Small Town Takes Big Steps Towards Recovery of Blackfish Populations

Blog Layout

The Killarney community came together at Browns Falls to celebrate the achievements of the River Blackfish project, which saw people from all over the Southern Downs join to save a locally threatened fish species. It’s a success story of hope, science and community coming together.

Over two years, Southern Queensland Landscapes, local land managers, First Nations, government departments, environmental organisations, and members of the community worked together to undertake actions that will reduce sedimentation and increase the thermal habitat in streams - two vital requirements for Blackfish persistence and recovery.

“What makes the Blackfish such a fragile species is that they can only survive in very specific temperatures; below 28 degrees celsius,” Project Delivery Officer Breanna Humes said.

“That means that when temperatures rise beyond that, Blackfish really struggle and you start seeing populations decline,” Miss Humes said.

“We are so fortunate to see these populations persisting and it was inspiring to see the broad mobalisation and passion of the local community to help the plight of Blackfish,” she said.

“Today also demonstrated how proud Githabul Nation was to be involved in this project at every step - not only in driving the promotion and raising awareness of this issue, but also in sharing valuable Traditional Ecological Knowledge.”

“When I started on this project, I wanted to showcase what the River Blackfish and the waterways on Githabul Country mean to us,” Nathan Charles said.

The project saw Githabul Nation members including Melissa Chalmers and artist Nathan Charles use their skills, local knowledge, and connections to raise awareness and support the project.

“When I started on this project, I wanted to showcase what the River Blackfish and the waterways on Githabul Country mean to us,” Nathan Charles said at a recent community day for Blackfish near Killarney.

“The riverways are vital and we all hold a special connection to the land,” Mr Charles said.

“It was a real privilege to take part in this project and see that our local mobs are involved in the issues that affect Country,” he said.

“We have a lot to offer as First Nations Peoples and I’m proud of what we were able to give to these efforts.”

“Land managers were supportive of this project and they were enthusiastic to explore actions they could take on their properties to be a part of something positive,” Natasha Mylonas said.

The project also saw SQ Landscapes work alongside land managers to identify localised risks, mitigate threats on properties and drive community change and recovery.

“Land managers were supportive of this project and they were enthusiastic to explore actions they could take on their properties to be a part of something positive,” Project Delivery Lead Natasha Mylonas said.

“They were vital in ensuring actions were taken now so that the River Blackfish populations have an increased chance of surviving and thriving in the long run,” Miss Mylonas said.

“Our approach was largely focussed on mitigating livestock impacts on streams by installing new fencelines, creek crossings and off-stream watering points. We also initiated tree planting along bare sections of the creek on some properties ,” she said.

“So, by revegetating banks and reducing the need for livestock to access the stream, sediments entering the waterway will reduce, stream banks will stablise, and shady and cool zones will offer Blackfish reprieve, especially during extreme heat events. We couldn’t have done this without the support of land managers who really put in the hard work to make this happen.”

“We extend our gratitude to the community for their interest and support. Moving forward, we remain committed to fostering partnerships with Githabul Peoples, land managers, government, and the wider community,” Natasha Mylonas said.

“While we celebrate our achievements, we acknowledge that the journey to restore Blackfish is far from complete. We emphasise the importance of ongoing action and vigilant habitat monitoring to ensure the sustained recovery of Blackfish,” she said.

This project was funded by the Native Fish Recovery Strategy.

< Older Post

Newer Post >

Struanville Farming Co, Bowenville Qld

12 February 2025

Screen Type Two Self Cleaning Cylindrical Screens Screen M anufacturer AWMA River Catchment Gowrie Oakey Creek

Coolibah, Condamine Qld

12 February 2025

Screen Type Self Cleaning Cylindrical Screen Screen M anufacturer AWMA River Catchment Condamine River

Revitalising the Condamine Headwaters: A Testament to Community and Conservation

25 September 2024

The Condamine Headwaters, a critical ecosystem in Southern Queensland, has long faced threats from sedimentation, habitat degradation, and thermal regime changes. The Blackfish Project, dedicated to reversing these impacts, unites scientists, landowners, and the community in a shared mission to restore and protect this vital environment. At its core lies the river blackfish, a sensitive indicator of the overall ecosystem health. Central to the project's success is the unwavering commitment of landowners like Paul Graham. Inspired by the project's vision, Paul reached out to SQ Landscapes seeking support for a solar pump and tank to divert his cattle away from waterways on his property. Paul's deep-rooted love for his land, captured in his humorous quip "I love my land more than I love my wife," is a testament to the powerful connection between people and place that drives conservation efforts.

