A new grazing program is being rolled out in the Burdekin, Fitzroy and Burnett Mary regions to help graziers develop land management plans.
Funded through the Queensland government's Reef Water Quality Program, the $5.72 million Grazing Resilience and Sustainable Solutions program aims to improve poor and degraded land by delivering one-on-one support for graziers over the next three years.
Delivered by the Department of Agriculture and partners Burnett Mary Regional Group, Fitzroy Basin Association and NQ Dry Tropics, the program includes $1.43 million in financial incentives to assist landholders to undertake infrastructure improvements such as fencing, water troughs and erosion works.
Producers who participated in the former Grazing Best Management Practice program have already taken the steps to become involved in the GRASS program, including Joe and Helen Oram who became BMP accredited in 2018.
Fitzroy region GRASS program team leader Matt Brown said in recognition of their previous commitments and accreditation, it was a straightforward step for the Orams to move onto the new program and work with DAF to develop a land management plan to improve several areas of degraded land on their property.
"Through participation in the GRASS program, they can access a range of resources and identify actions that lead to improved condition and productivity of poor or degraded land on their property," Mr Brown said.
"We have developed a package of maps to assist graziers participating in the GRASS program.
"These free customised maps include information on property infrastructure, land types, ground cover levels and potential land condition hotspots... and provide a great springboard to more productive and sustainable management decisions."
Graziers participating in the program will be given the opportunity to voluntarily provide their details in order to be listed as a low priority for compliance under the Reef protection regulations.
