JOINT MEDIA RELEASE WITH HON BRUCE SCOTT MP, FEDERAL MEMBER FOR MARANOA
The Australian Government is strengthening its commitment to protecting the natural environment of Queensland’s Murray-Darling Basin with funding of $6.69 million over the next three years under the National Landcare Programme.
The funding is managed locally by the Queensland Murray-Darling Committee – one of Australia’s 56 regional natural resource management organisations.
“The Queensland Murray-Darling Committee will work with local groups to improve the way they deliver sustainable agriculture and biodiversity conservation outcomes across the region,” Minister Hunt said.
As part of the funding agreement, $1.3 million will be directed toward on-ground activities led by the local Landcare community. Farmers and individual land managers working in the natural resource management sector will also receive funding.
“The funding will allow local groups representing diverse areas of interest – from land for wildlife, catchment planning, pest control, fishing and farming – to undertake important work based on local priorities,” Mr Scott said.
This National Landcare Programme investment will:
• support 180,000 hectares of pest animal control
• achieve 1,030 hectares of weed control
• trial innovative farming practices across 52,000 hectares
• help implement new management practices across a further 20,200 hectares
• provide assistance to protect and restore important vegetation communities across 1,325 hectares
• encourage Land for Wildlife registrations (a voluntary conservation agreement process) over 1,050 hectares.
“This funding also supports the delivery of sustainable agricultural information to local farmers and continues the work with the region’s Traditional Owners, including the development of four fire management plans to protect sites of cultural significance,” Mr Hunt said.
The Government's total investment in natural resource management programmes amounts to over $2 billion over the next four years – of which $454 million is being invested through Australia’s natural resource management organisations.
For more information about the National Landcare Programme go to www.nrm.gov.au
(ENDS)