Past Projects
GDC Gascoyne River Project
October 2022 - December 2025
With funding received from Gascoyne Development Commission and with the support of Rangelands NRM, GPRI (formerly GCG) developed a unique project that starts at a whole catchment level before focusing on key locations for on ground rehydration/rehabilitation works. The project will delivery a catchment wide hydrology survey before working with seven pastoral properties in the catchment to plan, monitor and deliver ground works.
Project Summary
This project applied a whole-of-catchment approach to understanding the catchment as a whole, slowing and spreading water in the landscape, rebuilding groundcover and soil function, and strengthening business resilience in the Gascoyne River catchment. It combined a catchment-scale hydrology review with targeted on-ground works on seven stations, supported by two-layered monitoring drone baselines and ground monitoring with the Rangelands Monitoring Tool (RMT).
The project delivered practical demonstrations, producer training, and case-study communication to support adoption across the region.
Headline Achievements
Hydrology desktop review completed: priority sub-catchments and work areas identified
Rehydration works installed across 7 properties at 13 priority sties
Monitoring established: Initial drone monitoring prior to work commencement; RMT sites set up, and drone re-measurement completed at sites
Early outcomes: increases in retained water in grader banks, visible sediment deposition on structures following first post-work rainfall, reduced erosive energy at priority flow paths, and the most impactful is producer engagement
Knowledge sharing: 3 workshops/field days, 7 project works summaries and 3 forum updates delivered
Project Outcomes
Planning & Design
1 hydrological catchment review completed
2 ESRM plans delivered
7 property-level implementation plans
On-ground Delivery
26 baseline + 26 follow-up drone surveys
612 ha surveyed (baseline and follow-up)
70.5 km fencing installed
464 machinery hours
1,800+ labour hours
44,000+ ha influenced across the catchment
Monitoring & Knowledge
10+ Rangelands Monitoring Tool sites established
Ongoing annual monitoring embedded within GCG/GPRI
Communications & Engagement
4 face to face presentations
2 field days
1 GDC site visit
1 Country publication
14 GPRI newsletter articles
40+ social media posts
Round-Up
The project delivered a coordinated, catchment-scale
program that brought together planning, on-ground action,
monitoring and knowledge sharing to support long term
resilience. Guided by a hydrological catchment review and
underpinned by pastoralist knowledge and documented planning, including ESRM planning, the project worked with seven properties to implement practical rehydration, fencing and grazing management actions in priority areas. Importantly, catchment priorities were refined on the ground by land managers who know their landscapes and were able to identify the most effective locations for intervention.
The project also enabled GPRI to leverage additional funding and partnerships to deliver further workshops on rehydration, monitoring and landscape knowledge. Participant feedback highlighted the need for clearer guidance on interpreting planning and monitoring outputs, leading to the development of a landscape indicator guide for landholders. While initial engagement required time and trust building, participants went on to extend works beyond the funded scope and openly share their experiences with the broader GPRI membership. Overall, the project has built strong foundations for ongoing rehabilitation across the Gascoyne River catchment, demonstrating the value of coordinated planning, targeted investment and producer led delivery to support future scaling.
