The
Mallee Farmer
Land Protection Incentive Scheme By
Jodie Price, Project Officer, DPI
The Mallee Catchment Management Authority (CMA), in partnership with the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) is working with dry land farming communities, through the provision of financial incentives for on-ground works that address key environmental threats. These financial incentives are made available through the Land Protection Incentive Scheme (LPIS). The LPIS has been in the region for more than 20 years and supports the implementation of targeted risk management actions through the provision of financial incentives.
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The LPIS is designed to help farmers tackle environmental issues by sharing the costs of on-ground works that protect and rehabilitate land at risk of degradation. During 2009/10 Mallee Farmers completed works to help protect and improve local environmental assets including more than 18,000 ha of agricultural soils managed to reduce the risk of soil erosion and control saline areas. Work undertaken by Mallee farmers during 2009-10 included: • Building stock containment areas; • The rehabilitation of saline discharge; • Revegetation with indigenous vegetation for salinity recharge control; • Dune reclamation works to protect soil from erosion; • Remnant vegetation protected from stock through fencing; and • Land managed to land class through fencing. Delivery of the 2010-11 LPIS is currently underway in the Mallee CMA region, with 83 expressions of interest received for salinity and soil conservation works.
Approved works to be undertaken by Mallee farmers by 30 July 2011 include: • The construction of 48 stock containment areas, protecting over 72,000 hectares of agricultural soil from erosion. • The rehabilitation of 341 hectares of saline discharge areas through the establishment of saltbush. • 71.4 hectares of dune reclamation works at 26 sites to protect soil from erosion. • 271.3 hectares of land managed to land class through fencing. The actual works completed for 2010-11 are still to be finalised as works are being completed. The LPIS will continue in the Mallee CMA region during 2011/12 with Expressions of Interest due to be called in early August 2011. Look out for the advertisements in your local papers and come and visit the Mallee CMA and DPI team at the Mallee Machinery Field Days at Speed on August 3rd and 4th for further information. The case studies highlight how landholders have used incentives to manage soils in past.