National Farmers Federation visit

L-R: Juliet Forward, Carolyn Hall, Tony Mahar, Jono Forrest, Warwick Wragg.

A fine sunny December morning brought old friends and new together at Mulloon when the team from the National Farmers Federation (NFF) came to visit.  Tony Mahar CEO, Warwick Wragg General Manager Natural Resource Management and Juliette Forward Policy and Project Officer joined the Mulloon Institute’s CEO and Managing Director Carolyn Hall, Chief Operating Officer Kathy Kelly and General Manager of Mulloon Consulting Jono Forrest for a tour of the Mulloon Rehydration Initiative. 

The group travelled to Duralla at Mulloon Creek Natural Farms where a “walk to the top of the hill” allowed us to take in a vista of the lower Mulloon Creek floodplain and to explain the aims and the intricacies of the MRI (and earn our lunch!).  Improved water management, increased productivity and biodiversity along with resilience to drought bushfire and flood all made sense to the NFF team.  We then explored a leaky weir on Mulloon Creek and finished the tour at Peter’s Pond on the Home Farm. 

We were treated to a lovely Christmas themed lunch to complete the day.  The TMI team had the opportunity to discuss the benefits of the MRI, the recent amendment to the NSW Infrastructure SEPP achieved by the Mulloon Law Committee and the need for capacity building and regulatory reform to support Australian farmers in building Natural Capital on farm.  We very much look forward to continuing the conversation with the NFF team and exploring ways we can assist more Australian farmers to repair and restore their landscapes.

* The Mulloon Rehydration Initiative is jointly funded through the Mulloon Institute and the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program, with assistance from the NSW Government’s Environmental Trust.