Pastoral Board visits the SA Arid Lands
Pastoral Board members visited two leases in the Kingoonya district in May, exploring the interaction of pastoralism, tourism and conservation.
At Bon Bon Station Reserve, a property managed by Bush Heritage Australia, board members spoke to the team about the challenges of managing a lease for conservation purposes and how they work with neighbouring pastoralists.
Reserve managers Wayne and Karen Lawrence shared the efforts they make to manage grazing pressure from kangaroos on Bon Bon and neighbouring properties, their ongoing erosion and weed management program, and increasing connections with local traditional owners.
Antakirinja Matu-Yankunytjatjara man Dean Willis said he had been happy to see the re-emergence of native insect and plant species that hadn’t been seen for decades.
At Mt Eba Station, Peter and Margie Whittlesea talked through plans to improve water and stock management, and their experiences living next door to a lease used for conservation. They took the board on a short tour of some of their tourist areas, including the historic air raid shelter and shearing sheds.
Meet the Board and Q&A in Coober Pedy
The board shared a meal with pastoralists and community members in Coober Pedy. This was a chance to share the board’s plans and hear from locals about what they considered to be important. Conversation topics included the Hydrogen and Renewable Energy Bill, management of leases for non-pastoral purposes, remote sensing, progress of land condition assessments, and opportunities to improve communications between pastoralists and the board. The visit to the region gave the board a valuable insight into understanding the needs of the pastoral industry.
In other Pastoral Board news:
- Rent notices have been posted to lessees for payment in the next three months.
- Stock returns have also been posted and must be returned by 31 July.
- Did you know? Following the 2022 rainfall events and significant damage to the PAR network, the State Government has secured flood relief funding from the Australian Government to undertake a program of repair works on the PAR network. This will begin shortly and is expected to be completed by June 2024.
