Putting down roots: revegetation takes shape at a Tolmie property

Climate-Smart Agriculture Program | Winter 2026

There's something quietly powerful about watching a paddock in the early stages of transformation. The guards are in, the stakes are straight, and beneath each one sits a small indigenous plant with a big job ahead of it. At this Tolmie property, that transformation is well and truly underway.

By the end of this planting season, almost 400 indigenous grasses, shrubs, and trees will have been established across the property — a significant investment in the land that will pay dividends for decades to come. The project has two clear goals: to increase vegetation around the farm dam to stabilise its banks, and to revegetate through open areas in a way that complements and enhances the surrounding remnant vegetation and previous plantings already on the property.

It's a thoughtful, whole-of-landscape approach. Rather than treating the dam and the open slopes as separate problems, the planting plan knits them together — building on what's already there and filling in the gaps with species that belong.

The dam planting is particularly important work. Bare or grazed banks are among the most vulnerable features on a farm — prone to erosion, runoff, and the gradual deterioration of water quality. Establishing deep-rooted indigenous plants along the water's edge helps anchor the soil, slow surface water, and create a buffer that protects the dam over the long term. As the vegetation matures, it will also provide habitat for frogs, waterbirds, and the beneficial insects that contribute to a healthy, productive farming system.

On the slopes, the new plantings are designed to connect with and extend the remnant bush already present on the property. Corridor plantings like these are ecologically significant — they allow wildlife to move through the landscape, increase structural diversity in the vegetation, and strengthen the overall resilience of the farm against drought, heat, and erosion.

This project has been funded through the Climate-Smart Agriculture Program, delivered in partnership between Up2Us Landcare Alliance and the Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority, with support from the Australian Government's Natural Heritage Trust. It's a great example of what's possible when landholders have access to the right plants, the right guidance, and the right support to make their vision for the land a reality.

We can't wait to watch this one grow.

This project has been funded through the Climate-Smart Agriculture Program, delivered in partnership between Up2Us Landcare Alliance and the Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority, with support from the Australian Government's Natural Heritage Trust.