2023
Video transcript
[video: Sulphur-Crested Cockatoos flying East-West over the Yanco Creek System surrounded by gum trees alongside adjacent farmland.]
[video: Erin Lenon – Commonwealth Environmental Water Office standing on a riverbank with partially submerged gum trees in the foreground. Landholders David and Susie Leeds walking along the riverbank. Images of wetlands with a diversity of aquatic vegetation.]
Erin Lenon: Commonwealth Environmental Water and New South Wales water managers work closely with some landholders to pump water into wetlands, protect those wetlands and restore vegetation. Farmers are vital to achieving our work.
[video: David and Susie Leeds – Farmers, Yanco Creek, on the bank of the Yanco Creek, transitioning into an aerial shot followed by a close-up of four Yellow-billed Spoonbill on a partially submerged tree].
David Leeds: We’re certainly motivated to protect our wetlands; we feel we are custodians of the land and wish to keep the creek and our property as crisp and pristine as we possibly can.
[video: Tom Holt (Senior) – Grazier, Urana standing under a willow next to a fast-flowing area of the Yanco, transitioning into the open water of the Yanco consisting of various flocks of waterbirds].
Tom Holt: We’ve got nearly 25km of creek frontage, which provides a lot of diversity. It’s vital we maintain the riparian attributes of the creek system.
[video: Thomas Holt (Junior) standing under a willow next to a fast-flowing area of the Yanco, transitioning into a creek system surrounded by trees opening up into wetland expanse.]
Thomas Holt: The trees are essentially the lungs of our ecosystem, with the creeks being the heart. They come together to support this ecosystem that surrounds us.
[video: Erin Lenon – Commonwealth Environmental Water Office standing on a riverbank with partially submerged gum trees in the foreground.]
Erin Lennon: In some of the western areas of the Yanco creek we’ve worked with landholders there…
[video: Satellite image of the Murray-Darling basin and the positioning of the Yanco Creek system within the southern part of the basin.]
Erin Lenon: to not only deliver water into their wetland but also work with other National Resource Management (NRM) organisations in partnership to fence off and protect those wetlands…
[video: Wanganella wetland on the Billabong Creek in the Yanco Creek system, showing aquatic vegetation and waterbirds flying overhead. Shot of misty wetland with cumbungi and River red gum.]
Erin Lenon: To exclude stock and manage grazing a little bit more to achieve some outcomes. We also work with the Murray-Darling working wetlands group and some landholders in the middle reaches to deliver water into their wetlands as well.
[video: Area of wetlands enclosed by a line of fencing, with David Leeds maintaining the fence].
David and Susie Leeds: The key management strategies we use to help the creek system at Broome (property name),…
[video: A meandering section of the Yanko surrounded adjacent to River Gum Forest, transitioning into a David Leeds on the bank].
David Leeds: fencing certain areas of the creek off and we also like to manage our grazing, to promote the recovery of grassland and the herbage that’s on the creek system here.
[video: Aerial shot of wetland at Hartwood Station with a cumbungi reedbed in the centre, transitioning into a young calf being fed by bucket held by a worker next to a gum tree.]
David Leeds: We feel that helps the environment and it certainly helps the raising of our cattle. It promotes an area that is warm in the winter and gives us excellent vegetation throughout the summer.
[video: View of Wanganella wetland in the lower Billabong Creek. Erin Lenon standing at water’s edge, wetland at Broome with fence line].
Erin Lenon: Being able to move some of the stock and move some of the grazing, has had some fantastic outcomes in terms of seedbanks and seeing some regeneration, building resilience within that system.
[video: Two Yellow-billed Spoonbills in a tree. David and Suzie Leeds standing at edge of wetland. A flock of Australian White Pelicans on the water of the Yanco, a nest atop a river red gum and close-up of spike rush and cumbungi wetlands in Yanco Creek system.]
David Leeds: When we come along the Yanco Creek, we often see a variety of bird life, reptiles and frogs. We’re very fortunate to have quite a population of Southern Bell Frog.
[video: Erin Lenon standing at water’s edge, footage of wetlands and vegetation. Wanganella wetland with researcher amongst cumbungi.]
Erin Lenon: The partnership we have with farmers are really critical in dry years. So there the years where we might not have enough water to put large flows down the system. So in those years we’ve been able to work on small projects, which might be just pumping one wetland but it’s enough to provide drought refuge for a group of species. This will allow them to get through the drier time until some wetter years happen again.
[video: David and Susie Leeds on the bank of the Yanco, then an aerial drone shot slowly moving along the creek].
David Leeds: I feel like living on the Yanco Creek is a privilege and we appreciate every day that we have got permanent water here. We need to nurture the environment so future generations can appreciate it.
[video: Thomas Holt – On the edge of the wetland at Coonong Station, transitioning out to Wanganella wetland with Australian White Pelican and Grebes on the open water.]
Thomas Holt: Healthy riparian habitats are essential for the future sustainability and continuation of the grassland’s ecosystem.
[video: Erin Lenon standing on water’s edge.]
Erin Lenon: The Commonwealth Environmental Water Office has local engagement officers based regionally across the basin…
[video: Inundated wetlands, followed by a close up of a pair of Black Swan amongst the reeds in the Yanco. Text: Water for the environment, Caring for on-farm wetlands.]
Erin Lenon: If landowners are interested in finding out more, they can approach their local engagement officer for any type of information or have a talk about potential sites.
[video: Music playing with Acknowledgements and funding. Text: This video was funded by the Commonwealth Environmental Water Office through the FlowMER program. Logos: Australian Government Commonwealth Environmental Water Office, Flow Monitoring Evaluation and Research, Charles Sturt University, NSW Government, YACTAC Yanco Creek and Tributaries Advisory Council Inc. Commonwealth and state water agencies work together and partner with First Nations, scientists, river operators and landholders to deliver water for the environment when and where it is needed most.
For more information visit www.dcceew.gov.au/cewo
Video produced by Vince Bucello from Midstate Video Productions, Griffith NSW.]