Innovative lined catchment to feature at BIGG Field Walk in Flaxman Valley
Barossa Improved Grazing Group (BIGG) will host a Field Walk at Flaxman Valley from 2pm on Friday 26 June 2026, showcasing the region’s first poly‑lined catchment. The Field Walk will provide an overview of how the 1-hectare catchment was constructed and integrated with existing farm infrastructure to harvest rainfall, thereby improving on‑farm water security.
BIGG Technical Officer Brett Nietschke said the Field Walk is an ideal opportunity for landholders to see the system up close and understand how lined catchments can be used as a drought‑resilience strategy to strengthen water reliability across grazing, mixed‑farming and vineyard enterprises.
Field Walk speakers will include:
- Leon Deans (Landholder) - Why build a lined catchment and the construction process.
- Libby Duncan (Northern & Yorke Landscape Board) - From idea to approval: steps to getting your lined catchment approved.
- Brian Hughes (SARDI & Department of Primary Industries and Regions) - Learnings from lined catchment installations on the Eyre Peninsula and other EP water‑security strategies.
The Northern & Yorke Landscape Board will also offer free salinity water testing at the Field Walk. Attendees are encouraged to bring a 200ml bore or dam water sample on the day for free on-the-spot testing.
A short five‑minute video documenting the full construction process - including the clearing of an existing vineyard, earthworks, and poly sheet and fencing installation - is also available to view via www.biggroup.org.au/water-security
The Field Walk is free to attend and will take place at the lined catchment site: 24 Pohler Road, Flaxman Valley. RSVP is essential by Wednesday 24 June to Brett Nietschke, BIGG Technical Facilitator brett.nietschke@biggroup.org.au or 0432 804 389.
This project is supported by funding from the South Australian Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub, through the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund, and the Northern and Yorke Landscape Board via the Landscape Priorities Fund.