Biodiversity

Australian Wool Innovation Limited -

With the introduction of native vegetation and biodiversity targets both nationally and across many catchments, and increasing community concern and expectations about environmental management, there is now even greater awareness about the importance of natural resource management (NRM) within the wool industry.

Sheep and woolgrowers manage more than 85 million hectares of Australia’s land and water resources, from the high rainfall areas to the wheat/sheep belt and pastoral zone.
More than 55% of woolgrowers with native vegetation on their farm implement natural resource management practices [Land, Water & Wool Best Practice Survey, 2003].

Many woolgrowers have profitable enterprises characterised by high levels of native biodiversity. These have been achieved by investing in a wide variety of management practices to enhance farm profitability as well as native biodiversity.

Management practices have included:

• grazing management of natural pasture including rotational and phase grazing

• tree management such as protecting and enhancing woody vegetation, developing windbreaks and wildlife corridors, plantation forestry and agroforestry

• river and water management including protecting riparian zones and farm dams and creating and protecting wetlands

5 regional projects in the high rainfall and sheep/wheat zones directly involved more than 70 families with commercial woolgrowing enterprises in research on their properties, while a further 2,750 woolgrowers were indirectly involved.

The Native Vegetation and Biodiversity sub-program developed, tested and promoted options for integrating wool production and the protection, management and restoration of native vegetation and its associated biodiversity.