RIVERINA PROJECT TO IMPROVE SOILS RECEIVES $250,000 FEDERAL GOVERNMENT GRANT
The Riverina will play a special role in improving Australia’s soil health with the Federal Government delivering $250,000 through the Smart Farms Small Grants program to a research project run by Charles Sturt University, local Federal Member Michael McCormack has announced.
The grant will support a project titled Building Resilient Soils in the Riverina Region of NSW, conducted by trained and experienced Charles Sturt University extension educators in soil science and agronomy.
“Healthy soils means healthy agriculture; healthy agriculture means a healthy rural and regional Australia and a healthy rural and regional Australia means a healthy economy, which benefits all of us,” Mr McCormack said.
Mr McCormack, who is co-chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Soil Group with Member for Barton, Whitton-born Linda Burney, MP, said he was particularly delighted the Riverina would play key role in maintaining and improving one of the building blocks of agriculture.
Through the project, a series of comprehensive modules on soil monitoring and management will support the National Soils Strategy and be delivered to keen NSW stakeholders and consultants using on-farm face to face workshops, webinars and field demonstrations through existing central NSW Landcare, Farming Systems and Graham Centre outreach networks.
A technically innovative project website with social media presence will support evidence-based measures to train producers in soil sampling, monitoring, fertility assessment, nutrient cycling, organic matter and carbon deposition and soil biological diversity to better manage critical regional soil constraints.
Current findings on crop and pasture rotation, residue management and soil amendment in the face of a changing climate will also be featured.
Mr McCormack said the grant was part of the $214.9 million National Soil Strategy, Australia’s first national policy on soil which sets out how we will manage our soil for the next 20 years and will support Aussie farmers and the sector in reaching its Ag2030 goal to grow agriculture to $100 billion by 2030.
The National Soil Strategy was announced in the 2021-22 Federal Budget.
Healthy soils are central to delivering resilience to climate change and natural disasters, meeting our emission reduction targets, growing our agriculture industry and securing human health, food and water security, biodiversity and economic growth.
The final round of the Smart Farms Small Grants program is focusing on soil extension activities. Some 32 grants worth $13.8 million will support 32 projects.
Fast Facts
The Smart Farms program is the key agriculture portfolio initiative under phase two of the $1.1 billion National Landcare Program.
More than $54 million will be available under National Soil Monitoring and Incentives Pilot Program to encourage farmers and land managers to undertake more comprehensive soil testing in exchange for sharing their data with the program.
For more information about the Australian Government’s investment in Landcare visit: www.agriculture.gov.au/ag-farm-food/natural-resources/landcare/national-landcare-program/australian-government-investment-in-landcare
For more information about the National Soil Strategy visit: www.agriculture.gov.au/ag-farm-food/natural-resources/soils