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NT soil conservationist retires after 44 years

ABC Rural Lauren Fitzgerald
Colin Stanton retires

Colin Stanton might be retiring after 44 years as a soil conservationist with the NT Government, but he still plans to get his hands dirty.

Lauren Fitzgerald

After 44 years working as the "go-to person" for soil erosion mitigation and repair in the NT Government, Colin Stanton is moving on.

Mr Stanton's first project was controlling dust out at the Alice Springs Airport, before the department started to focus on soil erosion.

Ever since, he says he has dedicated his life to getting people to think about the soil before the build anything new or different.

"The penny has dropped and people are now actually taking more interest in the front yard back yard, anybody else's yard," he said.

"But it has changed, there are people changing their ideas, and they now know that it is worth saving."

Colin Stanton says he is proud of the workshops he has run to help organisations like the CLMA and the CLC understand the importance of soil.

"People using machinery, now know what to do with the soil that they're moving around.

"Before, anybody that was learning how to use machinery, well they were causing more jobs for me to do because they were just shoving soil around left, right and centre.

There's a lot more soil out there to save and there's a lot more to teach, educate and learn off each other.
Colin Stanton

"But now that the workshops are happening... they are also getting the knowledge of what to do with the soil, and they're also getting to know why you do it that way.

"So they come away with best practice, plus a ticket to be able to operate (machinery), and that's been a good change."

Mr Stanton says he might be retiring from his government job, but he'll still be getting his hands dirty.

"I'm just going to get out there and do it in a more relaxed way, rather than in a regimental way I guess.


"To me personally it's a great feeling to be able to leave a property, to say I can give people a hand to remain where they are without any soil disturbance or erosion.

"And I'm pretty sure I was born to do it, it's in my blood."

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