Quarries and mines are increasingly sited on agricultural land, and effective restoration of these sites benefit from careful property management and revegetation planning, innovation and implementation adaptability.

Rural Solutions SA was recently engaged to plan land management activities to rehabilitate the Kalbeeba Sand Quarry, near Gawler, South Australia.  The primary goal was to re-design the site and restore the area to its original land use (stock grazing) and ultimately hand the site back to the landowner for sustainable long term management.

Planning required careful consideration of issues regarding native vegetation, water flow and future land capability in relation to soils and landform, and stock management preferences of the new owner.  For Rural Solutions SA Consultants the process of visualising a future landscape to satisfy good land management outcomes brought to the forefront their diverse knowledge in both biodiversity conservation and agriculture.  As a result the property was divided into a number of management zones, including remnant vegetation, watercourses, revegetation including pasture establishment, and confining grazing to appropriate areas. 

Following re-shaping of the quarry, revegetation works began in 2010. Rural Solutions SA continues to play a role providing technical guidance on the vegetation and land management component of the restoration works, with over 30 hectares now vegetated by means of innovative pasture and local indigenous species establishment. 

Outcomes of the project include:

• Site stabilisation
• Reduced erosion by water and wind
• Livestock grazing on suitable parts of the property
• Increased amenity value
• Appropriate long-term natural resource management

Kalbeeba Sand Quarry before rehabilitation

Cover crop establishment to stabilise site, bind soil and assist establishment of native vegetation

Direct seeding success with Acacia paradoxa and Dodonea viscose