During droughts, soils that lose groundcover become highly susceptible to wind and water erosion, leading to significant land degradation, as evidenced by dust storms and severe soil erosion. Delivered by Hub partner NSW Local Land Services (LLS), the Saving Our Soils During Drought project addresses these challenges by demonstrating best practices in stock confinement feeding area implementation to foster widespread adoption.

Activities and outputs

• 15 stock confinement feeding area demonstration sites to showcase the benefit in maintaining groundcover and reducing erosion.
• Producer case studies provide real-world examples of stock confinement feeding areas in action and document successful implementation.
• A guide to confinement feeding sheep and cattle in NSW showing landholders and extension officers how to establish and manage stock confinement feeding areas effectively.
• More than 30 events held across Farming Systems Groups, including workshops and facilitated visits to the demonstration sites to provide hands-on training and knowledge exchange.
• Technical officers responding to more than 400 phone and email enquiries for assistance in establishing a stock confinement feedback area and support with design and implementation.

A large-scale approach combined with development of an extensive evidence base and the use of the strong collaborative networks across the Hub, Local Land Services, Farming Systems Groups and the Soil Knowledge Network, means the project ensures long-term sustainability and resilience for Southern NSW livestock and mixed farming operations.

Read the impact case study

Project lead

NSW Local Land Services

Collaborating partners

• Holbrook Landcare
• FarmLink Research Limited
• Riverine Plains 
• Central West Farming Systems
• Irrigation Farmers Network
• NSW Soil Knowledge Network

Saving our Soils During Drought resources

• Guide to confinement feeding sheep and cattle in NSW booklet (source: Local Land Services)
• Confinement feeding sheep and cattle web page (source: Local Land Services)
• Dry times webinars (source: Local Land Services)
  • The big question - Do I keep and feed or sell in a falling market?
  • Feeding sheep in dry times
  • Feeding cattle in dry times
  • Early weaning of lambs and calves in dry times
  • Planning ahead - Making the most of surplus feed
• Case study videos (source: Local Land Services)
  • “Breakfast Creek Station” confinement feeding, Boorowa NSW
  • “Glendalyn” confinement feeding, Binalong NSW
  • "Tallawangra" confinement feeding, Mudgee NSW
• Saving Our Soils: Groundcover trigger points for pasture resilience during drought (report) (source: Susan Robertson, Gulbali Institute, Charles Sturt University)

Project funding

This project is funded by the Australian Government through the Future Drought Fund's Drought Resilient Soils and Landscapes Grants Program.