Revitalisation of WA’s southern rangelands
Pastoralists working to regenerate the rangelands
The southern rangelands of Western Australia cover around a third of the state’s land area, supporting diverse ecological communities and extensive pastoralism.
Pastoralists across the southern rangelands are finding ways to build soil health, improve groundcover and build resilience and profitability in the face of increasingly challenging conditions. Here we share seven case studies of pastoralists working to regenerate the rangelands, with support from the WA Government’s Southern Rangelands Revitalisation Project.
About the Southern Rangelands Revitalisation Program
The Southern Rangelands Revitalisation Program aims to support pastoralists to investigate and implement long-term solutions for on-station improvements to land condition and livestock profitability in WA’s southern rangelands.
Highlights from the case studies
- Adoption of Holistic Management and similar approaches to improved grazing management
- Redesign of watering systems and introduction of ‘self-herding’ techniques to support rotational grazing management and paddock rest and recovery across large land areas
- Construction of new fencing and trap yards – especially in over-utilised or degraded areas – to manage total grazing pressure, provide options during dry periods, and support rotational grazing
- Increasing pasture diversity to improve groundcover, regenerate degraded areas and increase resilience
- Installation of buoys, scallops, ponding, grade banks and other infrastructure to slow the flow of water, reduce erosion and rehydrate degraded areas
- Satellite imagery and remote monitoring and operation technology for gates and water to improve efficiency and increase flexibility
- On-ground, remote and satellite technology for vegetation and landscape monitoring to understand progress and adjust practices
Read the case studies
Carey Downs
Harry & Alys McKeough
Revitalising scalded floodplains with ‘rangelands self-herding’ and earthworks
Challa Station
Ashley & Debbie Dowden
Innovation and technology enhancing environmental stewardship
Hillview Station
Darren & Kim Cousens
Repairing eroded landscapes and revitalising vegetation with low-disturbance infrastructure
Jimba Jimba Station
The Baston Family
Demonstrating regeneration at scale with people and livestock
Melangata Station
Ken Darnell & Jo Clews
Holistic grazing to revitalise the landscape and lift productivity
Wooleen Station
David & Frances Pollock
Revitalising perennial vegetation and building water points for sustainable grazing
Murchison House Station
Calum & Belinda Carruth
Managing rangeland goats to improve landscape condition
Acknowledgements
This case study was co-prepared by the Department of Primary and Regional Development (DPIRD) and Soils for Life as part of the Southern Rangelands Revitalisation Program (SRRP), jointly funded through the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund and the WA State Government’s Climate Resilience Fund.
