News & Events
CCC Blueberry Research Tunnels Open Day - 10 April 2024
More than fifty growers, agronomists and other key players in coastal horticulture came out for the Clean Coastal Catchments (CCC) Blueberry Research Facility Open Day held in April 2024 at the Wollongbar Primary Industries Institute. Highlights included a site tour of CCC's state of the art tunnels housing 300 blueberry plants, the automated fertigation system that underpins our nutrient research, and the woodchip bioreactors and reedbed installed to consume excess nitrogen in waste water.
Dairy Nitrogen & Irrigation Field Day - 20 February 2024
Better nutrient management in dairy pastures was the key topics at the CCC Dairy Nitrogen & Irrigation Field Day held at Jellat Jellat, near Bega. Farmers, agronomists and other industry stakeholders discussed the results from a spring-summer nitrogen management trial, and ways to improve pasture production and water efficiency while reducing nutrient run off.
CCC dairy nutrient management trial underway at Jellat - 6 December 2023
The Clean Coastal Catchments (CCC) Research project, in collaboration with South East Local Land Services, is investigating nutrient use efficiency and nitrogen and soil moisture movement on Rob and Will Russell’s property, Jelgowry.
Macadamia nutrient research published in DPI grower guides - 21 September 2023
The latest findings on harvested nut nutrient replacement values for macadamia orchards have been published in two new Department of Primary Industries grower guides focusing on soil health and nutrition.
CCC researcher addresses International Macadamia Symposium - 19 September 2023
Jeremy Bright discussed the links between macadamia crop nutrient replacement values, Integrated Orchard Management, and the Clean Coastal Catchments project at the International Macadamia Symposium in South Africa.
Searching for systems in macadamia orchard nutrient management - 14 August 2023
Daowei Sun and Jeremy Bright have taken a novel approach to identifying key knowledge gaps in the science of macadamia nutrient management. Using a ‘systems analysis’ of macadamia production, their aim was to better understand the fertiliser decisions made by growers.
CCC collaboration with the south coast dairy industry - 1 July 2023
The Clean Coastal Catchments (CCC) project is working closely with the South Coast dairy industry to save farmers money and reduce their impact on the environment.
Blueberry water use model in development - 20 April 2023
Work is underway at the CCC Wollongbar blueberry research tunnels, to develop an interactive irrigation calculator. The calculator will be based on a water use model that will estimate the irrigation needs of blueberry plants at different growth stages and during changing weather conditions.
Brogo Fert$smart dairy workshop - 13 December 2022
More than twenty people took part in a soil sampling exercise at Pearce's Dairy, as part of a CCC funded Fert$smart nutrient management workshop on the south coast in December.
Wetland and bioreactor trials installed at Wollongbar - 7 December 2022
An artificial wetland and a woodchip bioreactor trial are being installed at the Wollongbar Primary Industries Institute to assess how effectively these structures can remove nitrogen and other potential pollutants from waste water draining off north coast berry crops.
CCC Macadamia Research Update - 20 October 2022
The Clean Coastal Catchments (CCC) project held a Macadamia Research Update at Ballina in October 2022, with presentations focusing on best practice nutrient and erosion management in NSW macadamia orchards.
CCC Fertiliser Stewardship Research Update & Farm Walk - 12 May 2022
The Clean Coastal Catchments (CCC) project held a Fertiliser Stewardship Research Update forum at Woolgoolga with a focus on rubus berry production and protected cropping. Morning presentations at the C.Ex Woolgoolga were followed by an afternoon Farm Walk on one of our key blueberry research sites at Corindi.
Orchard resilience on show after torrential north coast rain - 9 May 2022
Integrated Orchard Management (IOM) is proving the key to disaster resilience in the macadamia industry in an increasingly erratic climate. The benefits have been clearly demonstrated following extreme rainfall events in early 2022, with IOM techniques successfully preventing erosion damage in orchards in northern NSW.
Celebrating CCC macadamia nutrient research on World Water Day - 22 March 2022
The Clean Coastal Catchments (CCC) team has installed soil moisture and ground water monitoring equipment on a commercial macadamia farm to track the movement of nitrate, phosphate, and ammonium in the soil profile.
POSTPONED: Macadamia Forum and Blueberry Research Tour - 11 February 2022
The Clean Coastal Catchments (CCC) Macadamia Forum and Blueberry Research Facility Tour events, previously advertised to take place in March 2022, will be rescheduled due to COVID concerns.
Take an online tour of our Wollongbar Research Facility - 20 November 2021
Take a tour of the CCC Blueberry Research Facility to learn more about our experiments in reducing expensive fertiliser waste and preventing excess nutrients from ending up in coastal waterways.
CCC funds dairy NMP training workshops - 20 October 2021
Clean Coastal Catchments is funding a series of free training workshops on nutrient management planning (NMP) for dairy farms.
Celebrating our berry grower partners - 6 September 2021
Commercial growers are providing invaluable assistance to the Clean Coastal Catchments (CCC) project, working closely with the CCC research team.
CCC virtual forum focuses on fertiliser stewardship in dairy and beef farming - 30 July 2021
The first meeting of the CCC Livestock - Fertiliser Stewardship Group has highlighted key issues for sustainable livestock production on the south coast, particularly in the dairy and beef sectors.
Wet summer provides ideal conditions for macadamia erosion research - 1 March 2021
It’s been a very wet summer on the NSW north coast providing ideal test conditions for CCC researcher, Justine Cox, to assess the capacity of compost, mulch, erosion sox, and prunings from on site limb removal, to reduce orchard erosion.
Future proofing the berry industry - 25 February 2021
Berry growers, Aman Lehl, is working with the Clean Coastal Catchments' funded researchers to investigate the real farm practicality of capturing and re-using drainage in potted blueberries, with the aim of recycling nutrient rich water.
CCC On-Farm Grants Program invites Expressions of Interest by Monday 21 December, 2020
Blueberry, blackberry, raspberry and greenhouse vegetable growers within the North Coast region are eligible to apply for an on-farm works grant through the Clean Coastal Catchments project.
CCC blueberry trials soon to expand into new greenhouse site - 29 April 2020
Our new blueberry research greenhouse tunnels have just been completed at the Wollongbar Primary Industries Institute, and work is now underway to install a state of the art fertigation system.
Cleaner water on farms creates a cleaner catchment - 28 February 2020
Erosion control incentives are making a big difference to North Coast macadamia orchards. CCC funded works have improved drainage and reduced the amount of suspended solids, nitrogen and phosphorous flowing into coastal waterways, and have recently been put to the test during torrential rainfall.
DPI releases new Interim Fertiliser Guidelines for blueberry growers - 15 October 2019
The NSW Department of Primary Industries has released new interim guidelines for fertiliser use in the blueberry industry to address the current lack of appropriate information for Australian growers.
Lismore Biodiversity Award winners mix macadamia farming with innovative environmental management - 23 September 2019
The Clean Coastal Catchments (CCC) project was delighted to be part of the 2019 Lismore Biodiversity Awards to showcase the inspiring work of farmers, volunteers, and others working to protect healthy habitats in the Lismore City Council region.
Construction begins on CCC Blueberry Research Facility - 6 September 2019
The NSW Minister for Agriculture, Adam Marshall, has turned the first sod in the construction of a state of the art Blueberry Research Facility funded through the Clean Coastal Catchments (CCC) project.
