• A key finding from the project was that there was little observed or measured benefit of livestock exclusion when compared to planned grazing practices , where the agreed grazing management principles were implemented . Further to this finding , the planned grazing practices were productive and profitable for graziers .
• The planned grazing practices , using the agreed grazing management principles , provided a positive outcome for improving plant biomass and ground cover , and , particularly on the more productive soils of the project region , in managing erosion and some active gullies .
• The option to use planned grazing as a management tool was universally favoured by graziers over livestock exclusion .
• The main trial of biological carpeting , at the Strathalbyn alluvial gully site , demonstrated this technique could be successfully applied to establish vegetation cover on hostile soil sites , where animal welfare considerations could be satisfied . A further trial of this approach at Hellsgate Station should be reviewed post-completion of this report .
• Marsupial pressure ( exacerbated via large areas of dense rubbervine ) at the Strathlbyn Dunn ’ s paddock site severely impacted on land condition and erosion processes across a wide area of that site , including reduced survival of any edible plants on remediation site works .
• The analyses of LiDAR data at Glenalpine and the Strathalbyn black soil paddocks , does not appear to show any new erosion initiated as a result of the trials , rather erosion has occurred as a continuation of existing gullies .
• At Strathalbyn and Glenalpine , the LiDAR data analyses suggest grazing management alone is not an effective strategy to mitigate gully erosion . Despite cattle exclusion , at both sites gully erosion has persisted in the control paddock over the project period . This is because erosion processes have not been addressed simply by excluding cattle .
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