Farmers Simon Wallwork and Cindy Stevens were living the dream when they bought their own property near Corrigin in Western Australia’s Wheatbelt two decades ago.
The 3,700 hectare property is a 229 kilometer drive from Perth and supports crops, sheep and cattle.
Corrigin farmer Simon Wallwork was one of more than 600 people or groups who lodged an appeal against the North West Platform extension. Credit: Simon Wallwork
But farming is never easy, and it’s a changing climate that Wallwork says the couple has been battling since they bought the property.
“We’ve lost 20 per cent of our growing season rainfall in the last 20 years, we’ve also recently suffered the devastating Corrigin fires which burnt 40,000 hectares,” he said.
“It hit our western boundary and luckily the wind changed.”
The couple started a grassroots movement, AgZero2030, three years ago to promote primary industries that address climate change, an issue that is gaining traction among farmers.
An increase in atmospheric carbon over the past 50 years has improved wheat yields by up to 8% in WA, while water-use efficiency measures have been able to keep ahead of declining the rains
But greater variability in rainfall and shorter growing seasons along with higher temperatures will have an impact on crop yields.
Wallwork was one of 759 appellants to voice opposition to the extension of Woodside’s North West Shelf project, which could put 4.3 billion tonnes of carbon into the air if it continues to operate until 2070, and question the recommendation of the WA Environmental Protection Authority last month that the project could be able to go ahead.