Celebrating grazing land management successes in the Fitzroy

The Fitzroy Water Quality Program (FWQP) is a four-year project aimed at reducing 50,000 tonnes of fine sediment reaching the Great Barrier Reef every year, funded by the partnership between the Australian Government’s Reef Trust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation. As part of this, the Foundation partnered with Verterra Ecological Engineering to help landholders achieve and maintain a portion of these reductions, through low-cost, sustainable grazing land management (GLM) practices. This whole-of-property solution provides both public and private benefit, with 19,610 tonnes of sediment reduction annually to the Reef and landholders seeing substantial increases in production. 

Grazing land management practice change under the FWQP includes improving pasture and ground cover, implementing rotational grazing practices thereby incorporating substantial periods of rest for paddocks. By undertaking forage budgeting, matching stocking rates to long-term carrying capacity, and installing new infrastructure to make better use of under-utilised pastures, the graziers have now been able to focus on improving the quality of their ground cover, weed management, and soil health. Land restoration works were undertaken across large areas of scalded land, which restored pasture, allowing productive grazing and preventing sediment reaching the Reef. 

This project worked with four properties, two of which were Moonkan Park and Montevideo. 

Matt and Kristie Lisle were the first landholders engaged by Verterra to have their GLM property plan endorsed by the Foundation. Their property, Moonkan Park, spans 3,600 ha and is 40 km southwest of Rockhampton in central Queensland. Given its very run-down condition, to the surprise of family and friends, the Lisle’s purchased Moonkan Park in 2019 during the 2017-2019 drought declared by the Bureau of Meteorology. However, since 2021, productivity has increased, and environmental benefits quantified thanks to their substantial efforts. 

On project commencement, Verterra worked with the Lisles and grazing extension officers from the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) Queensland to expand upon the landholder’s initial grazing practice improvements and develop a whole of property GLM plan to maximise the use of the project funding. 

This project focuses on fixing the root cause of erosion and sediment runoff on grazing lands. Well managed pastures limit the energy gained by water as it flows from hilltops into channels, gullies, creeks, streams, and rivers. This improved management of pasture helps minimise hillslope erosion and prevent, or assist, in the repair of eroding gullies. To monitor and evaluate these environmental benefits, Verterra has undertaken repeated Land Condition Assessments referred to as LCATs. The LCAT considers GLM and ecological principles to determine the current state of the land by evaluating key indicators of long-term land condition. The results of the LCAT on Moonkan Park show an overall increase in land condition, with an average increase in biomass of over 70% since 2021.

“We don’t want Moonkan Park to ever again look like it did when we arrived. The improvements to the property were done the right way, without any shortcuts. The GBRF grant and Verterra’s input means we haven’t had to sacrifice on the quality of the upgrades or our values."  

The project has given us the ability to be more profitable, and we have the opportunity to jump ahead now. The pasture is the best it’s ever been. The last 5 years has been concentrating on redeveloping everything, and now we can concentrate on livestock and profitability. Developing the property in the hills was our goal for the next five years, but since Verterra came along it fast-tracked that development,” said the Lisles. 

Montevideo is a 6,000 ha property 60 km southwest of Rockhampton. It is a family-owned property, managed by Peter and Simone Lawrie, 4th generation graziers, and their son, Ty. They saw the project as an opportunity to prevent erosion and topsoil loss on their property and reduce the negative impact on the Reef. 

Verterra’s and the Foundation’s approach in this project was to invest in the areas within the Fitzroy catchment with the highest rates of erosion, and to base decisions on the best available science and on the perspectives and local knowledge of landholders. 

“For us, it’s about passing something better on to our son,” doing the work to set Ty up with a property that is productive and profitable, while improving land condition. The Lawries absolutely feel as though they have contributed to Reef health. The project has boosted their enthusiasm to seek better practice in both grazing and business.  

“Together, we stand as guardians of our environment, united in our mission to protect and preserve the natural wonders of the Great Barrier Reef. Having been fortunate to go through this process and work with such amazing passionate people along the way has given us the confidence to believe that we can overcome challenges and create a brighter, more sustainable future for generations to come,” said the Lawries. 

Throughout the Fitzroy Water Quality Program, 20 graziers participated in improving management practices, covering 64,000 hectares of grazing land and prevented more than 50,000 tonnes of sediment, the equivalent of 2,500 dump truck loads, from entering Reef each year. 

The dedication of the Verterra project team and landholders like the Lisles and Lawries to continual improvement has contributed to increased farm productivity and profitability, boosted the local economy, and directly supported important improvements in Reef water quality.