Report 1 Mar 2020

Milestone 3 | 15/01/2020 - 01/03/2020

This project is delivered through a partnership between Cape York Weeds and Feral Animals Incorporated and Cape York NRM. Both organisations support the Normanby Aboriginal Corporation to establish the Coastal Catchment Focus Farm (CCFF) initiative at Normanby Station.

The project aims at exploring the efficacy of holistic management principles (specifically ultra-high cattle density) to remediate gully head advancement.

Control Treatments:  Cattle (16 <18mths old heifers) will graze in the open field during the day and will be confined to the erosion control pen (figure 1.) overnight for five consecutive nights.

Cattle will then be removed and the site will be monitored for soil stability and vegetation establishment.

Erosion Control Pens will remain in place until remediation is deemed by the Project Steering Committee to be complete.

Erosion Control PenCY268 Coastal Catchments Focus Farm Initiative Progress Report 1 st Mar 2020 Milestone 3

• Construct an Erosion Control Pen close to proposed Coastal Catchments Focus Farm field day site.

• Field Day (scheduled for May 7, 2020) workshop facilities, to demonstrate erosion control concepts for extension purposes: capacity building for the Endeavour River and Normanby River

• Peer to Peer Producer learning group (established in 2019).

Progress against Milestone 3 Stage 1 Planning Operations

• A Steering Committee meeting was held early in the project development phase to discuss project parameters and to prepare a logistics plan for the Normanby Aboriginal Corporation.

• A field day demonstrating erosion control methods; employed by Normanby Aboriginal Corporation to remediate gully head advancement, is scheduled for May 7, 2020.

• The erosion control demonstration site selection was based on ease of access (close to proposed field day location), gully severity and slope of land. A monitoring point was also established.

Cape York Weeds and Feral Animals Incorporated Stage 3

Erosion Control Pen construction and placement: Flood conditions restricted access to site and made the journey arduous however the team pushed on – even utilising a boat to cross the river and employing extra hands to get the job done.

Next Steps:Treatments will commence immediately following the completion of Milestone 3.

• Members of the Normanby Aboriginal Corporation will camp out with the cattle to ensure no loss of stock through predation.

• Cattle will be provided with adequate feed and water, mineral supplement and shelter to ensure a high level of animal husbandry, health and welfare.
  

Acknowledgements: Cape York Weeds and Feral Animals Incorporated would like to thank Normanby Station owner Vince Harrigan for allowing access to site and providing support to the team. Special thanks are extended to Nevil Bowen for his dedication to the Coastal Catchments Focus Farm Initiative.