Huitsons - Dairy Farmers on the Bass River

Lisa and Murray Huitson own and run a dairy farm on the Bass River. The river was heavily infested with willows and five years on, the weeds and willows have been replaced with 15 native species including gum trees, dogwood and swamp paper bark, and they have erected five kilometres of fencing. Although their initial reason for doing the work was to help keep their stock out of the creek (and the willows), they can now see the broader benefits. "The birds have returned, streamflows have improved and the water is much clearer than it was." With the help of the West Gippsland CMA and Bass Coast Landcare Network, the Huitsons have created a buffer strip (to filter pollution) between their farmland and the river.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• dairy
• farm
• bass
• river
• melbourne
• water
• victoria
• australia
• gum
• trees
• swamp
• paper
• bark
• creek
• west
• gippsland
• Landcare