FOLLOWING a recent successful annual general meeting, the new executive headed by president Geoff Hood looks forward to expanding Gunnible Landcare’s area of influence across Gunnedah Shire (excluding Gunnedah township, which is well-served by Gunnedah Urban Landcare Group).
Landcare can assist local landholders with their endeavours to achieve their goals.
While people assume that trees and biodiversity are mainly what Landcare is about, it is what you make it – responding to community priorities will be the aim of Gunnible Landcare for the next 12 months.
Priorities include: planning for the historic floods that will occur (including preparedness and drainage issues) as it has done in the past; feral animal pests (like pigs, foxes and bird pests); weed identification and control; and increasing soil health.
Farming now has technology offering many changes enabling Landcare including: GPS livestock fencing, vehicle and implement control; drones for mapping, weed identification and thermal cameras; and crop planters that can plant into mulched cotton stubble, cotton that had been previously planted into sorghum stubble, sorghum
that was planted into wheat stubble, all the same field, with little cultivation over years. This equals Landcare via looking after soil biology and crop rotation, which helps with weed control.
Gunnible Landcare plans to be working with agencies like Local Land Services, SES, NSW Water, Tamworth Regional Landcare Association and others in the next 12 months.
Initially, Gunnible Landcare is asking landholders of Gunnedah Shire for historic flood reference points, if available from previous bigger floods (particularly of the 1970s, the 1950s or earlier).
Some rural flood information is already to hand.
Gunnedah SES has been active recently, rewriting the flood card for Gunnedah from the most recent floods.
This historic rural flood reference information is essential for farmers and emergency services planning for future events that will occur.
Modern technology like satellite and drone imagery need historic reference markers.
Photos and written information can be sent to the Landcare group.
Information collected will be used by the SES.
Gunnible Landcare is also welcoming contact with members of former Gunnedah Shire-based Landcare groups.
Gunnible Landcare is offering an incentive to new members with an annual membership of $20, to include a value pack of five well-grown native trees.
Contact Gunnible Landcare Facebook page or email president Geoff Hood at [email protected]
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