Development of Wool Industry River Management Guides for the High Rainfall and Sheep and Wheat zones of Australia

Summary

This project has resulted in the two Land, Water & Wool River Management guides – one for woolgrowers in the high rainfall zone and the other for those in the sheep wheat zone. They were developed as a resource to assist the wool industry and woolgrowers improve the productive use and environmental management of creeks, streams and associated riparian lands.

The first step to developing the guides was to work with woolgrowers to identify the management issues they considered most important in relation to water courses and riparian areas. Research findings from a 12-year national research program (supported through Land & Water Australia) investigating how riparian areas function were also taken into consideration as part of this first step. The information is now being brought together in the guides and being practically applied through the Land Water & Wool Rivers and Water Quality regional projects.

For each of the issues identified by woolgrowers, general scientific principles for achieving the relevant management objective will be provided. The guides list practical steps that can be taken by woolgrowers to implement those principles, as well as giving case studies of woolgrowers who have successfully achieved the management objective. An easy-to-use assessment tool will also be included in the guides so that woolgrowers can work out the condition of their riparian area.

By using these guides, individual woolgrowers can prioritise management issues and objectives of importance to them, and apply them in a way that matches their property, enterprise and the resources available to gain both productive and environmental outcomes on-farm.

Publications and Resources

None listed

Citation

Land & Water Australia. 2007. Development of Wool Industry River Management Guides for the High Rainfall and Sheep and Wheat zones of Australia . [Online] (Updated June 10th, 2008)
Available at: http://lwa.gov.au/node/12 [Accessed Tuesday 26th of April 2011 12:38:23 PM ].