STOCK EXCLUSION FROM WATERWAYS PROJECT

The Peel-Harvey Waterways are internationally recognised Ramsar listed wetlands and are home to a wide variety and number of aquatic and terrestrial wildlife. The Peel Inlet and Harvey Estuary are popular bases for migratory waterbirds from Japan, China and Siberia.

Recent studies show that “catchment based agriculture and a rapidly expanding urban front are contributing to water quality problems in the Peel Inlet and Harvey Estuary. High Phosphorus loads from farming and urban areas to the estuary have triggered algae blooms leading to fish and benthic organism deaths”.

The “Stock Exclusion from Waterways in the Peel-Harvey Coastal Plain Catchment” project is a component of the overall Coastal Catchment Initiative to reduce phosphorus (and other nutrients) entering tributaries of the Peel-Harvey.

The aim of this project is to improve water quality in the Peel-Harvey system by reducing diffuse source nutrients and sediment from entering drains and natural waterways by fencing and excluding the grazing of stock in and adjacent to sensitive tributaries.

This project worked with landholders and waterway managers to achieve increased stock exclusion in key locations in the Peel Harvey Coastal Catchment, particularly the Serpentine River catchment. The project involved a combination of provision of fencing subsidies to landholders and waterway managers. Binding agreements for stock exclusion or limited access were sought where considered appropriate. Community consultation to inform and develop landholder and waterway manager support was undertaken and wherever possible riparian restoration of native vegetation was supported and encouraged to achieve biodiversity gains above and beyond the primary intention of nutrient reduction. All landowners have undertaken a commitment to revegetate their project in conjunction with the fencing. Where the fencing has been completed, ninety five percent of the landowners committed to undertake revegetation works in the 2005 season.

In consultation with landcare groups, landcare managers, individual farmers and the Steering Committee, a Management Agreement and Statutory Declaration were drawn up to meet the needs of this project. Each landowner was consulted in reference to the conditions of the Management Agreement before funds were released.

Along with site selection using Bussemaker’s Draft ‘Peel Harvey Status and Tends of Nutrient Concentration Report’ to determine priority catchments, a Project Site Selection Criteria was formatted using information determined by the Steering Committee outlining critical and strategic location for works. Each project was scrutinised against this format before it was approved or rejected.

Landowners in the Nambeelup subcatchment were contacted by phone, letter (on two occasions) and through their local landcare group and LCDC. Site visits took place with many of the landowners. Once promotion and conference for the project was exhausted within the Nambeelup catchment the project was expanded to take in other subcatchments listed as high priority.

This project has worked in partnership with the local community, local Natural Resource Management Officers and Rivercare Officers of the Peel-Harvey Catchment Council to maximise the opportunities to fence critical and strategic riparian zones. Fencing and revegetation works and, where appropriate, stock crossings and offsite watering points were undertaken to reduce diffuse source of nutrients and sediments entering drains, artificial and natural waterways. Through the committee it was decided to provide incentives for landowners who were willing to maximise the benefits of this project through fencing and revegetation.

Landowner incentives were;

Fence off a minimum 10 meter buffer and revegetate or fence and revegetate with a minimum of three rows of vegetation - $2,400 per km.
Fence and provide a minimum 10 meter buffer with no revegetation - $2,000 per km.
Fence with less than a minimum 10 meter buffer - $1200 per km.

Monitoring of the project is being undertaken through the Department of Environments monthly Catchment Monitoring Project and the LMU monitoring program and photo points have been set up on almost all properties to monitor the visual progress of each project.

The contribution of funds through the CCI project has enabled landowners to establish good quality fences that increased landowners ability to remove stock from local waterways. Incentives for funding were based on maximising the benefits of stock exclusion as well as protection and enhancement of the riparian zone through revegetation with indigenous plants to reduce nutrient and sediment export from abutting paddocks.

The project has resulted in:

Increased contact with local NRMO’s, landowners, local council staff and local landcare groups
Increased awareness of land and water degradation issues relating to stock accessing natural and artificial waterways. These issues include nutrient export, bank destabilisation, sedimentation and water quality issues such as eutrophication, algae blooms and the resulting fish deaths.
Uptake of the project was enhanced through working in partnership with local NRMO’s and rivercare officers resulting in a 100% uptake of the fencing in conjunction with revegetation of the riparian zones. The combination of these two management practices should maximise P and sediment reduction.

For more information contact the Department of Environment, Peel Waterways Centre on (08) 9550 4222.