Biodiversity reforms | Farmers say there’s a good veg story there… if you look for it

“I think we’re going to go with Wirragulla,” says John. “It means place of many birds. We’ve got a lot of native bird life around and we want to keep them going. But these cyprus haven’t been doing much for them at all.”

John is referring to the dense clumps of invasive white and black cyprus that, until recently, choked 90 per cent of the burgeoning sheep and wheat enterprise. 

Related reading 

“We bought the place eight years ago and it was in a real run down state. We’re talking less than 30 hectares that we were able to use,” he said. “Now, that level of tree cover might look good from the air, but on the ground it was a mess. We tried to get a permit to do some clearing but got knocked back. Anything over 20-foot tall we couldn’t touch, even though they were only 2 inches across, and bunched together. 

He said any time they got a bit of rain the topsoil would just wash away. But things changed after the new native veg laws were activated in August 2017. 

“We’ve got a plan now to start thinning things out, and also have been put in touch with a logging contractor who’s going to pay us for some of this timber,” he said. 

“The idea is to clear a bit, split the paddocks up so we can get a five-week rotational grazing system going that lets the whitebox and native grasses come back.” 

“Look, to some people this new system probably isn’t going to benefit them in every way they want it to. Everybody has their own area they don’t agree with. But it definitely worked for us.” 

LAND management has been a numbers game for Tocal College principal Darren Bayley, and the sums are adding up. 

As one of the early proving grounds for the states new biodiversity regime, the results are already starting to show from their plans to remove certain paddock trees, while areas already set aside for revegetation are flourishing. 

“Taking a few paddock trees out under the code we were approved for means the huge amount of revegetation work we’d already done was taken into consideration, and we’ve now got room for three centre pivots,” he said

“The result for us is fantastic – improved pasture use, improved water efficiency, lower labor requirements… it’s better for the farm and better for the environment. 

“What we’ve also seen in this dry period is these centre pivots have been life savers.”

The school’s dairy herd has also been able to increase from 220 to up to 270 head.  

“We had record milk production in last financial year. One key critical factor is those irrigation facilities.”

“Yes we took out some paddock trees that were at the end of their life cycle, but we have replanted young active trees around the farm. And we’ve ensured there are a number of mature trees on the property with hollows. 

“We’ve also got 300-odd local tree species in other spots and more planting in loafing areas outside the pivot circles.” 

He said a number of the paddock trees taken out have been re-used by Soil Conservation Services for bank remediation and other enviro projects. 

The hurdles are easy to identify: The absence of property mapping, pending court challenge, questions over wait times and compliance processes, a schism between government departments, and a gaping chasm of trust to bridge with both farmers and environmentalists.

But the wins are also starting to stack up, according to one of the main brains behind the state’s native vegetation laws: LLS’s Kristian Holz. 

“For some it’s productivity gains,” Mr Holz says, one year on from the laws going live. “Paddock tree management is a good example, allowing them to invest in better, more fuel and water-efficient machines and equipment.”

Currently there are 70 LLS boots-on-ground employees across 32 locations, specifically dealing with Land Management requests. Mr Holz said there was a healthy wait list for approvals. 

“It varies depending on the complexity - we’re turning around applications for certificates in three months, potentially slower or faster.

“Notifications are working well now. Put your notification in, and within 14 days get on with it.”

Mr Holz said negotiations on settings and compliance issues were ongoing between groups such as NSW Farmers, LLS, and the Office of Environment and Heritage.