Farmers and community groups rewarded in 25th anniversary landcare grants
Ten farming and community groups from Northern and Yorke region will share $176,908 in funding through the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program.
They will receive grants from $11,000 to $22,000 to deliver a range of projects that will build knowledge and capacity to better utilise and and protect the region’s natural resources.
"This is a very impressive result for our region," NRNY Regional Manager Trevor Naismith said. "Our farming and community groups are to be congratulated, having picked up more than 25 per cent of South Australia’s projects to be funded through the 25th Anniversary Landcare Grants 2014-15."
Several groups will run field days, workshops and site demonstrations to share information and encourage the broader farming community to adopt practices that will improve their viability and the condition of natural assets.
"Knowledge-sharing will be a big focus of half of the projects," Mr Naismith said, "building on the good work that groups like the Hart Field Site Group and Yacka Moorundie Landcare Group have been doing in recent years."
In other projects, a local soil group will collaborate with research organisations to explore better ways of controlling snails in No Till stubble retention systems on YP. In the Mid North, farmers, landcare and Indigenous groups will work together to improve the condition of Appila Springs.
The importance of planning in property management will be the focus of two projects in the Laura/Wirabarra and Yacka Moorundie/Spalding districts.
Nukunu and Narungga communities will undertake restoration works on traditional country in the Southern Flinders and Yorke Peninsula. Traditional Indigenous practices will be used alongside conventional revegetation techniques to restore high value areas of the Baroota floodplain. Several organisations will team up with the Point Pearce Narungga community to restore coastal dunes damaged by off-road vehicles at Tiparra Springs on YP.
"Educating the broader community about the environmental and cultural significance of Tiparra Springs will be an important part of this project," Mr Naismith said.
"Whether they are promoting healthy and sustainable farming family businesses, restoring springs, conserving native pastures or protecting cultural assets, each of these projects shows just what communities can do to contribute to natural resource management in our region," Mr Naismith said.
For an overview of all successful projects visit www.nrm.gov.au/news.
