DairyCare with Healthy Estuaries
Our idyllic Hardy Inlet has one of largest catchment areas in the south-west corner of Western Australia, receiving freshwater flow from both the Blackwood and the Scott Rivers. It is a recreational hotspot for Augusta, and is also an attractive habitat for migratory and resident waterbirds also extensively use the open water and fringing areas.
When well managed, effluent can deliver large amounts of nutrients into creeks and streams, and can be a valuable source of fertiliser for pasture growth. The Regional Estuaries Initiative (REI, now Healthy Estuaries WA) worked with Western Dairy and South-West dairy farmers to reduce dairy effluent entering our waterways by assisting farmers to upgrade their effluent management systems. From 2016–20, REI completed 21 upgrades throughout the Peel-Harvey, Leschenault, Hardy, Wilson and Oyster Harbour catchments representing 17% of all dairy farms in Western Australia.
It is estimated that the upgrades will capture 146.4 tonnes of nitrogen and 24.5 tonnes of phosphorus each year.
The Lower Blackwood LCDC has teamed up with Local landholders, Healthy Estuaries WA, and Western Dairy for the DairyCare Project.
In this project we aim to:
- Deliver on-ground action and long term management strategies to care for the Lower Blackwood and Hardy Inlet
- Help reduce nutrients exported from dairy sheds in partnership with farmers and Western Dairy
- Help reduce nutrient runoff from grazing farmland through soil testing, soil nutrient mapping and agronomic advice
- Work with local groups to restore stream function, move stock away from waterways and improve water quality by implementing river action plans
- Increase monitoring and modelling of the Lower Blackwood to support evidence-based management in the future.
This project is a part of Healthy Estuaries WA – a State Government program that aims to improve the health of our South West estuaries.
