More porductive land, new income sources for famers

Victorian primary producers in regional Victoria will gain access to new income sources and their land will become more productive into the future, under a $105 million plan released by the Brumby Labor Government.

Minister for Environment and Climate Change, Gavin Jennings, said Securing our Natural Future – a white paper for land and biodiversity at a time of climate change – sets out a new framework for action that will significantly change the way Victoria’s natural resources are managed.

“The Brumby Labor Government is taking action to ensure that, as we enter our 13th year of drought, Victoria’s regional communities are given the tools they need to stay economically strong in the face of the growing threat of climate change,” Mr Jennings said.

He said the Victorian Government would build on existing market-based programs such as EcoTender and BushTender, which provide incentives to farmers to improve land health.

The Government will increase funding to market based programs by an additional $1.5 million.

“With studies showing Australian farmers could reap an extra $3 billion from new ecological services markets – including carbon markets – we need to ensure our primary producers are ready to get their share of this opportunity,” Mr Jennings said.

“A program to support land-holders package environmental goods and services will be developed, along with an on-farm advisory service to improve landholder capacity to access developing ecosystem markets.”

He said the White Paper outlines a framework that will build ecosystem resilience across Victoria, target investment and resources to priority areas, and improve ecological connectivity through a network of biolinks.

“It identifies 13 priority flagship areas across the State, which has important environmental, social and economic values for Victoria.

The flagship areas are: Megga Murray, Mallee, South West, Greater Grampians, Goldfields, Western Volcanic Plains, Otways, Western Port, Central Highlands, Wilsons Promontory, Victorian Alps, Gippsland Lakes and Far East Gippsland.

Investment and resources will be targeted to protecting these areas and to the creation of biolinks from Melbourne to the Grampians, from the Mallee to the Wimmera connecting Sunset Country to the Big and Little Deserts, from the Murray River to the Alps and from Gippsland Lakes to Wilsons Promontory.

Mr Jennings said the initiatives were being developed on the understanding that when ecosystems are healthy, they are also more productive in the long term.

Catchment Management Authorities and regional coastal boards will form the basis of new regionally-based Natural Resource and Catchment Authorities, which will be responsible for coordinated management across catchments and coastal and marine ecosystems.

Mr Jennings said that the Catchment Management Authorities had led the way in working with their communities to protect the natural assets upon which the local economy depends.

“The aim is to bring together the management of catchments and coastal and marine ecosystems in the region and adopt a broader scale approach,” he said.

“We want to build on the best elements of the community-based approach of the catchment management authorities and capitalise on the joint strengths of the various agencies to better manage the important natural assets of the Gippsland region.”