The pilot project will focus on providing support to Southern Rangelands pastoralists to investigate and design long term solutions for on-station improvements in rangeland condition and livestock profitability.
The pilot will support this by funding participants to attend relevant training courses and providing access to professional expertise. Pastoralists involved in this pilot will be supported to engage regularly as a group to draw on the experience and knowledge of other participants, work together on common issues, assess and provide feedback on solutions, and practically piece these together.
The project activities will be driven by the group of pastoralists in the project and supported by DPIRD. The collective learnings of the group will then be shared with the wider industry.
The pilot will focus on a whole system approach to address both resource base protection and livestock profitability including:
- the regeneration of palatable, productive, perennial vegetation
- landscape function and hydration restoration
- total grazing pressure control, and
- livestock profitability
The pilot project will be delivered in two phases.
Phase one
The initial 12-month phase will focus on investigating solutions and planning:
- funded attendance of pastoralists for up to 7 relevant training courses
- supported access to relevant professional expertise and coaching
- facilitated support and activities provided for the group to fine-tune solutions for each station - drawing on the knowledge and experience of pastoralists
- developing land management and improvement strategies supported with data
- developing a tailored revitalisation roadmap for each station that outlines areas to attract future co-investment
Phase two
The second phase of the pilot, pending funding approval, will support a selection of ten pilot pastoralists from the Phase 1 cohort to implement their on-ground station priorities demonstrating different approaches and systems.
Drawing upon the best available research and technologies, pastoralists involved in the second phase of the pilot will test strategies and options best suited to their circumstances to improve degraded landscapes and lift the productivity of their enterprises.
Expressions of Interest now open
Applications for the Southern Rangelands Revitalisation project are now open. Pastoralists in the Southern Rangelands can apply through the Expression of Interest (EOI) application link.
The project is looking for up to 25 pastoralists across the Southern Rangelands to be involved in the pilot.
Information on submitting an Expression of Interest, what is involved, and EOI assistance options are available for the project in the Expression of Interest Guidelines.
A webinar is being held to discuss the EOI application process and to answer questions. Join on Monday 25 October at 1pm.
Register for the webinar here.
Expressions of Interest for the project will close 5pm on 29 October 2021.
Revitalisation need and potential
Working out what is needed to support revitalisation of the southern rangelands was the focus of an industry workshop DPIRD organised in June this year, bringing together 40 representatives with an interest in revitalisation.
A lot of knowledge was shared about the importance of revitalising the Southern Rangelands.
Pastoralists at the workshop discussed the potential of the Southern Rangelands to improve, and wanting a viable, profitable and thriving livestock industry.
The project asked the pastoralists what they saw as important to revitalise the Southern Rangelands. Pastoralists talked about the need for the region to become economically and biologically sustainable, through improving the landscape and balancing profit and productivity with revitalisation.