Community
11 October, 2024
Support for revegetation practices
A NEW project will support south-west Victorian farmers to increase vegetation cover and adopt regenerative agricultural practices to help repair the local environment.
LandLife Southwest is a new revegetation and regenerative agriculture program developed by Warrnambool Coastcare Landcare Network (WCLN) and is now seeking expressions of interest from local landholders.
Warrnambool Coastcare Landcare Network senior landcare facilitator Geoff Rollinson said LandLife Southwest would provide funding, implement revegetation projects across the region and promote regenerative agricultural practices.
The project will also link existing vegetation patches and provide wildlife corridors and shelterbelts for biodiversity and stock shade and shelter.
Other priorities include increasing tree canopy cover and soil carbon sequestration levels, improving soil biology, improving animal health for farmers and improving run-off and water quality outcomes in local rivers.
The program will also introduce the benefits of multispecies pastures, and provide habitat for isolated flora and fauna populations.
Funding is available for landholders across Warrnambool and Moyne municipalities.
“More than 90 per cent of land management in the region sits with farmers and we hope to partner with them to provide funding and support to undertake revegetation projects and look at improved farming practices,” Mr Rollinson said.
He added that there was a clear case for switching to regenerative agriculture practices.
“The impacts of widely adopted industrial farming practices over the past 50 years have led to a degradation of soil and water quality, reduced yields and decreasing vegetation cover, necessitating a move to a more sustainable and regenerative farming model.
“LandLife Southwest will help support this change.”
Mr Rollinson said the changes were also driven by consumers with an appetite for clean and green produce and products.
“With the rapidly emerging impacts of climate change, this project seeks to build resilience within the farming landscape and local communities,” he added.
LandLife Southwest will also provide learning and upskilling opportunities for farmers and other managers.
Landholders are invited to submit expressions by emailing Geoff Rollinson at facilitator@wcln.org.au for an Expression of Interest form.
EOIs will close on Wednesday, November 6.
