Some of the first lessons and early insights shared at Landscape Repair forum
Delivering landscape repair at scale across the Burdekin comes with opportunities and challenges, and NQ Dry Tropics Project Manager Thijs Krugers recently shared early insights from the organisation’s Reef Trust project at the recent Landscape Repair Forum.
Speaking to fellow Reef Trust Landscape Repair delivery partners, Thijs provided an update on project progress, highlighting key successes, lessons learned and the realities of rolling out a complex landscape repair program across one of Queensland’s largest grazing regions.
His presentation explored how the Burdekin Landscape Repair project is working alongside graziers to improve landscape function, support productive grazing businesses and reduce erosion across priority catchments.
Early project highlights include strong landholder engagement through Grazing Land Management (GLM) planning, with a growing number of participating properties across the region.
New analysis has also helped identify the gullies responsible for the majority of sediment loss, allowing works to focus on areas where remediation can deliver the greatest impact.
Rather than isolated “patch-up” works, the project is taking a broader whole-of-property approach by looking at how water moves through paddocks, gullies and creek systems across the landscape. Drainage and water movement modelling is helping guide practical solutions designed to slow runoff and keep water on paddocks for longer, improving pasture growth, groundcover and overall land condition.
The approach is also supporting more cost-effective, landscape-scale gully remediation works designed by NQ Dry Tropics and funded through the Landscape Repair Program.
Recent flood events have also provided valuable insights into designing resilient works suited to Burdekin conditions and managing erosion in dynamic river systems.
Graziers, Traditional Owners and regional delivery partners continue to play an important role in shaping practical on-ground solutions and building local capability in landscape repair across the region.
The Burdekin Landscape Repair project is funded through the Australian Government’s Reef Trust program.
Program part of a $1.2b Reef Restoration package
The Reef Trust Landscape Repair Program, administered by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, is a major water quality initiative within the Australian Government’s $1.2 billion Reef Protection and Restoration package.
Of this investment, $200million has been allocated to landscape repair projects over a seven-year period from July 2024 to June 2030.
The program focuses on reducing sediment flowing to the Great Barrier Reef by targeting key erosion processes including streambank and gully erosion, alongside improved grazing land management practices.
A strong emphasis is being placed on delivering integrated streambank, gully and hillslope erosion projects within priority landscape areas.
The forum provided an opportunity for organisations to share progress from the first 18–24 months of on-ground works, highlight successes, discuss challenges and workshop practical solutions together.
Participants also received updates on supporting program activities and shared early insights and learnings from projects being delivered across the Reef catchment.
Forum participants visited a range of project sites across the Mackay region, showcasing established and newly implemented Reef Trust investments.
