It was a busy winter season for PHCC and Landholders with farm fencing and revegetation projects being completed across the catchment. This planting season has seen 10,000 seedlings go in the ground along farm property waterways as part of the Healthy Estuaries WA Stream Restoration Program.

With funding available through the Bindjareb Djilba (Peel Harvey) Protection Plan and Healthy Estuaries WA, Landholders in our catchment are doing their bit to exclude stock and restore fringing vegetation along waterways. Fringing vegetation including sedges, shrubs and trees has multiple values from providing habitat and corridors for native fauna to bank stabilisation, preventing erosion and improving water quality. The vegetation acts like a filter capturing and absorbing fertilizer from run off.  This not only improves stream function on-site but also contributes to downstream estuary health.   

The Phillips family are doing their part, planting over 5000 seedlings within their fenced off farm drain on their Coolup property. The supply of fencing materials and plant stock was funded under the Healthy Estuaries WA Stream Restoration program with the Phillips meeting the required 50% in-kind contribution by installing the fencing and planting the seedlings themselves. The fencing and revegetation will help improve the management of stock on the farm as well as add biodiversity to the existing vegetation. Bringing back the birds and wildlife to their farm was part of the motivation for the Phillips family taking part in the program. PHCC’s Healthy Estuary Officer Bec Mackenzie worked with the Phillips to develop a planting plan with diverse species and structure including sedges and shrubs to maximise nutrient uptake and habitat for local wildlife.

“Working with PHCC has been invaluable to us and our property improving the waterway via fencing and revegetation thus improving water quality and protecting precious flora and fauna. We encourage fellow farmers and landholders to take advantage of the grants available to you through PHCC. “

PHCC is receiving applications from landholders across the catchment and is looking forward to many more successful projects such as this one over the next 3 years. If you have a drain or waterway, manage livestock and would like to contribute to improved water quality of our rivers and estuary, visit. https://peel-harvey.org.au/grants/funding-opportunity-fencing-and-revegetation-of-foreshore-areas/  or contact PHCC’s Healthy Estuaries Officer Bec Mackenzie at Waterways@peel-harvey.org.au or phoning 6369 8800.

This project is part of the Bindjareb Djilba (Peel Harvey estuary) Protection Plan and Healthy Estuaries WA, State Governments initiatives to improve the water quality of the estuary.

We acknowledge the Noongar people as Traditional Custodians of this land and pay our respects to all Elders past and present