After purchasing Willow Vale, a property including part of the fertile valley floor of the Gudgenby River near Tharwa, Matthew and Sharon Gregory were determined to increase the productivity of the most suitable grazing country while enhancing overall environmental health through weed and pest management.

Located near Namadgi National Park (NN Park), they pointed their efforts at the ‘inaccessible’ pasture land along 450 metres of Gudgenby River frontage over an area of approximately 5 hectares. Rendered useless and unmanageable by 40 years of fencing out, the riverine corridor had become choked by blackberries, basket willows and other trees and weeds enabling feral pigs and foxes to proliferate.

To solve this, they used an ACT Government Environment Grant through the Southern ACT Catchment Group, to help fund the removal of pest plants. It entailed coordinating work to undertake spraying, weed removal and tree planting, and collaboration with our adjoining neighbours along the River and NN Park staff.