TARWYN PARK, BYLONG VALLEY, NSW
"The panel believes that NFS is a successful and sustainable farming system for the current enterprise at Tarwyn Park, where it has led to substantial agronomic and environmental improvements on the property.
"Central to the implementation of NFS at Tarwyn Park is the manipulation of the hydrologic regime, that has increased aquifer water storage providing effective sub-surface pasture irrigation.
"This has substantially increased pasture productivity, and avoids the evaporative water losses that occur with surface irrigation.
...
"The increases in pasture productivity appear to translate into increases in economic productivity, and hence the relatively small financial investments required by NFS implementation are likely to have substantially increased the profitability and market value of the property."
~ CSIRO Expert Panel Report - The 'Natural Farming Sequence'
In July 2002, CSIRO published the "Expert Panel Report - The 'Natural Farming Sequence' " which reported as follows:
"The panel believes that NFS is a successful and sustainable farming system for the current enterprise at Tarwyn Park, where it has led to substantial agronomic and environmental improvements on the property.
"Central to the implementation of NFS at Tarwyn Park is the manipulation of the hydrologic regime, that has increased aquifer water storage providing effective sub-surface pasture irrigation.
"This has substantially increased pasture productivity, and avoids the evaporative water losses that occur with surface irrigation."
It is important to note that some of the observations made in the 2020 Report are outdated, specifically those re relatively low biodiversity on Tarwyn Park and benefits to Tarwyn Park from upstream properties not engaged in NSF. Since its publication in 2002, Tarwyn Park's ecosystem of mainly early succession plants has naturally evolved to include high biodiversity. In addition, we have evidence of other properties (such as Baramul in the Widden Valley) that clearly shows that automatic soil creation is achieved without badly managed neighbouring properties exporting their soils to a NSF managed property. At Baramul, sandstone cliffs and first succession plants, together with NSF implementations, are the cause of increased water holding capacity, nutrients and biomass in soil, not a neighbour's soil and water.
"The panel believes that NFS is a successful and sustainable farming system for the current enterprise at Tarwyn Park, where it has led to substantial agronomic and environmental improvements on the property.
"Central to the implementation of NFS at Tarwyn Park is the manipulation of the hydrologic regime, that has increased aquifer water storage providing effective sub-surface pasture irrigation.
"This has substantially increased pasture productivity, and avoids the evaporative water losses that occur with surface irrigation."
It is important to note that some of the observations made in the 2020 Report are outdated, specifically those re relatively low biodiversity on Tarwyn Park and benefits to Tarwyn Park from upstream properties not engaged in NSF. Since its publication in 2002, Tarwyn Park's ecosystem of mainly early succession plants has naturally evolved to include high biodiversity. In addition, we have evidence of other properties (such as Baramul in the Widden Valley) that clearly shows that automatic soil creation is achieved without badly managed neighbouring properties exporting their soils to a NSF managed property. At Baramul, sandstone cliffs and first succession plants, together with NSF implementations, are the cause of increased water holding capacity, nutrients and biomass in soil, not a neighbour's soil and water.
Paul Anderson: A hydrogeological investigation of the Natural Farming Sequence applied in the Bylong Valley at Tarwyn Park Property, A thesis submitted by Paul Anderson in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the Master of Science degree in Hydrogeology and Groundwater Management, October 1997. National Centre for Groundwater Management, University of Technology, Sydney
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