Protecting remnant vegetation

The Conservation and Carbon Capture Project is a conservation incentive program funded through the Australian Government and coordinated by the Corangamite CMA. The program supports land managers to undertake works which are above and beyond their current duty of care.

The program recognises, values, supports and encourages the significant role private landholder’s play in protecting remnant vegetation and establishing biodiverse plantings.

Neil and Marina Longmore, private landholders on the Gellibrand River, share their journey of the Conservation and Carbon Capture Project through the following short film. Neil and Marina’s concerns about the health of the Gellibrand River and the harm from using herbicides adjacent to waterways lead their search for alternative techniques to manage the weeds and maintain the biodiversity. They have adopted The Bradley Method to restore the native vegetation whilst causing minimal disturbance to the environment and avoid using herbicides.

The Bradley method is the really foundation of bush regeneration. It was developed by two sisters Joan and Eileen Bradley, from Sydney in the 1960's. Whilst walking their dogs through parkland around Sydney they would pull out weeds and noticed eventually they bush naturally regenerating. There are three core principles to the method:

1) Work outwards from good bush areas towards areas of weed;

2) Make minimal disturbance to the environment (less change of new weeks establishing;

3) Do not over clear.

The before and after photos below show the impact of their efforts.

At the beginning of the project Neil and Marina were very overwhelmed with the weed issues, particularly cape ivy, and they are committed to not using chemical herbicides on the property. So the CCMA introduced them to the Bradley methods, which they have adopted into their ongoing management as shown in the film below.

 
The Conservation and Carbon Capture Project, running from 2012 until 2018, has provided protection and enhancement to 1209ha of remnant vegetation across the Corangamite CMA region. The on ground environmental activities included managing high threat weeds, managing pest animals, establishing biodiverse plantings, ecological burning of native grasslands, stock fencing, and conservation grazing management programs. These environmental outcome extend beyond the defined project areas, influencing management activities across entire properties and extending to both private and public neighbouring land. The Conservation and Carbon Capture Project was funded through the Australian Government