, DAF, Roger Landsberg, Trafalgar and steering committee member, and John Rolfe, CQU and steering committee member.
Major Integrated Projects (MIPs) steering committee chair Bob Speirs and NQ Dry Topics field officer Dan Hazelman.
John Rolfe, CQU and steering committee member, and Todsure landholder Barry Collett.
Christian Roth, GBRF, and Roger Landsberg, Trafalgar Station and steering committee member.
Mt Pleasant landholder Garlone Moulin provides an overview of the management changes the Gordon-Moulin family have implemented to improve pasture diversity and biodiversity.
Mark Hickman, DAF and steering committee member asks a question at the Strathmore remediation site. He is pictured with NQ Dry Tropics CEO Scott Crawford and Bob Shepherd, DAF.