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Cox's Creek Rehabilitation Project, Bridgewater, Adelaide Hills, South Australia
The John Dunn section of Cox’s Creek runs past the Bridgewater Mill and was once used to power the Mill's waterwheel. John Dunn was the builder of the Mill in 1860. Petaluma Winery has sponsored a project to rehabilitate the 3 kilometre section of the creek adjacent to the Mill. The project was introduced and discussed with the adjacent landowners to gain their support. The Catchment Water Board then carried out the major clearance work in the riparian zone whilst Petaluma cleared and replanted higher up. Willows, poplars and woody weeds had to be removed and each area was then replanted with native flora. The project is now in its 6th year and weed control and replacement planting continues as necessary. The original project linked upstream with a similar rehabilitation effort and it was pleasing to see that recently another group downstream followed suit and worked to clear the gross willow infestation there (which included the local football ground).
Hutt River Rehabilitation Project, Clare Valley, South Australia
The Hutt River runs through the Knappstein winery site and was overrun by woody weeds, ash and willows. With the GM, Andrew Hardy's , involvement Evan Hiscock and Mandy Wyatt (Company Landscape gardener) applied for and were awarded an environmental grant of $10,900 to clear and revegetate this section of Hutt River. The work began in the winter of 2004 with clearing of unwanted species and the roots left in the ground to rot down and to control erosion. Replanting with native species began will began in Spring 2004 and thereafter weed control and some replanting continued for a number of years. In April 2006, the Hutt River project funding was expended. From now on the project will just require weed control and replacement planting until the regrowth stabilizes. An explanatory sign has been prepared and set up in the winery public carpark on the river bank.
Smithbrook Project, Pemberton Western Australia
Our Smithbrook Winery is continuing with investigations into guarding and improving the quality of the runoff into the Smithbrook itself. Discussions with ‘Ribbons of Blue’ and the WA Department of Agriculture have centred around choosing the right species for planting in the wetland/swamp and monitoring the quality of the output.
Stonier Winery, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria
Stonier Winery is involved in a project with SE Water Victoria and the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology monitoring vineyard runoff at selected vineyards on the Mornington Peninsula. So far the study has shown apart from salinity, measures are satisfactory and indicative of good viticultural practices there
Protecting Water Resources
St Hallett Winery in the Barossa Valley uses all of their waste water to irrigate an on-site 3.5 hectare woodlot as does the Knappstein Winery in the Clare Valley. Mitchelton Winery in central Victoria is close to completing its wetland wastewater treatment and reuse project. The excavation, reshaping and clay lining of the ponds has been completed and the next stage will be the sourcing and planting of the reedbeds. The treated water once it emerges from the reedbeds will be filtered through crushed rock and then go to a holding pond ready for shandying into the existing vineyard irrigation network.
Value Adding Waste
Our wineries work hard to find natural solutions to waste issues. For example, the stalks and marc are collected for composting with horse manure and sawdust by the local botanical garden, or else they’re distributed over the vineyard as a mulch and soil conditioner. Prunings from the vineyards are also left on the ground and used as inter-row mulch, enriching the soil, inhibiting weed growth, reducing evaporation and saving on landfill disposal.
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