Improving Soil Erosion and Water Quality in Macadamia Orchards

With funding provided by the NSW Clean Coastal Catchments Program and Catchment Action NSW, North Coast Local Land Services has invested $446,000 to improve the management of soil erosion and improve water quality in macadamia orchards in the north coast region.

The key aims of the projects were to improve water quality by reducing erosion, improving orchard productivity with sustainable practices, promote the adoption of best practices through Integrated Orchard Management (IOM), increase groundcover and improve catchment condition.

Each participating grower had previously developed an Erosion Management Action Plan (EMAP). These EMAPs identified priority sites where on-ground works could have the most significant impact on reducing erosion and improving water quality. 41 additional Erosion Management Action Plans were developed for growers during this project, identifying erosion areas and potential erosion management solutions.

During the project, assessing the environmental benefit of each activity was used to prioritised on-ground works. The NSW DPI/Australian Macadamia Society (AMS) publications; Integrated Orchard Management Guide 2015 and the supplement Integrated Orchard Management Guide – Drainage 2017, were used to guide best practice.

Eighty-one orchards have implemented practical on-ground solutions for controlling water movement within farms and improve erosion management, including changes to drainage, orchard floor and canopy management.

These Erosion Management Actions are not only improving macadamia farmers profitability by improving drainage and reducing erosion in their orchards, but it is also making a big difference to water quality in the Richmond River catchment and the connecting marine estate.