Western Australia update

L-R: WA Stewardship Grant project participants get together. Glenice Batchelor (Muresk Institute), Steve Wainewright (Muresk Institute), Oral McGuire (‘Avondale Farm’, Beverley), Carolyn Hall (TMI), Nolani McColl (TMI), Lance Mudgway (TMI), Caroline Rex (‘Westendale’, Wagin), Bev Kowald (Katanning), Christie Stewart (Wide Open Agriculture), Warren Pensini (‘Paraway-Koolpinia’, Boyup Brook). Unable to attend – John & Martine Pascoe (‘Red Hills’, Arthur River), Stuart McAlpine (‘Cooinda’, Buntine).

Final properties chosen for Wheatbelt trials

There were lots of smiling faces when it was announced which three properties had been chosen for participation in the on-ground trials for the Mulloon Institute’s ‘Landscape Rehydration Trial & Demonstration in the Wheatbelt of WA’ project.

Funded through the WA State Government’s State Natural Resource Management program, the project will plan and implement landscape rehydration works to restore landscape function on three properties in the agricultural areas of WA. 

The final three properties were chosen from seven properties from across the Wheatbelt in south-west Western Australia that took part in the initial site assessments.

The chosen sites are:

‘Muresk Institute’ - middle and lower north catchment, looking toward the Avon River.

‘Muresk Institute’, WA Department of Training & Workforce Development – Northam, WA

This is the training farm for the WA Department of Training & Workforce Development, located south of Northam on granite country. It is a demonstration farm for regenerative agriculture and rehydration, providing diploma courses to undergraduates, short term courses to industry and offering function/training facilities with accommodation available. It incorporates real-life farming operations, including raising sheep for wool and meat, cattle for meat and winter crops. The steeper property has two similar catchments, both flowing into the adjacent Avon River. One property could be fully rehydrated with regenerative practice while the other remains conventional.

‘Cooinda’ - valley floor and adjacent slope.

‘Cooinda’ – Stuart McAlpine – Buntine, WA

Stuart practices regenerative agriculture at his property, maintains cover over his soil and is working to increase soil carbon and biology. Cropping is the main enterprise, but he is also planning to swing back to grazing cattle. The property has some exciting prospects for landscape rehydration work, including 2000 ha in the upper part of a large catchment, with salinised valley floors. Soils are sandy with gravelly ridges, on gently rolling hills and valleys. Waterlogging is prevalent along the edges of the valley floors. Salinity varies from mild to severe In the valley floors themselves, depending on elevation relative to the waterway. Gully water erosion is not a significant or a high risk, though sheet water erosion and wind erosion are an issue. 

‘Wayneflete’ – south west paddock and creekline.

‘Bazil’s’ and ‘Wayneflete’ – Bev, Geoff and Jeremy Kowald, Katanning WA

The Kowalds have recently purchased the neighbouring property after leasing it for three years and are keen to implement landscape rehydration on it. They practice holistic grazing and have been working to build their soil carbon and biology. They are about to build a composting facility that will process manure and feed residue from the local abattoir. Their two properties have the scope to become one site, opening up the potential for good trials of landscape rehydration methods in the WA Wheatbelt/cropping context.