National Landcare supports WA Wheatbelt farmers

00:52' 09-09-2016

Farmers in Western Australia’s Wheatbelt will share in more than $540,000 under the Coalition Government’s National Landcare Programme to help protect the local habitat and reduce the threat of feral foxes and cats targeting native animals.

Photo: wheatbeltnrm.org.au

This latest funding through the Wheatbelt Natural Resource Management Inc (Wheatbelt NRM) Community Bushcare grants will help 49 farmers conserve priority habitat and protect some of WA’s most threatened species including the red-tailed phascogale and the malleefowl.

The projects will see more than 210 kilometres of fencing rolled out to protect priority habitat from stock. One hundred and sixty-five hectares of farmland will be revegetated with 129,750 seedlings planted to create a buffer around habitat and help connect the landscape. Some projects will also target feral animals such as foxes, cats and rabbits which contribute to the decline of threatened species.

National Landcare Programme funding continues to support local communities to develop smart, targeted and long-term solutions to address local environmental issues.

Local people are often best placed to come up with local solutions and that’s why the programme continues to support organisations like Wheatbelt NRM.

The Coalition Government is ensuring that funding is invested locally to deliver real change that is targeted on and off farm to safeguard productive capacity in the land for the future and to safeguard our environment.

The Coalition is investing $1 billion to help support better natural resource management across Australia through the National Landcare Programme. This includes more than $438 million in funding to Australia’s 56 regional natural resource management organisations.

Wheatbelt NRM’s funding is part of its commitment to invest more than 20 per cent of its National Landcare Programme funding in local projects and community engagement activities.

During National Landcare Week from 5-11 September, all Australians are encouraged to reflect on and celebrate the work of the nation’s landcarers. There are now more than 5400 Landcare groups working across Australia to support an integrated, productive and sustainable approach to land management.

For more information about see www.nrm.gov.au.