Grateful for support
Moyston farmer Michael Overington is keen to spread the word about funding available through Wimmera Catchment Management Authority.
He is undertaking several projects that involve fencing and revegetating areas around his creeks, which flow into Salt Creek and then the Wimmera River.
“A lot of people ask me if projects like this are worth doing,” he said.
“I can say whole-heartedly, any farmer or landowner who has the ability to take up an opportunity like this, grab it 100 percent. It will improve the environment plus improve your farm. I recommend it.
“The whole process for me has been a joint partnership where everyone is involved.
“It is also adding value to the property, no doubt about it.”
Mr Overington’s property, which he manages with his brother Wal, has been in his family since the 1850s.
They experienced significant damage during the January 2015 Moyston fires and had to rebuild most of their boundary fences to keep their sheep in.
But Mr Overington was also concerned about controlling erosion and salinity. He got in touch with Project Platypus, which had helped him with erosion control work several years earlier.
Project Platypus referred Mr Overington to Wimmera CMA and he put in an expression of interest for funding.
Wimmera CMA helped Mr Overington develop a rehabilitation plan for two sites, involving 3.5 kilometres of fencing and about 4000 plants over 9.5 hectares.
“Without the support of a joint partnership with Wimmera CMA, this project would not have gone ahead,” Mr Overington said.
“The area was ravaged by fire and with all the external fences lost, we had to focus on that first. We could not have attempted this project for several years.”
The timing coincided with the Wimmera drought employment program, part of the State Government’s Drought Response Package, and crews were able to help Mr Overington with his fencing.
“For the CMA crews to come in and fence off the gullies and eroded areas, it’s allowed me to keep things running and keep stock in,” he said.
“If it was up to me to do the gullies, I don’t know when I would have been able to find not only the money, but the labour resources.”
Wimmera CMA will have information about funding available for rivers, creeks and wetland projects, native vegetation and saltbush at the Wimmera Machinery Field Days.
Drop into site D1-4 opposite the Country Lifestyle Square.