Great Eastern Ranges

Balancing Conservation and Productivity

Getting Involved

Bruce Lynch manages his property with the future firmly in mind.  

Bruce’s farm 50 km north of Albury is in the Slopes to Summit region of the Great Eastern Ranges. It has been in the family for 60 years. His father settled there after returning from World War 2. Back then the property carried twice the number of Sheep it does now.

'Years ago in my Dad’s time they ringbarked a lot of the trees. It may have been great for firewood but it was not too great for the soil.  The country was flogged and the result was dying trees and eroded gullies.'

Bruce started thinking about the farm’s long-term viability and the environment when, as a kid, he rode his pushbike through the creek running through the property. That’s when he thought 'we’ll have nothing left, if we don’t do something'.

In recent years he has fenced off gullies, planted trees, built over 30 dams to control erosion and store water, and introduced rotational grazing. It is all part of a plan to improve farm productivity by improving local waterways, stopping salinity and reversing damage to the land. 

Bruce regards himself as a custodian of the land rather than the ultimate decision maker.

'I have a son and daughter in their mid 20s. I suppose the decisions we make here will affect them more than me. When it comes to landcare and hands-on tree planting, I want them to have more say because they are more likely to see the results.'

Farming may be his business, but Bruce is quick to point out that 'you also belong to the land'.

Bruce’s efforts are similar to other landholders throughout the Great Eastern Ranges who are balancing conservation and productivity.