Repairing riparian zones at Elysium farms

Introduction

In 2014, Brett Abikhair was living in the city and enjoying a successful career in the finance industry, however he had decided it was time for a tree change.

Brett took the plunge and purchased a property in the Alstonville Plateau. Far from the bustling city streets, the property had a rainforest, a creek flowing through it, and an existing macadamia orchard.

Brett became involved in the Marine Estate Management Strategy (MEMS) Riverbank Vegetation Improvements Project after North Coast Local Land Services contacted him about participating in the project.

Challenges

When Brett purchased the property, the orchard had not been actively managed, and the creek line had major weed infestations. 

“When I first bought the property I saw all these big green trees and thought it was great, but quickly learned it was Camphor and that the creek line was mostly weeds.” 

- Brett Abikhair

The project started during a drought and Brett had to water the plants often to keep them alive. Then, in 2022, the floods washed away banks in areas where the trees weren’t big enough yet. Those areas are bouncing back well, but maintenance is needed to be keep the weeds at bay.

A large portion of his property was just grass when he moved and he had to mow the steep slopes constantly.

Solution

Since purchasing the property, Brett has improved his orchard to be both productive and sustainable, whilst also working with North Coast Local Land Services to rehabilitate the riparian areas on his property.

Canopy management and limb removal in the orchard:

• increased groundcover
• reduced soil loss and runoff into the river.

Brett had the opportunity to attend field days and learn more about: 

• how to be more sustainable in farming practices
• why buffer zones between the orchard and the creek were important
• the importance of feeding trees with organic matter
• alternatives for chemical sprays for the orchard.

After Brett began to revegetate the areas that were just grass with local native rainforest species and tackling the weeds that had taken over other areas, Local Land Services (LLS) stepped in to provide support.

On Brett’s property, the riparian area was sectioned out into 8 different subsites depending on the management needs.

Three strategies were used in this project:

1. Assisted regeneration – in areas where native vegetation was already present but needed weed management.
2. Reconstruction – in areas where the banks had previously been completely cleared and needed mass plantings of local native species.
3. Combination approach – in areas that had some native vegetation present but would need weed management and infill plantings.

Rows of Lomandra were also planted along the edge of the riparian zone in areas where the orchard has high flows or a narrow riparian area. This was done to:

• help slow the flow of runoff
• trap any soil loss of the orchard.

Outcomes

"Being part of a MEMS project has greatly increased the health of my riparian zone. Having professional bush regenerators develop a management plan and then come onto the property and do the amount of work they have has been amazing. There is more birdlife, koalas and wallabies, while the native vegetation is healthy and regenerating on its own."

- Brett Abikhair

The project has resulted in:

• less maintenance for Brett
• the major weed infestations are now minimal
• the trees have grown up and are shading the understory which means fewer weeds
• a greatly improved aesthetic value of his whole creek line.

Having the crews from LLS and Big Scrub Regeneration tackle the harder tasks gave Brett more time to manage the areas he was confident in, allowing his knowledge and capacity to grow. 

"Before being in the project, I didn’t realise how much a plan helps. I got rid of Camphors but didn’t have a plan on what to replace them with, so woody weeds took over. I didn’t know what weeds to prioritise or how to manage them effectively and that made it harder for me."

- Brett Abikhair

Ongoing Work

Brett plans to keep expanding the riparian zones on his property, increasing the amount of Lomandra in high-flow areas, and manage his macadamia orchard in a way that works with nature.

Brett's biggest takeaway is to have a plan and to learn the ‘why’ of bush regeneration, as well as to work with the environment.

"Start in areas that have native vegetation already and expand on it. Ask for help, go to workshops and field days, and learn about what other landholders in your region are doing."
- Brett Abikhair

How to get involved

The Riverbank Vegetation Improvements Project is part of the NSW Government’s Marine Estate Management Strategy, focusing on improving water quality and reducing litter-like nutrient and sediment loads entering waterways. The ten-year strategy was developed by the NSW Marine Estate Management Authority to coordinate the management of the Marine Estate.