ALFA's Community Heroes Award, sponsored by Lallemand Animal Nutrition, is back for the fourth year running. This heart-warming award recognises and rewards feedlots across Australia for their outstanding contributions to local communities and the environment.
The overall winner will receive a $5,000 cash donation that can be directed towards a local charity, business, or feedlot initiative, further enriching their communities.
Slowing the flow at Gundamain
By Kate Stark
After the town of Eugowra was devastated by floodwaters on November 14, 2022, the team at Gundamain Feedlot banded together to try and prevent such a tragedy from ever happening again.
Working in partnership with the Sisters of Mercy and their ecologist Sally Neave, the not-for-profit Mulloon Institute, Mid Lachlan Landcare, led by Tracee Burke, and Gundamain’s own agronomist, the environmental initiative ‘Slow the Flow’ was formed.
Gundamain Feedlot director Tess Herbert said the campaign aims to address the issue of the velocity and the height of the water that caused so much destruction during the 2022 event.
“The movement has gained momentum and Gundamain has been involved every step of the way,” Mrs Herbert said, adding the first bootcamp to address landscape hydration was held last year.
“To date, field days, bootcamps and lots of meetings have led to on the ground research and training into how to examine how water moves through landscapes and what can be done to address and slow it so that water remains where it is needed without degrading or eroding farmland and causing damage to communities.”
Involved in the feedlot industry for more than 20 years, Mrs Herbert said the working group evolved from the combined efforts of passionate locals after the floods devastated the community.
“Nothing this extreme has ever happened before. The velocity of the flood took two local lives and damaged the town and traumatised the inhabitants.
“Following the flood, ecologist Sally Neaves from the Sisters of Mercy approached some community members seeking to contribute to the recovery process,” Mrs Herbert said the focus turned to landscape restoration and how to lessen the impact of future flood events.
“I was approached as our farms were seriously affected and I had some background in industry sustainability work – and managing landscapes.”
After the working group was formed, Mrs Herbert said they committed to regular meetings which have also been attended by a core group of landholders.
Subsequently, the Mulloon Institute was approached by the group to address the issue of flooding and a bootcamp was planned for Eugowra which was presented by the institute's landscape planners and environmental engineers.
“The boot camp was held on ‘Island View’, our breeding block just north of Eugowra, which was hit by the wave of floodwater as it made its way toward the town.
“The two day event focused on water movement through the landscape and how to slow this down using engineering techniques.”
General manager of Mulloon Institute Jono Forrest responded to the event on social media, sharing his appreciation for Mid Lachlan Landcare, the team at Gundamain Feedlot and Sally Neaves from the Sisters of Mercy for their ongoing support.
“We always cherish opportunities to work with communities in restoring landscape function through the application of landscape rehydration techniques,” Mr Forrest wrote.
The skills-based course focused on harnessing water to improve landscape function on-property through activities that blend scientific principles and practical skills.
Attendees learned about the role of the water cycle and plants in farming landscapes, drivers and indicators of a healthy and unhealthy water cycle and the practical application of planning and design principles to give landscape rehydration projects the best chance of success.
Mrs Herbert said the day was well attended by local landholders with the group now run under the guidance of Mid Lachlan Landcare as the new Eugowra Catchment Landcare.
“The group currently has 10 members stretching along the catchment of the creek.”
The group will now work together to address the flow of water through the Mandagery Creek which is prone to flooding, along with Eugowra which is placed in a natural funnel for rainfall events.
“If extreme climatic events are likely to continue, and the solution can lie in landscape management, the group intends to explore and address this.
“A further long-term goal is to address general catchment and hydration issues through landscape function and management.”
Mrs Herbert said the commitment and passion from the working group to improve the landscape has been inspiring to see.
“It’s just one part of recovery and building back and addressing the cause from a landscape perspective.
“This is a whole community initiative. The Eugowra Catchment Landcare group is largely made up of landholders because we have identified that the work to rehabilitate and address flood flow should happen on our properties, and in this catchment,” she said, adding the group was in regular contact with the town community.
“It’s vital for all feedlot enterprises to reach out to community groups and contribute to addressing environmental issues that arise.
“Water moves through the landscape, it is not restricted to property boundaries and we can all contribute to the management of its flow.”
Eugowra Catchment Landcare will have a public launch in town on November 19.
About the ALFA Community Heroes Award
Gundamain Feedlot has entered the ALFA Community Heroes Award which recognises and rewards feedlots which are actively nourishing their community and environment. The winner, announced at BeefEx in October, will receive a $5,000 cash donation towards a local charity, business, or feedlot initiative to assist in further development and impact of the initiative.
With thanks to our ALFA Platinum Member sponsor, Lallemand Animal Nutrition for their support of this Award.
