Sustainable Agriculture

Summary

An essential part of Queensland’s economy is agricultural production, and in South East Queensland (SEQ) it contributes to over $1.2 billion and makes up 13 percent of the state’s agriculture commodities.

The SEQ landscape is made up of 55 percent farmland, however, rapidly increasing environmental pressures like population numbers and urban development are placing the region’s rural areas under threat.

To help protect and sustainably restore the management of rural properties, the Healthy Land and Water Sustainable Agriculture initiative involves working closely with SEQ landholders. The initiative promotes the importance of maintaining healthy soils, productive agricultural landscapes and reducing the amount of soil nutrients that are washed into our local creeks and rivers where it pollutes the water and threatens habitats and native marine species.

We work with farmers to better understand their property goals and recognise the important role they play as stewards of the land by providing information, training and advice on ways to improve the condition of soils, pastures, native vegetation and waterways.

By encouraging local landholders to adopt best management practices on their properties, we are helping to build healthy soils, improve water quality, conserve natural ecosystems and protect our productive agricultural lands for future generations.

Through partnerships with state government and industry groups, Healthy Land and Water delivers a range of project and programs that run under the Sustainable Agriculture initiative including, the Regional Agricultural Landcare Facilitators, Improving Land Management Practices and Grazing Best Management Practices.

Some of the key threats impacting the productivity of agricultural land in SEQ include:

Declining soil health
Soil erosion
Salinity
Weeds and pest species
Pathogens and disease
Loss of agricultural land to urban and industrial development
Lack of access to secure water supplies

Regional Agriculture Landcare Facilitator (RALF)

As part of a national Regional Agriculture Landcare Facilitator (RALF) network funded through the National Landcare Program, experienced staff members Bruce Lord and Susie Chapman share the RALF role in SEQ to provide a central point of contact for farmers, industry and community groups on emerging ideas, recommended land management practices, relevant policies and opportunities to help improve the sustainability, productivity and profitability of agriculture in the region.

They will build on the success of previous programs by continuing to deliver workshops and field days, establishing strong partnerships with local industry and land care and community groups, and by delivering major agriculture-related projects in SEQ. They will:

Engage and inform farmers, community groups and agricultural industries about emerging ideas, climate change activities, on‐farm biosecurity and chemicals management, innovative practices, and relevant new government policy to help improve the sustainability, productivity and profitability of agriculture
Facilitate partnerships that will best deliver agriculture outcomes
Assist farmers, community groups and agricultural industries to develop new projects and seek new funding opportunities
Participate in Communities of Practice to better understand complex issues, improve networks and help develop solutions for national priorities
Report to the department on the delivery of RALF services and emerging regional issues and events.

Contacts:

Bruce Lord: Bruce.l@hlw.org.au 0427 013 284
Susie Chapman: Susie.c@hlw.org.au 0400 910 682

Newsletter:

For a copy of the most recent RALF Newsletter, contact Bruce or Susie on the details above.

Sustainable Agriculture