Andrew Cameron and Rosie Brown are the owners of Fig Rock Farm, a property situated in Upper Burringbar, approximately 40km northwest of Byron Bay, New South Wales. The property is a wildlife-friendly sanctuary as well as a home, habitat regeneration site, education site and avocado farm.
Andrew and Rosie plan to regenerate the original avocado orchard to integrate native bush foods and transition to organic production. They also plan to encourage the remnant native forest by managing camphor and other invasive plants. They aim to improve the creek’s stability and flood resilience, build biodiversity, improve the soil and work alongside the wildlife and plants on the property. Andrew is an experienced regenerative farmer and the agricultural extension officer for Byron Shire Council, so this project will showcase best practice farming, land management and regeneration techniques for local farmers.
Fig Rock Farm spans 19.8 hectares on red soil, steeply sloping to a permanent creek. Around 1.5 hectares is set aside for the orchard and pasture. Approximately 17 hectares is comprised of native subtropical rainforest, wet sclerophyll forest, native grasslands and eucalypt woodlands, featuring water gum (Tristaniopsis laurina), tallowwood (Eucalyptus microcorys) and brush box (Lophostemon confertus). Pockets of remnant rainforest have been identified by the Tweed Council.
A wide range of wildlife is present including platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus), gliders, flying-foxes, bandicoots, common (Trichosurus vulpecula) and mountain (Trichosurus cunninghami) brushtail possums, lace monitors (Varanus varius), freshwater turtles, bush rats and an array of native birds.
