The Western Australian Wheatbelt is known as the country’s breadbasket. Sheep and wheat farms the size of small countries stretch into an endless horizon. But there’s violence in the history of the idyllic scene. A century ago, 1000 acres a day were being burned and cleared. Today, patches of land are balding, agriculture is suffering and inland lakes are turning to salt. The land is turning saline, and the farmers who love the land but also need to keep using it have to find ways to tame the salt monster.
Producer: Dheera Sujan
Broadcast: December 7, 2006