23 April 2013 - The
Gillard Government will continue its support
for organisations that protect and manage
Australia's natural resources.
Regional Natural Resource
Management organisations (NRMs) will share
in $669 million to continue their work to
enhance and maintain Australia's biodiversity
and environment over the next five years.
Minister for the Environment,
Tony Burke, and Minister for Agriculture,
Fisheries and Forestry, Senator Joe Ludwig,
said funding would be made available to
Australia's 54 regional NRM organisations
through the Government's Caring for our
Country program.
The organisations play
an important role in building an environment
that is healthier, better protected, well
managed and resilient and ensuring our farming
practices are sustainable.
“These groups have extraordinary
local knowledge. They are about making sure
the expertise that exists within catchments
becomes part of every step of environmental
management,” Mr Burke said.
“This goes right to
the heart of the environmental need to act
locally.
“This funding will help
support the important work in regional level
natural resource management, planning and
prioritisation and brokering partnerships.
“Funding will support
the development of, and access to, knowledge
and skills to deliver on-ground activities
in regional communities.”
Minister Ludwig said
regional NRM organisations would remain
a key focus of Caring for our Country in
phase two of the program.
“This funding means
NRMs can continue to carry out their work
and make a real difference to our agricultural
landscape and environment,” Minister Ludwig
said.
“Regional NRM organisations
have the skills and experience to engage
their local communities, and their grass
roots efforts are something this Government
will continue to support.
“That is why this Regional
Delivery funding will include support for
Regional Landcare Facilitators.
“Like us, NRMs recognise
healthy, productive and resilient land is
important for sustainable food and fibre
production and the future of rural and regional
communities.”
During the consultation
and review of the Caring for our Country
initiative, many regional NRM organisations
said the multi-year funding allocation allowed
better planning over longer timeframes and
had supported organisational development,
capacity building and relationship and partnership
building.
“To help provide greater
certainty, Caring for our Country will continue
to provide funding over the five years of
the program. This ensures that regional
NRM organisations are able to plan for the
future,” Mr Burke said.
“We encourage regional
NRM organisations to apply for additional
funding for activities which will deliver
on-ground outcomes for Caring for our Country's
Sustainable Environment and Sustainable
Agriculture streams.”
The second phase of
Caring for our Country will be focused under
complementary Sustainable Agriculture and
Sustainable Environment streams to encourage
greater efficiency and a more focussed delivery
of the priorities within the government's
broader sustainability agenda.
Regional delivery will
be administered by the Department of Sustainability,
Environment, Water, Population and Communities
on behalf of the Department of Agriculture,
Fisheries and Forestry.
+ More
Landholders and Farmers
Given Support to Protect the Great Barrier
Reef
24 April 2013 - Landholders
and farmers will be given assistance to
reduce the run-off of damaging chemicals
into the Great Barrier Reef, under a $200
million extension to the Reef Rescue program.
Starting in 2008, Reef
Rescue has already stopped over 92,000 tonnes
of nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment and
around 1,300 kilograms of pesticide from
leaching into the Great Barrier Reef. That
is the equivalent of around 1 million wheelbarrows.
Due to the program's
success to-date, the Gillard Government
today announced an additional $200 million
in funding to ensure the extension of the
Reef Rescue program until 2018.
Reef Rescue helps farmer's
lift on-farm productivity. It also plays
a crucial role protecting the Great Barrier
Reef, with run-off from farms causing coral
bleaching and algae growth and smothering
seagrass and coral reefs.
The Great Barrier Reef
is one of the world's greatest treasures
and the Gillard Government is committed
to its protection.
Reef Rescue is also
a highly successful partnership between
Government, farmers, indigenous owners and
other land managers along the Queensland
coast. Reducing their chemical and fertilizer
use is good for farmers as well as being
good for the reef.
Since 2008 more than
3,200 land managers from Cape York to Bundaberg
have benefited from Reef Rescue and its
associated grants and management tools.
Reef Rescue has been
expanded to include improved management
of wetland and riparian areas, as well as
improving urban water runoff.
The program includes
support for Research and Development and
partnership funding for on-farm investments.
Water Quality Grants are provided to farmers
to improve the quality of the water running
off their land and improve their land management
practices.
Reef Rescue is driven by farmers. For every
dollar the Government has invested in Reef
Rescue farmers have contributed around $1.80.
This demonstrates their commitment to Reef
Rescue and protecting the Reef.
Reef Rescue's second
phase will continue to support the development
of new cutting-edge water quality technologies
and fund the control of crown of thorns
starfish.
Reef Rescue is being
funded as part of the Gillard Government's
$2 billion Caring for our Country natural
resource management initiative, which supports
volunteers, farmers and community groups
to make a real difference to their local
environment.
For more information
on the Reef Rescue program or the Caring
for our Country initiative, visit www.nrm.gov.au.
