Sandhill Direct Seeding

NRM NEWS – MAY 2020 – TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS

By Jamie Hearn                         
Senior Land Services Officer P: 03 5881 9925 | M: 0447 420 789 | E: jamie.hearn@lls.nsw.gov.au

Over many years, the sandhills in the Koondrook-Perricoota forest have become denuded and eroded. Often sites of significance to local Aboriginal people, the sandhills in the forest once had a covering of native grasses, with Yellow Box, White Cypress Pine, Ruby Saltbush and other native shrubs also present.

A project under the Australian Government-funded National Landcare Program, 'the Enhancement of the NSW Central Murray Ramsar site' has seen approximately 60 ha across three major sandhills direct-seeded.

Seeds from a range of local native species were used in a plan to return groundcover and biodiversity to these fragile sites. Over 46 kgs of seed from nine species were used.

Weed and rabbit control have been undertaken at these sites, with stock exclusion fencing installed on half the area to be seeded. Monitoring sites will be established to measure germination and survival with rabbit control and fence maintenance to be ongoing at these sites.

The Moama Local Aboriginal Land Council work crew have undertaken the fencing and rabbit control work with the Murray LLS Seed Services team doing the direct seeding. Forestry Corporation NSW has supported this project from its inception and is helping in clearing rabbit warren sites for fumigation.