Members of the Local Balala/Brushgrove Landcare Group are reaping the rewards of their commitment to the health and well being of the land, after taking out the 2011 Toshiba Community Group award at the NSW Landcare Awards held in Parkes on September 6, 2011.
“The award was pretty special for us, the competition was really tough and there were three finalists that had to give presentations and they were really doing some amazing land caring,” said chairperson of Balala/Brushgrove Landcare Jody McNally.
“I thought we were in too good a company so it was a real surprise for us to win.”
Balala/Brushgrove Landcare group is located in the region between Uralla and Kingstown. The group is a sub-group of Southern New England Landcare Coordinating Committee Inc (SNELCC Inc) which manages the group’s finances and provides general support.
Balala/Brushgrove Landcare has around 35 members, from large landholders down to smaller hobby farmers. The group was first formed in 1989 by some concerned and innovative graziers who wanted to tackle issues of weed invasion and pasture decline.Since its inception, the group has actively engaged the community in many pasture and soil trials and field days/workshops with focuses ranging from soil health, grazing management, erosion control and riparian revegetation.
The group published a booklet entitled ‘Pinrush and Grazing Management Trials Summary Technical Report 1991-1998’ (Dr Christine Jones, 2006) which has been such a popular reference for New England farmers that a second edition was printed.
The most recent trial conducted by the group has been looking at bentonite clay as a soil additive to improve the water holding capacity of the group’s predominantly granite soils. This initial trial is ongoing to 2013 and will hopefully lead to larger scale trials.
Balala/Brushgrove Landcare Group will be having a wetland workshop on October 23, which will highlight just how important the wet patch you have in your paddock is. Everybody is welcome and the workshop starts at 10am, meeting on the corner of Kingstown Road and Retreat Road, Uralla. Nick Cobcroft form Southern New England Landcare will be conducting the workshop.
Everyone from Balala/Brush-grove Landcare Group would like to thanks Bec Ballard from Southern New England Landcare for nominating the group for the NSW Landcare Awards.
The National Landcare awards will be held in Sydney in 2012 where Balala/Brushgrove Landcare Group will be competing for the prestigious national title.
For further information on the group, please contact mcnally.kyeema@gmail.com
