Shared banks, shared benefits: the art of fence negotiation
You arrive at the property with a clear goal: protect and restore the riparian vegetation by fencing the waterway. The landholder, however, values the river as a grazing area for her cattle. At first, your priorities seem to clash, but you both agree to sit down and negotiate rather than dig in your heels.
You began by sharing why the vegetation matters — stabilising the banks, improving water quality, and providing fish and bird habitats. The landholder listens, then explains her own needs: reliable access to water for her livestock, access to feed during the drier months and controlling weeds. Instead of arguing, you both ask questions to understand the other’s concerns more deeply.
Together, you list possible options. Could fencing be partial rather than continuous? Could off‑stream watering points be provided to reduce cattle pressure on the river? What about creating controlled access points so stock could drink without trampling the entire bank? Could the riparian area benefit from some form of controlled grazing regime?
Slowly, a shared solution emerges. You agree to fence most of the river to protect the vegetation, while leaving a designated, reinforced access point for cattle on an inside bend. The landholder maintains reliable water access; you gain ecological protection for the majority of the reach. By focusing on interests rather than positions, you’ve reached a genuine win‑win outcome.
Now I know it’s not always like this. I’ve had landholders refuse to let me on-site. I’ve had landholders reposition agreed fence marker pegs, after I’ve left. I’ve had landholders refuse to have fences follow flood paths. But I’ve also had landholders offering large riparian widths. I’ve had landholders meticulously managing weed follow-up with a herbicide-filled shoe-polish bottle. I’ve had landholders that always asked for more plants to plant.
The common impediment: me. Or more specifically, the time I had available to really sit down and negotiate to find those win-win outcomes.
Here’s a a simple checklist to make negotiation feel far less daunting. It’s focussed on the story, but I feel the structure would work for most waterway/land‑management negotiations:
1. Prepare Separately
· Identify your core interests (e.g., vegetation protection, erosion control, water quality).
· Anticipate the landholder’s likely interests (e.g., grazing efficiency, stock access, cost).
· Decide what you *must* achieve and what you’re flexible on.
2. Start with Shared Goals
· Agree on the big picture: healthy land, productive farming, long‑term sustainability.
· Frame the conversation as problem‑solving, not competing demands.
3. Exchange Perspectives
· Each person explains their concerns without interruption.
· Ask clarifying questions to understand the reasoning behind each position.
· Focus on *interests*, not fixed demands.
4. Generate Options Together
· Brainstorm without judging ideas (e.g. consider partial fencing, hardened access points, off‑stream watering, rotational grazing, or funding support).
· Look for combinations that satisfy both ecological and operational needs.
5. Evaluate and Select a Solution
· Compare options against both sets of interests.
· Aim for a solution that improves the situation for both sides, not just a compromise. And definitely not a win-lose outcome.
6. Agree on Practical Steps
· Define who does what, when, and how.
· Document the agreement so expectations stay clear.
7. Review and Adjust
· Set a check‑in date to see how the solution is working.
· Be open to tweaking the arrangement as conditions change.
A final note. There’s a great blackfish habitat project I worked on years ago. The landholder was happy to have me over but was not interested in fencing. We walked and talked (and I did a lot of listening). We eventually stopped at an old gum. The landholder told me a story of how as a kid his dad would go fishing with him; sitting under that tree. The tree was old and senescing. “What if we did some fencing here first? Just to protect the old tree and maybe encourage some natural regeneration?” “That’s a good idea.” And that’s how the blackfish project began.
