The Australian Landscape Science Institute to tackle water issues

Launched by The Australian Landscape Science [TALS] Institute, the program will focus on a series of community-driven projects to restore farmlands and wetlands around Bathurst and Dubbo.

The program is being headed by TALS Institute founder Peter Andrews, an Order of Australia Medal recipient who has spent more than 40 years studying the principles of the Australian landscape.

Mr Andrews believes the key to restoring the Central West's natural landscape lies in concentrated revegetation.

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"By using the right agricultural processes through a continuous use of plants, we can change the climate," he said.

"The Australian landscape once had the capability to function automatically, and the science is there to prove we can use our plants to create more rainfall."

Mr Andrews approach to landscape restoration is known as Natural Sequence Farming, and has been recognised by the United Nations as a sustainable agricultural practice.

The program has enlisted a board of directors, including Bathurst councillor John Fry and Dubbo councillor John Ryan.

Cr Fry said the program will cover key Macquarie River catchment areas and aim to provide reliable water solutions for the region's growing population.

"The state government is talking about dispersing Sydney's population into regional areas but to do this effectively, we need a sustainable water solution to cater for the growth," he said.

"There's a finite amount of large dams you can build, and we're aiming to create a number of smaller dams to diffuse water into the soil to encourage plant growth."

Cr Fry introduced a notice of motion to Bathurst Regional Council in April calling for the adoption of smarter water strategies.

He said the program is a step in the right direction to solve the question concerning the future of Bathurst's water.

"We could start this work tomorrow and once the rain comes, the process will immediately kick into place," he said.

"The program is reliant on placing plants in the right place."

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TALS Institute director Liana Di Stefano said their proposal has received the support of both Bathurst and Dubbo councils.

"Rain moves to where it's cooler, and plants play a vital role in cooling the landscape down," Ms Di Stefano said.

"The more we plough the land, the drier the ground becomes, and we need to fix the landscape before the region runs out of water."