Strategy on the Agenda at SQ Landscapes Board Meeting

by Caleb Back • 31 October 2023

The Board of Southern Queensland Landscapes recently met in Toowoomba. In addition to the Board meeting, Board and Executive worked through updating SQ Landscapes’ strategy. Company Secretary Pam Murphy highlighted the importance of the latest Board meeting and what it means for the company’s future. “The updated strategy will help SQ Landscapes deliver sustainable natural resource management (NRM) outcomes that improve the lives of people in regional communities now and for the future,” Pam Murphy said. “We’re excited to continue delivering value for our region and build Flourishing Landscapes and Healthy Communities across Southern Queensland under the guidance of the Board,” Mrs Murphy said.

SQ Landscapes' Annual General Meeting 2023

by Caleb Back • 5 September 2023

Annual General Meeting When: Wednesday, 13 December 2023 Where: Online via Zoom Time : 9.00am for 9.30am start

Learn How Sophie and Adrian Transformed Their Wallet and Soil at “Bellhaven Brook”

by Caleb Back • 5 September 2023

When Sophie and Adrian McInnerney began adopting their “paddock to plate” experiment into their lambing business, they quickly discovered how a new and exciting approach to running their enterprise transformed their resilience and soil health. Multi-species cover cropping was the answer, and now their business has become a diverse enterprise that has embraced variations in livestock feed and crop rotation, building riparian fencing, and investing in healthier soils. This has opened the young couple to new opportunities to create new revenue streams, protect their business against natural disasters, drought, and prepare for economic hardships. Their property, “Bellhaven Brook”, located just an hour east of Goondiwindi, was the site of Macintyre Ag Alliance’s latest Multi-Species Cropping Field Day. With the support of Southern Queensland Landscapes (SQ Landscapes), the event aimed to promote the McInnerney family’s new land practices, offering an opportunity to educate land managers in the region of new ways to strengthen their property and enterprise. SQ Landscapes’ Goondiwindi-based Project Delivery Officer Keith Walker joined land managers for the workshop and highlighted how multi-species cover cropping could pave the way to rebuilding healthy soils and farming enterprises. “What was great about visiting ‘Bellhaven Brook’ is that you don’t have to be a scientist to understand this stuff. The idea is to just try and experiment like the McInnerneys did,” Keith Walker said. “These cover cropping systems are all about building your experience, experimenting and slowly developing a healthier and richer soil profile; which is the basis of all businesses; cropping and grazing alike.” Mr Walker said. “It was interesting to see the range of people, the ages from young and old, and the differences in enterprises. It’s a reminder that this genre of agriculture is starting conversations,” he said. “It’s all about implementation on the ground and getting the results for less money and experimenting with what people are doing.”

How Camels and Cool Burns are Transforming Risdon Stud

by Caleb Back • 2 August 2023

Cool burns, camels, and funding for local farmers were on the agenda at 'Risdon Stud' as land managers Nick and Liz Suduk hosted the Southern Queensland Landscapes and Department of Resources site visit to showcase the success of the Natural Resources Investment Program 2018-2022 (NRIP). Risdon Stud, south of Warwick, was primarily a high-intensity horse stud, but under new ownership with the Suduk family, the focus has been on restoring productivity and landscape health. “The Suduks participated in the NRIP project, where they received on-site guidance from First Nations fire practitioner Robbie Williams from Fire Lore, for cool burning in native vegetation areas,” Project Delivery Lead Natasha Mylonas said. “This was their first exposure to this type of burning and they have since embarked on a journey towards building their confidence in applying it elsewhere on the property,” Ms Mylonas said. “The NRIP project also supported livestock fencing, largely to exclude cattle from a large patch of remnant vegetation, combined with weed management in that remnant vegetation,” she said. “It is really difficult to muster out of the remnant vegetation, so the fencing has meant easier mustering of the cattle, as well as reduced weed spread and damage to the native vegetation in the patch.” “Outside of the NRIP project, they maintain a herd of agisted camels as part of their weed management strategy and experimented with fire to manage wattle regrowth,” Natasha Mylonas said.

