Farmers across Gippsland can now lodge joint bids for grants up to $4 million to embrace innovative sustainable land management practices to protect and improve the environment.
The Nationals Member for Gippsland Darren Chester said the National Landcare Program’s new Smart Farming Partnerships provided multi-year grants of between $250,000 and $4 million.
“This is an opportunity for groups of innovative organisations and individuals in agriculture, fishing, aquaculture and farm forestry to apply for a share of $60 million in Smart Farming Partnerships,” Mr Chester said.
“These Smart Farming Partnerships will support the development, trialling and implementation of next generation farming, forestry and fishing practices that can protect and improve the condition of soils, vegetation and biodiversity.
“These partnership grants will get behind larger projects and support the formation of relevant and effective partnerships between experienced and skilled organisations and individuals.
“The grants will help groups of organisations to come up with, or take advantage of the next great idea, the benefits of which can be shared across the community and the world.
“Applying sustainable land and water management practices on the ground and harnessing local knowledge is delivering real environmental and financial benefits to our communities and farm businesses. That is why the government has invested $1 billion in the future of Landcare.
“Gippsland farmers are innovators and the Federal Government is supporting that innovative thinking to help our local farmers continue to farm smarter, not harder.”
Applications for grants will close on December 21. For more information, visit www.nrm.gov.au.
