Dont know about permaculture and it's practicalities to the...

Dont know about permaculture and it's practicalities to the "nth" degree but I do like the work and research that Peter Andrews is doing.

Australia,s agricultural land is basically over cleared as is evident by rising salinity levels where vegetation in the past reacted as a buffer to hold down water table levels and therefore to halt salt from coming to the surface. Picture large eucalypts as giant pumps which therefore prevent sub surface moisture from rising and the salinity contained in this moisture at deep levels.

With over clearing the problem of erosion arose also where surface water instead of being held back and restricted on the slopes of ridges and uplands finds free movement creating new gullies and creeks (erosion). This surface water is now quickly lost to it's locale and flows into the river systems giving no benefit to the agricultural land from where it departed (except that water that soaks in).

Basically Peter Andrews idea is to restrict the flow of that surface water by vegetating the creek and gully systems or by placing earthen restrictions along those water flow lines......As the water is restricted by plants and barriers slowing down the flow the moisture is able to slowly penetrate the soil on the sides of the flow lines. The absorbtion area becomes quite large purely by osmotic processes.

With vegetation also planted along these absorbtion areas, transpiration thereby increases releasing moisture to the atmosphere and increasing the chance of precipitation and increasing rainfall...In effect the moisture is no longer lost to go to another location but is retained for the benefit of the area from whence it first came.

Andrew's results are quite staggering particularly in winter rainfall areas. The benefit seems to be longer growing seasons and though the increase in rainfall is not huge it is the timing that is important particularly in autumn and late spring which means better starts and better finishes to crops and pastures.

Coupled with increasing revegetating of our ridges (which the National Party doesn't like too much) his methods offer huge benefits to not just to the landholder but to the land itself.....To own land is a privelege and with it comes great responsibilities....To abuse it as a shear money maker means that some day you may lose it.