Sustainable Agriculture and Water Quality
Some great things have been happening on the land in Cape York during 2019–2020. Projects continued to roll out across the Cape despite the disruption of COVID-19 border closures and travel restrictions.
Cape York NRM’s Sustainable Agriculture and Water Quality team supports Cape York people to enhance agricultural practices and improve the quality of fresh and marine water. The team and its partners have worked across a variety of projects during 2019–2020 including hazard reduction burns, gully remediation and streambank stabilisation.
Landholders worked together across a vast area—from west of Cooktown in the south to Holroyd Plateau in central Cape York—to coordinate their annual hazard reduction burns in an effort to reduce the risk of late-season wildfires. The project was done in partnership with two community groups, four landholders, two Ranger groups, and land managers from 17 properties.
Continued efforts to reduce sediment loss into the Cape’s fresh and marine waterways have seen gully remediation projects implemented across three properties in the Normanby basin—Spring Creek, Normanby Station and Beefwood Park. Land condition and water quality are improved by the stabilisation of erosive landscapes and reduction of sediment loss.
Also in this field, detailed engineering designs are currently being produced for more gully remediation projects to be completed before the Australian Government’s Reef Trust IV program wraps up in July 2021. Further work will take place on Normanby Station, plus new projects at Olive Vale and Spring Creek.
Another activity that is progressing well is the Riparian Recovery Program funded through the Queensland Government’s Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements. This program will remediate areas along the Endeavour River addressing damage done by the 2019 monsoon trough. With the engineering design underway, all on-ground works are scheduled to commence in 2021, following the wet season.
Cape York NRM continues to invest in the Cape by facilitating these and many more projects. Now that we’re able to travel we look forward to seeing you soon.
Get in touch to find out more about these projects, or to discuss future opportunities: Michael Goddard mgoddard@capeyorknrm.com.au or 0498 760 022.
