eNews #19

• 6th September - Friends of Black Gully Walk, Talk and Plant
• 9th September - Uralla Rivercare Meeting
• 14th September - AURG/ATG Essential Energy Community Planting Day
• 16th September - Guyra Landcare Network Meeting
• 17th September - Retreat Landcare Network Walk and Talk Day
• 19th September - Guyra Cuppa Chat Group Meeting
• 21-24th September - Landcare National Conference (Gold Coast)

On Saturday, the 23rd of August, Sam (Armidale Tree Group) and Janeen (SNEL) hosted a Volunteer Planting event.

This was part of a project funded through the Northern Tablelands Koala Partnership.

This funding has been improving the quality of koala habitat and conserving existing habitat for koalas around the Armidale Area of Koala Significance.

Southern New England Landcare has successfully delivered the first professional veterinary training course focused on koala health in the Northern Tablelands.

Held on 25–26 August 2025 at University of New England, the course brought together 20 veterinarians from across the Northern Tablelands to strengthen their skills in koala-specific medical care.

Local Koala Conservation Project Officer, Thaw Zaw said, “This course was designed to build local capacity for treating sick, injured and orphaned koalas, supporting better health outcomes, and it will also reduce the need for long-distance transfers to specialised facilities, which is stressful for koalas in care.”

“It forms part of a broader initiative to improve wildlife healthcare in the Northern Tablelands,” said Thaw.

IMPORTANT: By submitting an Expression of Interest you may be shortlisted to play at the Black Gully Festival on November 8th 2025. To apply, you must be based in Armidale or within a 50km radius.

EOI Closing Date – August 31, 2025

The Black Gully Festival will be held at the New England Regional Art Museum from 10am until 8pm.

As always, Black Gully is about inclusiveness and we want to showcase as many artists as we can.

This year we have secured funding so that all artists can be paid for their performance.

Please visit Sustainable Living Armidale to submit your EOI. 

Southern New England Landcare Ltd welcomes Mr Robert Sieben as a new board member, growing the board of directors to eight, and raising the board’s skills set to new heights.

Mr Robert (Rob) Sieben BSc DipEd MEd (Ed Admin) was appointed at the board’s August 13th meeting and brings significant skills and experience in information technology, business management, human resources, fund-raising, marketing, and governance, accrued over a forty-year career.

Southern New England Landcare Board Chair Emeritus Professor Nick Reid said, “Rob’s long and meritorious career in a range of publicly listed and private businesses, along with his senior executive and governance experience, is very relevant to Southern New England Landcare.”

The four fact sheets are designed to provide a guide to increase pasture production and potential carrying capacity and at the same time improve the health of your land resource. 

Fact Sheet 1: Getting started-develop a grazing plan

Why, What & How - the seven steps to improve productivity, land health and profitability.

Fact Sheet 2: Managing plants to increase pasture growth rate

Pasture growth is one of the main factors that influences livestock productivity - the ability to measure pasture growth rate allows you plan appropriate stocking rates and grazing periods. 

Fact Sheet 3: Managing pastures improves soil health

Perennial plant roots are the most effective soild conditioning tool, primary soure of soil carbon and the greater density of plant roots, the greater the increase in rainfall infiltration. 

Fact Sheet 4: Stocking rate, stock density & using DSE values to estimate pasture intake

Matching stocking rate to carrying capacity by knowing your feed requirements of different stock classes to help increase farm performance and increase productivity. 

To help you in your grazing plan, SNEL has a Pasture Management Checklist booklet available for purchase from the SNEL office. This book compliments and goes hand it hand with the 4 Grazing Management Fact Sheets. For more information, you can access the book here. 

The next North Armidale Walking Tracks (NAWT) working bee – our first for the 2025 -2026 season - will be on Sunday 7th September, 8.30 – 12.30

Although it is very early in the season there is plenty to do:

• Continue clearing of the tracks and fences following the snow storm that brought down a vast quantity of branches and some trees. Please bring your largest loppers! (An advance party has already cleared the worst of the tree fall between Trelawney Rd – Blue Wren Rd section)
• Whipper – snip around the tree plantings at the Four Ways before spring growth of grasses take over.
• Continue planting-out the border of Lomandra at the Four Ways.
• Hand-chip areas where thistles and other annual / semi perennial weeds have germinated over the recent damp months.

NSW Farmers invites members and non-members to its Regions 1, 2 and 4 Workplace Relations Workshops.

Guest speaker - Cassandra Low – NSW Farmers – Workplace Relations Advisor

These events will cover recent changes resulting from amendments to employment legislation and modern awards, as well as reminders on common issues arising in the industry when engaging workers, including pay arrangements and documentation necessary for compliance.