ACROSS THE Edition 89 OUTBACKOCTOBER 2020 South Australian Arid Lands Landscape Board | 1 Welcome Greetings and welcome to this edition of Across the Outback. This edition will provide you with updates relating to the SA Arid Lands Contents Landscape Board’s work recent and future focus across the region. 3 RAIN, GLORIOUS RAIN! You will find some recent achievements in The recent rains have been a wonderful 4 SA ARID LANDS REGION EXPANDED pest plant and animal control, the future circuit breaker for many, and the Board of water management and supporting looks forward to working with you to 5 MOUND SPRING MONITORING pastoralists in the sustainability of their maximise the benefits of the rains in the WITH ARABANA CULTURAL business. We are engaging in some terrific hope there is more to come, so together RANGERS partnerships with local traditional owners we can create further opportunities to 5 PLANNING FOR FUTURE to protect some of our critical mound support an ever thriving region. PROGRAMS springs, a key priority of the Board. 5 NEW SAAL LANDSCAPE Despite the prevailing recent conditions, Warm regards, BOARD I am delighted the Board has been able Ross Sawers 6 PASTORAL FIELD DAY IS BACK to continue with a level of service and Presiding Member, South Australian support for the region, and very much look 6 EVENTS ACROSS THE REGION Arid Lands Landscape Board forward to the year ahead, with our new 7 BIRDS TAKE FLIGHT TO Board commencing the development of COONGIE our Landscape Plan, guiding the future 8 SCAVENGER HUNT investment and reflecting the regions’ 9 LEVY FUNDS SUPPORT needs. ON-GROUND WORKS 9 CONSULTATION OPEN FOR PASTORAL ACT REVIEW 10 COMMUNITY GRANTS 12 BITEBACK NEWS RAINFALL TOTALS 14 LANDSCAPE From the Bureau of Meteorology until GROUP NEWS 9am Sunday 20 September 16 OUR ACHIEVEMENTS • Andamooka . 13mm 2019-2020 • Arcoona . 26mm • Arkaroola . 17mm 19 GRANTS OPEN FOR BUILDING • Beltana . 61mm PASTORAL SUSTAINABILITY • Blinman . 22mm 20 OUR WATER • Leigh Creek . 15mm • Maynard’s Well . 38mm 23 CLEANING UP THE OUTBACK’S • Mobella . 21mm GREAT TRACKS • Moomba . 20mm 24 RED DODDER ALERT • Motpena . 41mm • Mt Ive . 41mm 24 COCHINEAL BREEDING • FACILITY FOR BLINMAN Mulgathing . 32mm • Port Augusta . 23mm 25 TARGETING FERAL CATS • Quorn . 33mm IN THE FLINDERS • Roxby Downs . 25mm 26 DROUGHT SUPPORT • Todmorden . 9mm • Woomera . 41mm 27 SANDALWOOD SURVIVES • Yardea . 25mm IN QUORN • Yudnapinna . 27mm 28 TOURIST TRAVEL CODE LAUNCHED 29 WHS – PRACTICALITY OVER PAPERWORK 30 CALL FOR SMART FARMS GRANT APPLICATIONS 31 WHAT THE DEVIL IS IT? 32 A DAY OUT AT DULKANINNA Full dams and flowing creeks south of Yunta. Photo Matt Graham Cover image: Clancy Hucks, front, and his brother Royce floated down stream when the overflow from Quinyambie Station’s house dam ran like a creek. Photo Kym Hucks 2 | Across the Outback Holly, Katie and Tilly watch the water tear down Matherson Creek on Martins Well Rangeland Reserve, and (inset) having fun in Wilpena Creek, which burst its banks. Photos Emilee Warnest Rain, glorious rain! The relief could be heard in the voices of land managers and the delight shared across social media channels as many properties across the SA Arid Lands received the best rain for many years in September. At Quinyambie Station near the NSW border, manager Greg Connors said “I’ve been out there quite a few times to check it and to make staff were able to reach three dams on motorbikes two days after receiving the sure that it’s really happened, it’s fantastic!” he said. rain, but wouldn’t be able to check the remaining dams until the airstrip is dry – at For landholders across the North East Peter Whittlesea said the house and least three to four days after the rain. Pastoral district, there are plenty of buildings, and 20km each side of them reasons to smile. As a region that has received the highest falls, but every part of “It’s a good problem to have,” he said. missed other rainfall events recently, the the property received at least 40mm. Kym Hucks, also from Quinyambie, said Bureau of Meteorology figures recorded “Everything is full, or overfull. Every swamp the run off from the house dam created a until 9am on Sunday 20 September had has water in it and every watercourse ran,” bit of a creek that children spent the day Melton receiving 62mm, Koonamore he said. travelling down on pool toys. 48mm, Panaramatee 43mm, Curnamona “There’s plenty of water travelling down “Excited is not a strong enough word to 39mm and Yunta 38mm. Millers Creek that will end up in the Devil’s describe the way we feel at the moment,” Dams are full and aerial photos taken by Playground at the bottom.” she said. Department of Environment and Water But the rain was not without its issues. The property received 46.2mm rain, the pilot Matt Graham on 20 September show Peter said many catch banks broke best in