As this edition of MAGNUM goes to print, the volume of airtime and column inches being devoted to climate change and environmental issues in Australian news appears to be at a record high, and getting higher. Whilst the news seems to get grimmer with each item, there are some good news stories hidden amongst the doom and gloom. In the interests of staying positive, we thought we could share some of what we are doing to build an environmentally sound business.

Ecological balance in the vineyard

Insects are generally considered pests in viticulture. However, there is such a thing as beneficial insects - creatures that prey on the insects we don't like, such as weevils and mealy bugs, and go a long way to keeping insect numbers down. They can't do it all on their own though, and to help them out, we apply what we call Dacron fibre collars to the trunks of our vines (see picture). They don't look very scientific, but they are effective in stopping the undesirable pests from getting to the vine canopy. The Dacron fibre acts as an impenetrable barrier to weevils climbing up the vine and our three-year tests indicate an 80% success rate. This has allowed us to cut pesticide use, which was also killing the beneficial insects. We also have two roaming flocks of guinea fowl (pictured above) who happily enjoy a diet of weevil and grasshopper.

Planted between the vine rows are crops of red clover, oats and cereal rye which are designed to build up nitrogen levels, prevent erosion and maintain soil structure. We still use some fungicides to control vine diseases - these are natural mineral-based fungicides like copper and sulfur and have a very low toxicity for our insect friends busily at work.

In the winery

Smelly and often a very strange colour, winery waste water (the run-off from cleaning tanks, presses and barrels) is considered a pollutant and canít be washed down the drain. Several methods of treating waste water are available and we have selected the most natural - an aerobic system that uses bacteria to feed on wine waste and adjusts waste water to pH neutral without chemicals. This is after a screen has removed the solids from the water, creating a sludge that can be used for compost. The end result is drinking quality water that we can return to our dams for irrigation, providing the ultimate in recycling.

Natural vegetation

The south west corner of Western Australia, including the Margaret River appellation, is regarded as one of the most biodiverse regions on the planet, supporting more species of plants and animals per hectare than almost anywhere else in the world. Unfortunately, the deforestation and introduction of non-native species over the last 200 years has had a devastating impact on this biodiversity.

In an attempt to redress the balance, Voyager Estate has initiated several tree-planting programs to re-vegetate areas that were cleared many years before the current ownership. The biggest effort yet was on Saturday, 20 June 2006 when over 20 staff, family and friends came together to plant 2000 seedlings of native plant species along a previously cleared watercourse. The watercourse area had once been a wildlife corridor joining two small sections of forest. The hope is that, as the corridor is re-established, the wildlife will return and it will develop an eco-system all of its own.

The planting day was initiated by Glen Knight, a supervisor in our vineyard team, who took it upon himself to identify a potential site, consult with local authorities and, with their guidance, attain a Federal Government Catchment Group subsidy for the project. It gave staff an opportunity to re-connect with nature and develop an understanding of environmental impacts and initiatives in our region.

This is only a selection of what we do, and ours is only a small contribution to the global environmental solution. But more and more wine producers are doing above the minimum to make their bit of difference and the good news stories keep on coming. We are grateful to those producers who have shared their ideas with us so that we can improve what we do. We are returning the favour wherever we can.