Greening the Outback

Decades of drought and intensive grazing have left large areas of Western Queensland degraded, with persistent bare ground threatening both productivity and ecosystem health. Restoring these landscapes is challenging, but this project shows that recovery is possible with the right approach.

By rebuilding native grass cover, the initiative improves soil stability, reduces wind and water erosion, and creates habitat for native birds, mammals, and reptiles. It also helps limit sediment runoff into waterways and suppresses invasive weeds by re-establishing natural vegetation.

Delivered by Desert Channels Queensland in partnership with landholders, the project uses practical techniques such as scaled ripping, contour-aligned brickwork furrows, ground cover assessments, and seeding with coated Mitchell Grass. These methods are already producing encouraging results across the Lake Eyre Basin.

Importantly, the project also supports long-term change by equipping landholders with the knowledge, tools, and technologies needed to sustain healthier, more resilient grasslands into the future.