5 years ago
$15 MILLION TO IMPROVE WATER QUALITY
David Littleproud MP
The Federal Coalition Government will invest $15 million in fencing off riverbanks from livestock to improve water quality, protect native fish and help farmers in the northern Murray Darling Basin, Minister for Agriculture David Littleproud said today.
The announcement is part of the response to the Vertessy report on fish deaths and is already budgeted for.
"Fencing off native vegetation around rivers has huge benefits for water quality and native fish, for farmers and for wildlife," Minister Littleproud said.
"Fencing in sensitive areas of the northern Basin will reduce damage to riverbanks and contamination of water by livestock damaging riverbanks.
"This will help to improve water quality - Professor Vertessy’s report highlighted the importance of water quality particularly when there was little to no flow in the rivers.
"Fencing off rivers and streams can also reduce stock losses.
"This funding will be available to local Landcare services, natural resource management groups and indigenous organisations through grants. Landcare already provides small grants to fence rivers and streams, so they know what they're doing.
“The fences would be put in by local companies creating work in communities up and down the Basin.
“This pilot program will initially fence highly sensitive areas of the northern Basin and down into the lower Darling.
"Farmers want to do the best they can for the environment and I want to help them, not wave a big stick at them."
The announcement is part of the response to the Vertessy report on fish deaths and is already budgeted for.
"Fencing off native vegetation around rivers has huge benefits for water quality and native fish, for farmers and for wildlife," Minister Littleproud said.
"Fencing in sensitive areas of the northern Basin will reduce damage to riverbanks and contamination of water by livestock damaging riverbanks.
"This will help to improve water quality - Professor Vertessy’s report highlighted the importance of water quality particularly when there was little to no flow in the rivers.
"Fencing off rivers and streams can also reduce stock losses.
"This funding will be available to local Landcare services, natural resource management groups and indigenous organisations through grants. Landcare already provides small grants to fence rivers and streams, so they know what they're doing.
“The fences would be put in by local companies creating work in communities up and down the Basin.
“This pilot program will initially fence highly sensitive areas of the northern Basin and down into the lower Darling.
"Farmers want to do the best they can for the environment and I want to help them, not wave a big stick at them."
[ENDS]