BCCA coordinated and delivered the grazing component of this water quality improvement project for the Coastal Burnett.

Graziers in the Baffle, Kolan (below Monduran Dam), Burnett (below Paradise Dam), Burrum and other associated coastal catchments were assisted to improve grazing infrastructure and repair erosion on their properties. The priority catchments for grazing management practice improvement were identified in BMRG’s ‘Water Quality Improvement Plan’.

The program had a greater emphasis on education, awareness and training than other Reef Rescue projects. It was hoped that linking the incentives for on-ground projects to education and extension of grazing land management practices, would reduce sediment run-off to the Barrier Reef lagoon. To be eligible for funding, landholders must have committed to some additional educational and awareness activities linked to grazing management practices. These activities included self-assessment through the on-line Grazing BMP program (a joint MLA, DAFF and AgForce project), basic paddock assessment and property management activities.

Projects that were funded included fencing of creeks to manage stock access, using internal fencing to create additional paddocks for improved rotational grazing, additional watering points (troughs and dams) to encourage more uniform utilisation of pasture and to provide off-stream watering points and some erosion control works. The project saw improvement in groundcover on over 15,000 hectares and the installation of 39 km of riparian fencing.

More even grazing and pasture utilisation improves ground cover and subsequently reduces sediment run-off. Like with Reef Rescue, landholders must have contributed dollar for dollar when obtaining funding for improved grazing management practices and in many cases landholder contribution had been two or three-fold.

The project also involved developing case studies on examples of improved grazing management. One such case study is the Brooks’ family of Bororen who implemented cell grazing after undertaking a Grazing for Profit school and since various other grazing management training.

The Brooks’ believed that spelling pastures was the most important aim in their grazing management and introducing cell grazing had allowed for an increase in stock numbers as well as increased pasture biomass and groundcover and therefore a reduction in sediment loss.