Landcare Living Landscape is a partnership between Bundanon, the Borland Bequest, Landcare Australia, South East Local Land Services, Greening Australia, Jacobs and the Australian Government to increase biodiversity and reconnect native habitat in the Shoalhaven River catchment of New South Wales.
The Landcare Living Landscape is an environmental and educational initiative to increase biodiversity, capture carbon and reconnect native habitat on the culturally significant landscape on the Shoalhaven River managed by Bundanon. Led by Landcare Australia, and with a range of other partners, the Living Landscape has transformed hundreds of acres of bush and farm land across Bundanon.
The 1,000 ha property has 91% healthy natural bushland with 9% cleared agricultural land. The Beeweeree and Eearie Park properties were originally agricultural ones dating back to the mid 19th century. As agricultural practices and land use changed, and properties exchanged hands, these places suffered rampant establishment of highly invasive native and non-native species, in particular Lantana (Lantana camara), and Acacia dealbata) in areas no longer maintained for agriculture. In areas such as Haunted Point, where cattle grazed until as recently as the 1980’s, the lack of fences meant that, as practices changed and it was no longer possible to graze cattle right up to the river bank, cattle had to be brought back to the better fenced central paddocks of Bundanon.
In 2010, Bundanon embarked on a Master plan of all four properties, requiring an audit of all the land in its care. Central to this master plan was the desire to protect the healthy bushland from further invasion by weeds, improve bio-diversity and to improve the appearance of the properties for all visitors. Bundanon’s board commissioned the Land Management Plan, from Total Earth Care in 2010. This was completed in 2011. In addition to this plan, other key documents followed. Sue Feary and Heather Moorcroft completed an Indigenous Cultural Heritage Management Plan for Bundanon in August 2011, including in an Appendix a report of an Aboriginal archaeological survey of the Bundanon properties.
A Landscape Assessment was completed by Craig Burton in 2011, outlining the historic curtilage and redefining the paddocks and 19th century farmscape. This was based on an understanding of the evolution of the place together with a consideration of the visual and spatial structure of the developed properties. Recommendations of this report concluded that the diversity of the landscape character within Bundanon be conserved and that the experience of interacting with both natural elements and cultural elements be maintained.
To further direct the land rehabilitation works, the Land Rehabilitation Works Plan (LRWP) was prepared for Bundanon by Jock Waugh. The LRWP responded to the request by Bundanon for further clarification of specific management and rehabilitation works guidelines for the following priorities:
- Weed Eradication/Bush Regeneration works
- Riparian Zone Improvement
- Agricultural/Grazing Land maintenance
- Reforestation works/Carbon Farming Initiative Program
- Biodiversity Corridors and Habitat Management/Revegetation work
As with many environmental programs, these plans have been adapted and responses made in the field during the undertaking of the works program. The Living Landscape project has finite funding and the fruits of the bush regeneration and treatment will not be complete for many years to come.
In April 2012, through the auspices of Landcare Australia, Bundanon was successful in its bid to the Clean Energy Australia Biodiversity Fund for $450,000. Combined with $340,000 in funding from the Borland Bequest, brought to the project by Landcare Australia, and with contributions from the other partners – Bundanon, South East Local Land Services, Jacobs (formerly SKM) and Greening Australia – the initial project package was worth in excess of $1.3 million over 4 years (2011-15).
In 2014 the Australian Government announced that Bundanon would benefit from its Green Army initiative. In partnership with Landcare Australia and Manpower Bundanon’s Living Landscape project engaged ten workers (nine trainees and a team leader in four six month cycles) full-time to maintain revegetated areas and continue weed eradication across the property. The value of the agreements is around $1.2 million dollars over two years.
To date the Landcare Living Landscape initiative has seen 44,000 trees planted, with some key endemic species propagated from seed collected across the properties, and over 80 hectares of Lantana removed. Native vegetation and wildlife are returning to parts of the property previously infested with dense weed growth.
In 2020 the initiative also realised the generation of Australian Carbon Credit Units through revegetation.
The benefits of the Landcare Living Landscape will extend well beyond the property through community engagement and education, with tens of thousands of visitors, students, artists and environmental volunteers annually participating in Bundanon programs and witnessing the benefits.
