Northern Territory update
Landscape rehydration at Old Cameron Downs – NT
Here are some fantastic photos from Old Cameron Downs Station in Batchelor, NT where the Mulloon Institute visited in 2021 to do on-ground works in collaboration with Territory NRM as part of a workshop on erosion control. The original workshop was funded by the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program while the follow up on-ground works were funded by the landholders.
These photos were taken 72 hours after rain and show a contour bank and swale with ponds at either end with a spill edge on the contour. Over time as the grasses re-establish these spill points will build up as they catch rack and other organics, allowing more water to be held in the swale.
The results have been fantastic and landholders Fiona McBean and Pete Cogill are very happy with this landscape rehydration capacity building outcome and great vegetation response.
“It just looks so good! Looking forward to seeing the grass growth in that area once the water subsides!” – Emily Hinds, Territory NRM
Huge thanks to Fiona McBean of Eva Valley Meats and Emily Hinds from Territory NRM for their hard work and for sharing these photos with us. It’s looking fantastic out there!
Happy landholder Fiona McBean.
In this video, Territory NRM's Regional Agriculture Landcare Facilitator Emily Hinds and pastoralist Fiona McBean describe the process and benefits of contour building to landscape function, prevention of soil loss and pasture productivity.
Territory NRM is supporting those in agriculture across the NT through building land manager capacity and knowledge in soil health and conservation.
After hosting an erosion control landscape function workshop in July 2021, TNRM staff returned to Old Cameron Downs in October to oversee the installation of a contour across one of the paddocks. In disturbed landscapes, introducing contour banks is a way of intercepting overland water flow and distributing that water across a wider portion of the landscape. It also helps to capture nutrients, providing conditions favourable to increased plant growth and quality.
The practical workshop presented by the Mulloon Institute in collaboration with Territory NRM provided practical and theoretical learning for participants to achieve landscape rehydration and restore function and productivity to landscapes.