In a competition between mulga and goats, the goats usually win, decimating young mulga saplings before they stand a chance. But this project has reset the balance, putting in place measures to control the feral goat population and allow young mulga to regenerate in this pocket of Western NSW.

Income from their regeneration project has enabled the landholders to complete boundary fencing, and upgrade internal fencing and waterpoints, giving them more control over grazing pressure. They’ve managed to completely remove feral goats from the project area, which means they can still graze livestock there, making sure they move the stock on before the trees become fodder.

The financial security the project provides affords the landholders more confidence in decision making when it comes to livestock and property management. These days, they can sell stock when they want to rather than reacting to the beat of the market.

They’ve also invested more in the land, installing firebreaks and establishing drought resilience plans that allow them to move stock off the land in dry times.

The young mulga that is now flourishing on the red flats is one reward for all their work, creating new habitat for native wildlife and improving the overall health of the land.