In 2008, BCCA coordinated the Better Catchments project in the Inland Burnett, providing incentives to landholders to assist in the implementation of on-ground rehabilitation and revegetation works, weed and pest management and wetland protection and enhancement.

The wetland protection and enhancement activities were prioritised using the BMRG and WetlandCare Australia’s ‘Wetlands Prioritisation Study’, which identified key wetlands in the Inland Burnett.

The program began with a free teleconference to outline the Better Catchments program and to encourage people to become involved. Over 30 people registered for the teleconference to hear an outline of the Better Catchments project and feedback from landholders who had previously accessed BCCA funding for on-ground projects.

In the Inland Burnett, 25 Better Catchments projects were approved and completed in the first year. These projects included activities such as fencing off a creek or river to manage stock, fencing different landtypes to allow for paddock rotations and resting or to protect remnant timber, installing off-stream watering points, controlling erosion, integrated weed control and rehabilitation of high value native vegetation and wetlands. The first year of the Better Catchments program in the Inland Burnett contributed over $130,000 toward these 25 projects, with the landholders contributing a further $182,000 in cash and in-kind. These projects covered an area of over 67,000 ha, with 19 alternative and off-stream watering points installed, 80 ha and 6 km of riparian areas enhanced, 9,500 ha of grazing lands enhanced and 230 ha of weed control conducted.

Based on this success, BCCA was able to secure a two-year contract with BMRG to continue the program in the Inland Burnett area. The priority of this contract was to support landholders to reduce the risk of soil acidification and soil loss, improve carbon content of soils and other improved soil management methods.

The focus during this phase of the project was to deliver workshops and provide small incentives to landholders to implement changes. Over 170 landholders from the Inland Burnett took part in 13 workshops to learn more about soil management practices.

Workshop topics included pasture establishment, ‘Stocktake’ pasture monitoring, Grains BMP, Introduction to compost tea, AgData Phoenix Mapping and Cropping, Grazing Land Management forum, Peter Andrews – Natural Sequence Farming, dung beetles and South East Burnett Landcare Group seminars on biological farming, resource trapping and soil carbon.