After five years of local partnerships and millions of dollars in investment to strengthen the links between biodiversity and agricultural production, the Brigalow Nandewar Biolinks project is coming to completion.
The Biolinks project has pursued a bold vision to restore and enhance critical native vegetation corridors linking the northern tablelands, slopes and plains.
Up to the end of 2016, over 200,000 new native plants, including trees and shrubs, have been planted as tubestock or through direct seeding, across more than 1100 hectares of land.
The Biolinks project focused on the region bounded by Moree, Edgeroi, Bingara and Gravesend, including Bellata, Gurley, Millie, and Terry Hie Hie, and also supported landholders to replant and protect vegetation along rivers and creeks across the Northern Tablelands and North West regions.
The goal has been to reconnect patches of bush on farmland and restore woodlands that supply valuable beneficial services (such as insect control, shade and shelter) free to agriculture, while reconnecting native vegetation across the landscape.
“These new plantings are reconnecting areas of natural bushland, allowing native plant species to seed and spread establishing new habitat for native animals to move into, and increasing the potential for species survival,” said Martin Dillon from Northern Tablelands Local Land Services.
"Importantly, these areas of native vegetation will also have significant production and sustainability benefits for landholders and the broader community.”
Natural ecosystems support agricultural production in many ways. Birds, micro bats, beneficial insects and spiders eat millions of crop pests each year. Drought tolerant native grasses make pastures resilient in diverse seasonal conditions. Pollination by honeybees and other insects improve crop yields, and blocks of native vegetation slow harsh winds and modify the climate, creating a cooling effect in the heat, and a shelter from winter cold.
Riparian vegetation is also critical, filtering the water entering our streams and rivers and providing better quality water for both people and livestock.
“Our primary focus has been to engage and support landholders to re-establish linkages within the landscape, and build the community’s capacity to restore and manage valuable patches of native vegetation,” said Martin.
Over the past five years the Biolinks project has worked with hundreds of landholders, (including community members, Landcare volunteers, Aboriginal community representatives and farmers from more than 500 separate farms), helping them to improve biodiversity in ways that will increase profitability as well as environmental sustainability.
“Northern Tablelands Local Land Services would like to thank the many people who helped us run this project, and all of the landholders who have invested their time and money contributing to the costs of planting, fencing and weed control, and taking some areas out of production to allow vegetation to establish,” said Martin.
“The project also partnered with the University of New England to undertake a number of research projects regarding revegetation and landscape restoration. The legacy of this work will continue long after the project ends.”
The Brigalow Nandewar Biolinks project has been funded by the Commonwealth Government's Biodiversity Fund and administered by Northern Tablelands Local Land Services in partnership with North West Local Land Services.
The Biolinks project will officially conclude at the end of June however landholders involved will continue to monitor and manage new areas of vegetation for many years to come.