Cultural Burning Returns to Mt Tabor on Bidjara Country

by Caleb Back • 1 August 2023

Fire is crucial to maintaining our landscapes. That’s according to fire practitioner Robbie Williams, who accompanied Southern Queensland Landscapes earlier this year to bridge fire practitioner knowledge with First Nations Peoples across the southwest. Robbie has since returned to the region - this time accompanied by members of our Charleville team as he hosted training along the slopes of the culturally significant site of Mt Tabor, just outside Augathella. “This is the continuation of what we achieved last time we were in the southwest,” Robbie Williams said. “Last visit, SQ Landscapes connected me with local First Nations mobs including Kunya, Bidjara, Mardigan, Boonthamurra, Kooma, Kullilli, and Murrawurri,” Mr Williams said. “During this visit, many of these mobs agreed to trial fire practitioner training for young men in the area to bring burning back onto Country; and that is exactly what we’re here to do today!” he said. “It’s really inspiring to see these communities taking on the opportunity to learn about burning and we’re hoping this will develop into businesses the local mobs can build to manage their Country.”

Digital Artist Named Overall Grand Prize Winner of First Nations Art Competition

by Caleb Back • 1 August 2023

Winners in the Southern Queensland Landscapes and University of Southern Queensland’s 2023 First Nations Art Competition have been announced to a crowd of more than 150 people in Toowoomba. Overall Grand Prize and Digital Medium Category winner has gone to Robert Claude Manns for his piece ‘Mandan’. "I wanted to express the fractured relationship that I have with some of the Mandandanji People. Unfortunately many of us feel connected to our Nation, but not always the people," Robert Manns said. "My piece was assisted through artificial intelligence (AI) art and I found that to be a really powerful tool in discovering how I wanted this art to go," Mr Manns said. "I've always been artistic, and I wanted to explore Indigenous art, but I wasn't great at it and I found the style difficult to personalise. AI and digital art has allowed me to connect with Indigenous art in my own way and explore things the way I wanted," he said. "I'm really glad it worked out and people liked the art!" "In truth, I thought I might only get an encouragement award, but to first see I won the digital art and then the Overall Grand Prize was just spectacular. There were tears in my eyes. I wasn't expecting to get so far!" Robert Manns said. "I want to thank everyone who made Indigenous art through the millenia; otherwise I wouldn't have done it," Mr Manns said. "Shortly before he passed away, my dad put me onto the competition and I thought I'd give it a go. I wish he was here to see it, as he was my inspiration for making this art." he said. "He was my inspiration and my supporter through it all."

Diversifying Your Agricultural Business into Retirement to Lever Off Natural Assets

by Kellie Stewart • 4 July 2023

By Kellie Stewart When land managers Phil & Anne Donges entertained the idea of retirement they looked to the natural assets of their property located between Yelarbon, Inglewood and Texas to provide the answer. For almost 90-years ‘Glenarbon’ had supported generations of the Donges family; with key crops and land use pivoting numerous times as a result of market demands, economic climates and practice change. “Glenarbon was established back in 1932; our family came out then and it was to grow tobacco, that was in the middle of the depression,” Phil Donges said. “Five years ago we sold our main farm about 10-kilometres down the road and we decided to go into semi-retirement keeping about 100-acres of the original farm along about 1-kilometre of the Dumaresq River,” Mr Donges said. “We’re using Glenarbon now to run a few head of steers and then we’ve also gone into this eco-tourism where people can come and enjoy the environment like we like it ourselves,” he said. “We saw the ecotourism as an opportunity to give us some extra income by going into the camping side of things, but also to diversify our business so that we could in tougher seasons rely less heavily on livestock and more on the natural assets of the farm.”