Knowledge Hub

Agriculture can be sustainable if it can meet society’s current food and textile needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Grazing management is a critical part of sustainable agriculture that aims to provide food for animals throughout the year by protecting perennial grasses from overgrazing and soils from wind and water erosion.

Productive farming and biodiversity conservation can co-exist to the mutual benefit of both. There is a growing body of evidence on the long-term benefits of retaining trees, protecting corridors of bushland and taking care of the ground cover. This biodiversity can moderate climate at a local and regional scale, protect soils and water supplies, increase productivity with minimal inputs and costs, and reduce the use of chemicals for soil fertility and pest control.

As more and more people create wildlife habitat and healthy ecosystems - in our own personal spaces and in our many community parks and gardens (see Urban Parks) – each little patch will become a part of a much larger matrix of natural ecosystems across our urban areas.

All bush blocks have conservation values. The old trees and understorey and ground layers provide habitat for a diversity of animals. Larger patches – from 10ha – provide habitat for many more species. And bush blocks can add to larger habitat patches on adjoining land and help to buffer areas of high quality or threatened vegetation.