Macintyre River Focus, Northern NSW

Gwymac partnered with Northern Tablelands Local Land Services (NT LLS) to identify landholders in priority sub catchments to engage in river restoration and rehabilitation.

Macintyre River Focus, Northern NSW

Gwymac partnered with Northern Tablelands Local Land Services (NT LLS) to identify landholders in priority sub catchments to engage in river restoration and rehabilitation.

Stronger Together -

LLCI031-043

The issue

Coordinated Riparian Restoration & Rehabilitation.  A critical part of the Catchment Action Plan previously developed by the Border Rivers-Gwydir Catchment Management Authority, currently NT LLS, is to develop and deliver a range of integrated projects to involve landholders in Natural Resource Management (NRM) and to support on ground change in practices on farm.

The solution

NT LLS partnered with Gwymac to deliver funding to landholders for on ground works along priority reaches of the Macintyre River.  From Catchment Action Plan priority area maps, the Macintyre River was identified as a target area and an open round of riparian funding was called for via Expressions of Interest.  Landholders were then engaged to install riparian fencing with alternate watering points along priority reaches of the Macintyre River.

Key features of the project were shared decision making, collaborative implementation, devolved responsibility and recognition of partner organisation strengths.  In order to directly engage landholders on identified priority reaches, Gwymac's Landcare Coordinator made telephone contact directly with the landholder and went to each property for initial site visits, which resulted in a 100% uptake by those landholders.

The impact

Eleven landholders were engaged along the Macintyre River to install fencing to protect riparian zones along 25km of the river with 5 dams and 17 troughs being installed as alternative watering points.  For seven of the eleven landholders, this was their first experience of engaging with Landcare or Local Land Services as recipients of a government funded NRM program.  Two extension events were also incorporated into the project to illustrate the value of biodiverse ecosystems and their importance to riparian zones as well as water management on farm.

Key facts

  • Shared decision making by both partners and stakeholders +
  • Capitalising and building on the strengths of the partners +
  • Agreed roles of project implementation within a framework of strong accountability =
  • Successful NRM outcomes.

Project Partners