National Soils Advocate gets a first hand look at Burdekin land

National Soils Advocate Hon Penny Wensley visited St Margaret’s Creek, a wetland by Colls farm, and Armin’s farm in Giru. Pictured left to right: Terry Granshaw (Sugar Research Australia); Sue Bestow (Policy Advisor to Penny Wensley) Scott Fry (NQ Dry Tropics Wetlands Team Leader), Rachel Hay (TNQ Drought Hub), Rob Hunt (NQ Dry Tropics Sustainable Agriculture Program Manager), Hon Penny Wensley; Dean Webber (Farm Manager, Colls Farm), Danielle Skocaj (Sugar Research Australia), Simon Page (TNQ Drought Hub).

NQ Dry Tropics recently welcomed National Soils Advocate, the Honourable Penny Wensley, to the Burdekin.

National Soils Advocate Hon Penny Wensley with St Margaret’s Creek grazier Paul LeFeuvre.

Dr Wensley spent two days in North Queensland on a fact finding trip, learning about regional efforts to improve soil health, as part of her role to raise awareness of and advocate the importance of improving agricultural soil and landscape conditions.

She visited locations in the Upper Burdekin and Lower Burdekin, which included grazing properties, cane farms and wetlands. 

During a trip to St Margaret’s Creek, she learned how NQ Dry Tropics and the Mulloon Institute have been supporting the landholder to improve soil health through a range of methods including landscape rehydration, improved grazing management practices, and Cultural burning.

Pictured with National Soils Advocate Hon Penny Wensley are (from left) NQ Dry Tropics Sustainable Agriculture Program Manager Rob Hunt, Simon Page from the Tropical NQ Drought Hub, and Mulloon Institute Regenerative Agriculture Consultant Sam Skeat.

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