Mosaic Map: NRM funded projects
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Restoring the South West Slopes
Albury's South West Slopes have seen big changes in the way landholders manage their land since a concerted regional effort began in 2004.
The gently undulating country was feeling the ravaging effects of drought with salinity, erosion and loss of native flora and fauna.
The former Murray Catchment Management Board (now Murray Catchment Management Authority or CMA) has made privately managed land in the area a high priority for action.
In close consultation with the then New South Wales Department of Infrastructure, Planning & Natural Resources (DIPNR), a project was born that gave landholders financial incentives for managing their land sustainably.
Funding
Australian Government funding of $1 million plus another $350,000 from the Australian and State Governments helped put the plan into action.
Activities
Kim Krebs, Murray CMA Regional Natural Resource Management Facilitator, was closely involved as a Landcare Coordinator. "The project was an absolutely brilliant success," she said.
"It was run by five local Landcare Groups and Hume Shire, who won a New South Wales Landcare Award for the project in 2005 and a National Landcare Award in 2006.
"Some 280 activities began over a 14-month period, involving 241 landholders in changing the way they manage 3,300 hectares on the South West Slopes."
Interested farmers were helped to develop project management plans. These formed the basis of a funding agreement with landholders contributing at least half the cost of each project, usually in kind.
Activities ranged from protecting remnant plants and planting biodiversity corridors, to establishing farm forestry enterprises, managing salinity and controlling erosion.
A mapping system developed and road tested by the Landcare consortium in conjunction with DIPNR underpinned the project.
"Together with the farmer we'd draw a map of the property or paddock where work was being done so that changes could be measured later," Kim said.
"The project was a trial of how we could provide natural resource management assistance and services on a one stop shop basis.
"We found the process we set up was really robust and very accountable. Murray CMA now uses this process for its funding."
More information
- Kim Krebs, Murray CMA Regional NRM Facilitator: kim.krebs@cma.nsw.gov.au
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