a number of years and one that has a landscape under water. and the temporary levee bank around been “a long time coming”. In other areas, Marree made State news the house needed repairs during the In the North East Pastoral district, Mt Victor for the 93mm it received, including more downpour to hold the water out. manager Richard Williams said the house than 60mm that fell in just two hours. It And while it is too soon to call the rain dam was full for the first time in more than was the best rainfall the town had seen drought breaking, it’s enough to provide eight years. in a number of years, and it put the town’s some relief for a while. racetrack under water, albeit for a day or two. Roads across the Outback were cut, and large flows down the Boolcunda Creek cut In the Kingoonya district, Mt Eba Station the Flinders Ranges Way between Quorn received 98.5mm, which was the biggest and Hawker. At the time of going to print, rainfall event at the property in an eight- all outback tracks remained closed. hour period in 108 years of records. South Australian Arid Lands Landscape Board | 3 SA Arid Lands region expanded Quorn Lake Torrens NP The South Australian Arid Lands region has increased its footprint Hawker to welcome in the Port Augusta and Flinders Ranges council areas. North Flinders From 1 July, under the Landscape South Board staff are already working Australia Act 2019, the new council areas with landholders in the Saltia Kanyaka became part of the SA Arid Lands region. Creek area at Stirling North on Gawler Ranges Gordon The SA Arid Lands Landscape Board cactus control on their properties. and its staff welcome residents, land Properties along the creek line managers, volunteer groups, schools and are dealing with an increasing Willochra businesses new to the region and look number of Opuntia stricta (Prickly THE FLINDERS RANGES COUNCIL pear) and Cylindropuntia imbricata The Dutchmans forward to working with both communities Tent Hill Stern CP Quorn on projects to support and strengthen (devil’s rope cactus). Board staff local landscapes. released the bio-control insect Pichi Richi cochineal on the large numbers of PORT AUGUSTA The change to the Act has reformed CITY COUNCIL Itali Itali Mount Bruce cactus along the creek system. Port Augusta Brown CP how landscapes are managed and puts community at the heart of sustainably A new Community Landscape managing the region’s natural resources, Officer for the Port Augusta-Quorn Winninowie with the support and expertise of local district will soon be appointed landscape boards. By focussing on to work with the community to Wilmington Winninowie soil, water, pest plants and animals, develop a landscape management CP Miranda biodiversity, and community capacity group, which will work alongside the Board to set priorities and building the Board promotes prosperous Mount Remarkable NP work to address them. long term businesses, thriving native Mambray Creek species and ecosystems, and resilient communities. Port Augusta 4 | Across the Outback Arabana rangers Braden Allen, Sam Stuart, Indianah Butler and Planning Aamish Warren inspect the mound springs amid for future the reed grasses programs The SA Arid Lands Landscape Board is currently developing a new Strategic Plan, which will guide the Board’s work for the next five years. Development of the new Strategic Plan is required under the new Landscape South Australia Act 2019 and will build on community values and knowledge captured during extensive consultation on the current NRM plan, It’s Your Place Mound Spring monitoring – a roadmap for managing natural resources in the SA Arid Lands region with Arabana Cultural Rangers 2017-2027. Renewed monitoring of mound springs near Marree is giving Arabana Current planning has included a meeting with the SAAL Landscape Cultural Rangers an opportunity to partner with the South Australian Board and district group members in Arid Lands (SAAL) Landscape Board to record changes to the site’s September and a meeting with Port springs and to a nationally-endangered native plant. Augusta and Quorn stakeholders in October to help guide the first stage of An August meeting at Finniss Springs The movement of the plant to a different the process. between SA Arid Lands Community spring vent highlighted the importance of Ecologist Ben McCallum, Arabana ongoing monitoring of all mound spring If you have ideas you would like to Aboriginal Corporation committee member vents to guide future management. share with the Board as it develops the plan, please email Peter Watts, Arabana Cultural Rangers, Ben McCallum and Dr Davies [email protected] and botanist Dr Rick Davies provided an demonstrated how to monitor the sites opportunity to discuss plans for a future with the aim of the rangers undertaking The draft plan is expected to be monitoring program for the springs.