Earthworks have been completed on an unusual drought-funded project in the centre of Australia hoping to "rehydrate" the outback.
Money from the much-criticised Future Drought Fund has been spent trying to slow down the infrequent rain flows in this parched rangeland country.
Fans of the ambitious project hope it can be scaled up across millions of hectares to actually engineer the desert climate to become cooler and wetter.
"Greening up the landscape ... potentially influencing rainfall patterns across the Australian interior and providing some control over the climate," are just some of the project's ambitious aims.
More modest targets are to boost stock feed during droughts and prevent erosion.
The project is a partnership of the Northern Hub, Top End Conservation Management, Hewitt and the Central Land Council.
The project is believed to have cost around $1 million.
The trial earthworks have been done on Hewitt's Narwietooma and Glen Helen stations which take in thousands of square kilometres north of Alice Springs.
Neighbouring Aileron Station was also involved in a large field day hosted by Landcare NT.
Narwietooma manager Willy Brown said the potential impact of the project was a win-win for all.
"Restoring the natural functions of the environment benefits not only the ecosystem but also enhances beef production due to increased grass availability," he said.
Lance Mudgway, a landscape rehydration specialist with The Mulloon Institute, said the project aimed to slow flows in the outback creeks "to retain moisture in the landscape".
The establishment of "leaky weirs" helps prevent downstream runoff and erosion by creating steps that hold water "dissipating its energy".
The Northern Hub was created from the $5 billion Future Drought Fund which was established in 2018 to promote drought resilience projects across the country.
The Northern Hub funds a range of projects across northern Western Australia and the NT "to better prepare for climate variation and adopt the latest in agricultural innovation".
These completed earthworks are to demonstrate to other land owners how they could "rehydrate" their stations in a similar way.
The Northern Hub will hold a field day and half-day contour grader school in September on Narwietooma and Glen Helen stations.
Participants will be able to see the finished works and hone grader driving skills to build contour structures, among other advice.
Successful rehydration efforts are expected to increase feed production during droughts and enhance resilience to erosion.
Chris McLennan
ACM national rural property writer based in Bacchus Marsh, Victoria. Career journalist. Multi award winner.
ACM national rural property writer based in Bacchus Marsh, Victoria. Career journalist. Multi award winner.
