Bushfire recovery and agriculture
- Fact sheet
- August 2015
Bushfire affects people in many ways, from those whose homes are damaged or destroyed to those who lose property, stock, crops, water supplies, soils or pastures. If you have been affected by bushfire, support is available at all times.
Pastures and production
Allowing time for your pastures to recover and ensuring that your productive cropping ground is protected is critical after fire.
- exclude stock from areas affected by fire, particularly areas which are vulnerable to erosion such as hills, sand dunes, sandy soils and slopes
- consider reducing your stocking rate by sending stock to agistment or by placing stock in containment areas
- supplementary feeding should take place in restricted areas to reduce risk of weed spread and soil loss
- monitor for weeds
- reduce grazing pressure by controlling feral animals
- monitor health of stock regularly for injury and burns
- your first shearing may be difficult due to the amount of ash in the fleece
Water systems
- check water supplies (human and animal) as they may be damaged or contaminated due to ash and smoke
- water supply may appear fine until there is rain and run-off of ash, continue to monitor
- check poly pipe, plastic tanks and fittings as they may be burnt
- pumps may be damaged and should be checked by a qualified electrician
- check protective fencing and trough watering points to protect surface run off and waterways from stock movement
- review the location of your watering points.
Feral animals
While feral animals are at low levels, integrated control methods are most effective. Contact us (details below) for more information or help.
Weed incursion
- feed out hay and stock feed in a confined area to reduce likelihood of weeds being spread throughout the property
- monitor feed out areas and watch for unfamiliar plants that germinate
- ensure that any vehicles and equipment entering your property are clean and free of weeds (i.e. those of contractors or advisors)
- contact us (details below) or an agronomist if you need help with weed identification.
Fences
Fixing fencing is often seen as a priority job after a fire, however as stock numbers will be low, fence lines can create erosion.
- fence lines may catch soil drift, in areas of severe drift it is better to remove fencing prior to sand building up over top of them
- patching fences is a short term measure as, once affected by fire, wire will perish after a couple of years and will ultimately need to be replaced
- every wooden strainer should be checked as they can burn underground and the damage not be noticeable until they are worked on.
Erosion management
Fire affected soils are extremely prone to both wind and water erosion. Our region’s light sandy soils, dunes and hilly terrain are at risk, particularly in the early months of the year.
- retain soil structure and reduce soil loss by minimizing disturbance in all areas affected by fire
- reduce grazing pressure by containing stock and controlling feral animals, this will encourage regeneration of native and perennial pastures
- in smaller areas, use hay bales, cover crops and fallen limbs to cover the soil and reduce the risk of erosion
- in larger areas, when soil moisture is adequate, establish a cover crop of barley to reduce top soil loss and erosion
- monitor the property for weeds regularly as part of an integrated weed management plan.
Property planning
Consider attending a rural land management course, seek the assistance of an agronomist or contact us (details below) for information on property planning. Use this time to consider the layout of your property.
- Review your property’s fencing needs, consider fencing to land class and the suitable placement of stock watering points
- Remove fencing as soon as possible, this will allow soil to move across your property more effectively and reduce the risk of blow outs.
Other aspects of recovery
- Contact your local natural resources centre to discuss kangaroo culling and to obtain a destruction permit if necessary
- Photograph everything – both areas of damage and areas that have survived
- Take landscape shots for reviewing later as your property recovers.
Finally, offer help, but don’t be offended if it is refused. The natural reaction is “to do it yourself as you have always done”. Sometimes those affected may not want help immediately and you may need to offer again later. Nobody should be alone in their recovery. You can also call the Bushfire Hotline on 1300 362 361.
More information
We have a range of factsheets about bushfire prevention and recovery to assist you with good land management. Refer to the related links below.