Queensland

1. Climate Conscious Milk Production.

Start: July 2006
End: June 2009

The Queensland dairy NRM team was successful in the 2008/09 round of NLP funding for a project titled Climate Conscious Milk Production in Southern Queensland. The project will build onto the existing Dairying Better ‘n Better for Tomorrow program, assisting to increase farmers’ skills and knowledge of climate change risks, as well as adaptation and mitigation opportunities.

The objectives of the project include:

• Support capacity building activities that address climate change risks,
• Support adoption of greenhouse gas emissions management techniques through better feed conversion, improved energy efficient farming practices and decrease energy consumption,
• Coordinate with existing industry programs to enable increased adoption of better practices.

The project will enable farmers from existing Dairying Better ‘n Better for Tomorrow groups in southeast Queensland and the Darling Downs regions to reform their groups and begin a continuous improvement module. This module is called Dairying Better ‘n Better: On the Moo’ve, and was developed to support group continuity, as well as more regular on-farm assessment and recording of practices and actions. Farmers will take part in capacity building workshops at 6-monthly intervals, on group priority topics. The DairySAT guide is a critical tool in this process, and has been updated to include key climate change and greenhouse gas emission best management practices. It will allow farmers to identify climate change risks specific to their farms, on a regular basis.

The project also supports the adoption of on-farm change through an on-ground incentive funding component, to assist farmers to adopt improved management practices to reduce the impact of climate change on their business. The program is supported by Queensland Dairyfarmers’ Organisation, Dairy Australia, Subtropical Dairy Program, Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries Queensland through the Property Management Systems Initiative, Condamine Alliance, SEQ Catchments and relevant milk processing companies.

2. Dairy and Fodder Water for Profit.

Start: July 2006
End: June 2009

The Dairy and Fodder Water for Profit program is administered by the Queensland Dairyfarmers’ Organisation, and provides assistance in the form of on-farm technical advice, workshops, field days and a financial assistance scheme for dairy and fodder producers in Queensland for improvements to irrigation or effluent systems. On-farm incentive funding is available for irrigation or effluent system upgrades or major changes, based on a 50% contribution of project costs, up to a maximum of $10,000. In addition, a newly developed performance based incentive grant is also available to approved applicants, as further incentive to show significant improvements in water use efficiency or effluent management and reuse. This additional grant is also based on a 50% contribution of project costs up to a maximum of $10,000. Each application will be measured against a number of key performance indicators to determine eligibility for this additional funding.  

A new series of workshops focussing on irrigation efficiency and dairy effluent management and reuse are currently being organised to be rolled out later this year. These will also provide producers with important information on managing, maintaining and testing their irrigation and/or effluent system.

The program is funded through the Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Water’s Rural Water Use Efficiency program, and is supported by the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, Queensland.

3. Dairying Better n Better for Tomorrow – LoganRiver and Tributaries.

Start: January 2008
End: Dec 2008

A partnership agreement was arranged with SEQ Catchments to deliver the Dairying Better ‘n Better for Tomorrow program to a sub-catchment area identified as having missed out on the program thus far. The southern Beaudesert region was identified, and a number of farmers in the area were contacted to establish the group. The major components of the program include:

• Completion of the DairySAT guide, to assist with identification of individual farm priorities
• 3 workshops on topics of high priority to the group
• A farm visit to develop an Action Plan for the farm, to address topics of high priority

Key farm priorities identified through DairySAT included soil health and management, management of effluent systems and riparian zones, and some interest in farm waste management, namely carcass composting. The workshop series is currently in progress, focussing on some of these issues. Funding of $30,000 was provided by SEQ Catchments for on-ground incentives, as identified in the DairySAT and Action Planning activities. Several farms have already received their funding, concentrating on erosion control projects and effluent system upgrades and improvements. The remaining farms will receive funding later this year.