Bushfire Recovery of
Native Pastures

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In 2014 BIGG received an Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges NRM Board Sustainable Industry Grant to investigate the recovery and management of native pastures after the 2014 Eden Valley Bushfire.

The focus of the Native Pastures grant is to improve the capacity of local landholders affected by the Eden Valley Bushfire to sustainably manage the recovery of burnt-out native pastures. This is particularly important for livestock producers who rely on native pastures as part of their grazing system and are aiming to return them to their productive potential.

Through various monitoring sites, trials and community learning events the project seeks to promote the value and NRM benefits of sustainable native pasture management in grazing systems. As the project site cuts across two NRM regions, the SA Murray-Darling Basin NRM Board is also providing top-up funding of $10,000 and in-kind technical assistance to support the project.

The project commenced with a workshop including producers and industry representatives, identifying opportunities and threats for recovery after the fires, from which a strategy was determined, including selection of monitoring sites and development of a fertiliser demonstration site to assess theeffect on native grasses.

From September 2014, BIGG monitored three sites over one year, monitoring pasture composition, dry matter, ground cover and feed quality every two months, with assistance from ecologist Nicola Barnes of Natural Resources SA Murray-Darling Basin (SAMDB). The project was funded by Natural Resources Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges, Natural Resources SAMDB and the Australian Government.

Mid-project video