Kingbilli Country Estate : The Philosophy

Over the past two hundred years the agricultural

systems imposed on the fragile Australian landscape by our ancestors and subsequent generations, have wrought havoc
to our environment …causing wide-spread soil degradation; salinity; erosion and a rapidly increasing decline in river health and water quality. Our flora and fauna have been put at risk and little thought has been given to the long-term consequences.

Our farming community has long held an uncomfortable relationship with the land.

Unwittingly, many of its practices have been responsible for the deterioration in the natural balance of the countryside, destroying the biodiversity which is basic to the maintenance of the world in which we live.

Top :	Gradual decay of drowned forests like Lake Mulwala is a rich source of methane, the most dangerous of all natural greenhouse gases.
Above :	Over 90% of our original old growth forests have been destroyed since European settlement.
Circle :	Per capita, Australians generate more greenhouse gas emissions than any other nation.

But thankfully, attitudes are changing. Today, landowners large and small are rethinking their farming practices ... realising sustainability can be achieved only by working within the natural framework rather than against it. This altered approach has the added benefit of providing safe havens for our wildlife and assisting the re-growth of our native plants.

At Kingbilli, our philosophy is to live in harmony with the environment. One of our main priorities is protecting native wildlife ... planting stands of trees and shrubs which not only encourage birds, but create corridors for native animals to

move safely from one area of bushland to the next.

We are fencing and planting the banks of waterways and gullies in accordance with ecological studies ... and have set aside part of the property as a sanctuary for those native animals which are indigenous to our part of

the state.

This is only a relatively small area - some 60 acres - but
the increase in our native birds and wildlife is proof of its success.

Yet despite being committed conservationists, still we are able to farm productively.

To maximize native grass re-growth we rotate paddocks and strip graze between planted areas.

To clean up paddocks and minimize worm infestation we have one breed - horses, follow another - angoras/llamas. To reduce the need for chemical sprays we run wethers to control blackberries and weeds.

And so we achieve the best of both worlds. Healthy thriving stock in a healthy thriving environment … with the added benefit of glorious birds, native animals … and a pretty place in which to live.

A win/win situation on all counts. Admittedly, it's an ongoing project … a task which never will be entirely complete. Always there are new ideas to consider, better practices to implement. But it is a challenge, not a chore … and the reward is the pleasure gained from watching it come together, like pieces of a jigsaw falling slowly into place.