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In Seroja’s aftermath

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Bob GarnantCountryman
Northampton farmers Rob and Jessica Horstman at a Chapman Catchment — Collaborative Landscape Scale Regeneration project site on their Mulga Springs property.
Camera IconNorthampton farmers Rob and Jessica Horstman at a Chapman Catchment — Collaborative Landscape Scale Regeneration project site on their Mulga Springs property. Credit: Bob Garnant/Countryman, Bob Garnant

A Northampton farm — the site of a significant rebuild after damage caused by cyclone Seroja — is also hosting a catchment regeneration project, which could involve major funding to back improved production and water-flow quality.

A Mulga Springs property was showcased during the final leg of the WA Livestock Research Council’s Livestock Matters Forum last week.

The sheep and cropping property played host to many local farmers who shared their stories about recovering from cyclone Seroja that hit on April 11.

Mulga Springs co-principal Jessica Horstman said there was a “silver lining” because damaged infrastructure presented a perfect opportunity to re-invest.

“We lost the bottom half of our shearing shed, but we can fix things and make them better,” she said.

While at the property, Northampton farmers Daniel Gill and Deon Gould gave an account of how they were “getting on with it”.

Both suffered major damage to their farm sheds and fence lines, but had to push on with their seeding programs despite the clean-up.

With many farmers faced with woolshed damage, Australian Wool Innovation woolgrower services project manager Henry Ridge explained the design features thought to be best in the industry.

Also back on track after postponement from the cyclone, Nutrien Ag animal health specialist Bronwen Fowler said the Meat and Livestock Australia Producer Demonstration Site, a three-year project involving four local Northampton farms, would start up in September.

While visiting the property, the crowd was later split into two groups.

One group was updated by KG Livestock Services principal Kelly Gorter on sheep electronic identification technology, while the other group visited the Chapman Catchment — Collaborative Landscape Scale Regeneration project at Mulga Springs.

This project, that was established by the the Northern Agricultural Catchments Council and its partner Tierra Australia, aims to demonstrate a range of practices that can increase farm productivity and profit, while also protecting the landscapes natural assets.

Tierra Australia senior rangelands scientist Tim Wiley said the new catchment project was funded by the State Government.

“The project is about looking at the landscape’s natural functioning systems,” he said.

“We are doing an analysis of the whole Chapman River Catchment to understand how it works and where this project fits in.” Mr Riley said the project included eight demonstration sites spread across five farms.

“It’s a learning process to see what works and it is a partnership and collaboration with the farmers,” he said.

“It needs to be productive and earn an income for the farmers.”

Mr Riley said the catchment started right at its top rainfall collection point, or watershed, in which water flowed down the river system and discharged into the Geraldton bay.

“The aim of our ecosystem services is to deliver clean water into the bay,” he said.

“One of the risks is if the water isn’t clean and contains sediment, nitrogen or chemicals, that can do damage further down the system and even out to the marine environment.”

Mr Riley said when a slow catchment system was working naturally, the rainwater was held a lot longer, higher in the landscape, and moved slowly down through the system.

“By slowing the water down it gets cleaned and you get fresh water coming out over very long periods of time,” he said.

“With erosion being a big problem, the water channel is cut up and when we get a big rain, the water quickly comes down the creek within a few weeks instead of naturally taking months.”

Mr Riley said to fix this quick water flow, the project involved using “smart works” further down the creek system that would regenerate natural flood plains.

“When we get the water right, all the natives come back,” he said.

“We use lots of smart works to hold the water up, with minimal interventions.”

Mr Riley said once water is was back on landscape the farmers would want to use it, predominately to grow feed for livestock.

“It will need to be perennial feed,” he said.

“This feed can turned into production and make some money.”

Mr Riley said the long-term fix of the catchment would be a $30 million investment.

“We believe we can get that financed from commercial investors,” he said.

“If we can increase the value of that natural capital, we have a financial model in which investors would come in.”

Mrs Horstman said she was considering how to use the catchment land on her family’s property for production and its ability to create bi-diversity and clean water down stream.

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