Unspoilt stretch of Murray-Darling to be conserved

Updated

Sorry, this video has expired Video: Environmentalists buy cattle station to save endangered wildlife (7pm TV News NSW)

The last untouched part of the Murray-Darling River system has been protected, after graziers sold the land to a conservation group.

Straddling the Paroo and Warrego rivers, Naree cattle station features an abundance of wetlands which are home to all types of bird and plant life.

The 14,000 acre property, 150 kilometres north-west of Bourke, has now been bought by Bush Heritage Australia.

It is the 35th addition to the organisation's portfolio of land parcels, but senior manager Jim Radford says this one is extra special.

That river system is basically the healthiest in the Murray-Darling basin and Naree station is located at the heart of that system. Jim Radford

"The Paroo River and the Warrego River are the last free-flowing rivers in the entire Murray-Darling basin," he said.

"The Paroo is entirely unregulated; the Warrego has one small dam that has just a relatively small extraction from it.

"So what this means is that river system is basically the healthiest in the Murray-Darling basin and Naree station is located at the heart of that system."

Dr Radford says Naree is home to some stunning scenery.

"The thing that struck me was the diversity of the wetlands and the condition of the wetlands," he said.

"Each stop along the way seemed to have a different character, a different feel, a different smell, a different look."

Bush Heritage Australia is a not-for-profit organisation that buys land with unique conservation value using money donated by scientists, philanthropists and the public.

When the opportunity arose to acquire Naree, aptly described as "wetlands in the outback", Bush Heritage jumped at the chance.

But it is not the first time Naree's magic has been felt by someone with a passion for the land.

Previous owners, Paul and Deb Kaulder, knew they were onto something special when they first set foot on the property seven years ago.

"When we first looked at Naree, we, well Paul in particular, noticed the variety of land types. At the time Australia was in drought and Naree was very much drought-affected, but what Paul saw was the wetlands, the ephemeral wetlands," Deb Kaluder said.

It was difficult land to muster cattle on, but Ms Kaluder says they soon decided on a different strategy - concentrate a smaller number of cattle in one area, allowing the rest of the land to rejuvenate.

"During that three-year process we learnt a lot about shutting off country and putting all our livestock in one part and the response that we got from the land by giving it a break was incredible," she said.

With that newfound understanding and appreciation of the land, the Kaluders pressed on.

Mr Kaluder says they wanted to protect the land, starting with the pristine water which was sourced from the only untouched part of the Murray-Darling Basin.

"When the basin fills and it comes back through the grass it's clear water, and that's the biggest shock - people don't expect to be that far inland and see clear water," he said.

"It just shows that every river in the western part of New South Wales used to be like that."

The clean water allows for an abundance of birds, and Naree is home to 160 different species, 15 of which are vulnerable in NSW.

"Those that are vulnerable include the mulga, the Major Mitchell cockatoo, hooded robin, blue-billed duck, freckled duck and these sort of species," Dr Radford said.

He is at Naree now, along with more than two dozen scientists and volunteers for Bush Heritage.

They are combing through the property to get a clear picture of just how many birds, frogs, and mammals call the property home.

After that, they will start work on a long-term conservation plan, looking at tasks such as tackling the woody weed problem and eradicating feral pigs and goats.

As for the Kaluders, they have moved on to another property in Queensland, but Mr Kaluder says he will never forget the magic of Naree.

"To sit there in the winter time after a flood and watch squadrons of thousands and thousands of pelicans flying over, which have taken three or four hours to fly one way out to the feeding grounds and then back up the national park at Hungerford, it's quite mind-blowing," he said.

It is that mind-blowing beauty that Bush Heritage Australia is so keen to preserve and now that the land is in its hands, the organisation says there is every chance it will succeed.

Topics: rural, environmental-management, environment, conservation, birds, wetlands, rivers, bourke-2840, nsw

First posted