Regenerating Australia's unique landscapes through sustainable farming practices
Drought is endemic in Australia - the world’s driest inhabited continent. Yet the conditions the country has been experiencing over the last decade are unprecedented in modern history. Over the past ten years, severe drought has devastated swathes of arable land, with Australian farmers being forced to graze their livestock in areas of native forest. Caught in a vicious cycle, these practices are leading to further land degradation and erosion - negatively impacting native ecosystems, biodiversity, and the prospect of farming in the future.
To learn more about the Sustainable Development Goals verified by the standard for this project, please check the project's registry link above.
The Jandra Nulty Regeneration project, located near the town of Bourke, in northwest New South Wales, is run by the Ridge family - whose lineage has lived on the land since the 1870s. Due to drought and economic recession this region, characterised by rich red earth and the mighty Darling River, was becoming increasingly threatened. By promoting sustainable farming practices such as the better management of livestock grazing and the installation of water infrastructure, the farming family tackles local degradation by promoting the regeneration of permanent native forests.
By spreading existing grazing more evenly and reducing pressure on areas of native forest, the project regenerates local ecosystems, which are home to unique Australian species, such as the endangered Greater Bilby (Macrotis lagotis), and the elusive nocturnal Night Parrot (Pezoporus occidentalis), which is rarely sighted in the wild. In addition, the project secures reliable income for a local farming family, who are passionate about preserving the central Australian outback.
