Private Land Management

Landcare groups across the region see climate change, water and waste issues as part of the wider Landcare agenda. This 3 year project funded by Sustainability Victoria aims to engage, educate, and work with 50 landholders operating large beef and dairy businesses in the Western Port and Bass Coast Landcare Networks to adopt best land management practices which will reduce their greenhouse emissions (by10%), increase water efficiency (by15%), and reduce waste to landfill (by10%) without any loss in productivity. 

As part of this project, each farmer has an independent auditor meet with them to undertake an audit of their energy, water and waste management practices. The auditors identify areas where reductions can be made & then assist the farmers to develop an Action Plan focusing on these issues. Farmers are then provided with financial assistance to help them implement management changes that are identified in the action plan.

The management changes that are implemented could include planting a carbon farm forestry plot, installing solar power or a wind turbine, install night sky cooling, using fertilisers that take less energy to produce, trial new crops with condensed tannins that reduce methane emission, install an oil feeder in dairy to reduce methane, trial a methane digester for effluent pond, trial different methods to reduce evaporation on farm dams, recycle yard wash down water through a reuse system etc.

This is a very innovative project and many of the ideas that are being considered by farmers are in the ‘pilot’ stage of development. However, we expect that some of these practices that are currently being considered, will be ‘standard practice’ in the years to come.

If you would like further information on this project then please contact;

Peter Ronalds - Sustainable Agriculture Project Officer - WPCLN

email pronalds_cec@dcsi.net.au

ph 0359 418446

P.O. Box 875 Pakenham 3810