Regional Landcare Partnerships RALF

Regional Landcare Partnerships RALF

 

Sustainable agriculture outcomes, innovative practices, assistance to farmers, community, and industry.

 

Man with a shovelSupporting farmers, industry, and community groups to adopt innovative sustainable agricultural practices.

The Regional Agricultural Landcare Facilitators program is supporting farmers, industry, and community groups to adopt innovative sustainable agriculture practices.  

Healthy Land & Water can boast two Regional Agricultural Landcare Facilitators (RALF) from their staff elected for SEQ. The RALF Program is an initiative of the Commonwealth Department of Agriculture and Water Resources funded under the Regional Land Partnerships.

The program is made of multiple services to be delivered, including specific initiatives aimed at the delivery of sustainable agriculture outcomes. 

RALFs Established networks and partnerships will assist in the delivery of on-ground sustainable agricultural outcomes.

 

The program focuses on:

  • Delivering sustainable agriculture outcomes.
  • Engaging and informing farmers, community groups, and agricultural industries about emerging ideas, climate change activities, biosecurity and chemicals management, innovative practices, and relevant new government policy.
  • Facilitating partnerships that will best deliver agriculture outcomes.
  • Assisting in new projects' development and funding opportunities.

 

What we are doing

Image from one of the RALF workshops on a farmIncreased awareness and adoption of land management practices that improve soil, biodiversity, and vegetation.

The program spans five years and is meant to support farmers, industry, and community in achieving agricultural outcomes.

This process involves:

  • The delivery of sustainable agriculture outcomes.
  • Supporting farmers, industry, and community groups to adopt innovative sustainable agriculture practices on private land within their management unit.
  • Establishing and building networks and partnerships with these key groups to facilitate the delivery of desirable and requested outcomes.

 

Measuring success

As a result of the program, many activities to achieve agricultural outcomes are being delivered:

  • Engagement and information for farmers, community groups and, agricultural industries about emerging ideas, climate change activities, on‐farm biosecurity and chemicals management, innovative practices and, relevant new government policy.
  • Improvement of sustainability, productivity, and profitability of agriculture.
  • Partnerships that will best deliver agriculture outcomes - groups that can work together to address common issues.
  • Assistance to farmers, community groups, and agricultural industries in new projects’ development and seeking new funding opportunities.
    Support in the delivery of NLP2 Sustainable Agriculture projects.
  • Annual reports to the department on the delivery of RALF services.
  • Provision of information, - two-way communication with the department,- about emerging issues and events within their management unit (e.g. reporting on the impacts of natural disasters on farmers, emerging farm management issues affecting sustainability, examples of farming better practice, and organizing field visits for ministers).
  • Increased awareness and adoption of land management practices that improve and protect the condition of soil, biodiversity, and vegetation.
  • Increased capacity of agriculture systems to adapt to significant changes in climate and market demands for information on provenance and sustainable production.
  • National focus on developing and implementing solutions to sustainable agricultural challenges.

 

Why this project is important

RALFs are funded under the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program – a key part of the commitment to natural resource management (NRM). Their role is unique, they connect people and information and are out on the ground as the key contacts for sustainable agriculture in their community.

RALFs are supporting the adoption and awareness of sustainable agriculture in Australia, contributing towards the achievement of agricultural outcomes under the Regional Land Partnerships program.

The achievements are increasing awareness and adoption of land management practices that improve and protect the condition of soil, biodiversity, and vegetation.
Increasing the capacity of agriculture systems to adapt to significant changes in climate and market demands for information on provenance and sustainable production. 

 

Project snapshot

Project name:  Regional Agricultural Landcare Facilitator (RALF)
Project manager:  Bruce Lord, Healthy Land & Water
Catchment:  South East Queensland
Timing: 2018 – 2023 (Completed)
Budget: $650,000
Partnerships:  This program is part of the $1 billion investment across the nation from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program, to deliver environmental and agricultural outcomes.

The projects are being delivered alongside amazing partners including private landowners, land managers, local Landcare groups, and Traditional Owners.

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What's next

There is huge potential to build on the successful work.

 

Project collaborators

This program is funded by the Australian Government National Landcare Program and delivered in collaboration with landowners, managers, local Landcare groups, and Traditional Owners. 

 Australian Government NLP

 

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