Have your say on bush fire risk in Namoi Gwydir

Fire agencies and land managers are developing a new Bush Fire Risk Management Plan for communities within the Narrabri, Moree Plains and Gwydir Council areas. The Namoi Gwydir Bush Fire Risk Management Committee (BFMC) is inviting the community to participate in this process by having a say on how bush fire risk is managed.

Your input into Namoi/Gwydir Bush Fire Risk Management Plan will provide valuable insights that enable the Namoi/Gwydir Bush Fire Management Committee to prioritise the communities, places, spaces, resources, and assets that hold the most value to you.

The data you provide by answering the survey questions will be anonymously supplied to your area’s Bush Fire Management Committee. They will assess data collections rather than individual answers, so that they can establish a clearer community sentiment and gain insights from a large sample size.

The personal details you submit will be used to validate your submission and to allow notifications to be sent to you when the status of this BFRMP changes.

The Namoi/Gwydir BFMC area spans 4,025,868 hectares (ha). The area covers the Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Gwydir, Narrabri and Moree Plains and features National Parks covering an area of 184,218ha (4.5% of BFMC area) and State Forests covering an area of 189,648ha (4.7% of BFMC area).

The Namoi/Gwydir area has approximately 36.22% bushland and 62.32% grassland with the balance being the built environment or water bodies. A bush or grass fire can happen at any time of the year, but the risk is higher during the warmer months, when bush, grass or scrub is drier.

The Bush Fire Risk Management Plan for Namoi/Gwydir was published on 11 September 2018.

These plans identify the bush fire risks in high risk locations and sets out the types of work scheduled to deal with the risk of bush fires.

BFRMPs are updated within every five-year period, however, the treatments and works set out in the plans are subject to change on a yearly basis due to fire activity, weather and new risk factors. This plan may not have been updated with the latest treatment and works plans/information.

Complete a short, 5 minute survey before Thursday, 31 August 2023 by visiting https://nswrfs.jotform.com/230316930987866

Holistic grazing for the land, plants, animals and people

A three-day workshop will help graziers maintain animal performance and ensure they have enough pasture, while also improving their farm’s profitability and biodiversity.

Organised by the Southern Queensland Northern NSW Innovation Hub, the Holistic Grazing Workshop will be facilitated by Holistic Management educator Brian Wehlburg at The Living Classroom at Bingara from October 3-5.

Brian said he wanted to help farmers simplify the complexity of livestock management.

“So much has to be taken into account when planning – integration with crop production, amount of food available, animal productivity, grass growth and seasons, paddock health, logistics when selling, calving, weaning, time away from the farm and more,” he said.

“Holistic Planned Grazing helps ensure that livestock are in the right place, at the right time, and with the right behaviour.”

Through a staged planning process, livestock are moved based on the amount of feed, as well as individual plant recovery to prevent overgrazing and encourage biodiversity and resilience.

According to Brian, farmers who implement Holistic Planned Grazing practices see a number of benefits.

“This includes an improvement in the quality and quantity of pasture, a reduction in less desirable species such as weeds, and the covering of bare ground. This ultimately results in reduced soil erosion and better creek health,” he said.

“Holistic Planned Grazing accounts for the needs of land, plants, animals, and people.”

The Hub’s Bingara Extension and Adoption Officer, Janelle Schafer, encouraged people to sign up for the workshop and gain new skills to help their farm become more resilient.

“Brian’s expertise and deep knowledge will be so valuable for farmers in our community,” she said.

For more information about the workshop and to reserve your place, head to the Eventbrite page: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/ holistic-grazing-workshop-tickets-662743703257

This event received funding through the Australian Government’s Agricultural Innovation Hubs Program. The SQNNSW Innovation Hub receives funding from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund.