KEITH’S Louise Densley has been appointed as the South East Natural Resources Management Board regional agriculture landcare facilitator for 2018 to 2023.
Based at the Natural Resources Centre in Keith, Ms Densley will be a central contact point for industry and community groups.
She will build on existing working relationships with the region’s agricultural service providers to directly engage farmers in sustainable land management practices through education, information sharing, trial delivery and assisting access to grant funding.
South East NRM Board presiding member Fiona Rasheed said the initiative was an opportunity for landholders to continue to work towards managing resources and improving agricultural production.
“The South East covers 28,000 square kilometres of land and supports diverse industries, including livestock, cropping, horticulture, viticulture, dairy, fishing and plantation forestry,” Ms Rasheed said.
“Through the regional Agriculture Landcare facilitator, we are looking to sustain those industries by working in partnership with land managers, industry groups and researchers to improve the management of the region’s highly productive land and resources, such as water and soil.”
Key focus areas include improving soil health on farms, exploring precision technology, enhancing water management and building local capacity to adopt new approaches.
A stakeholder workshop has been held as the first step in collecting input regarding sustainable land management issues and priorities to be addressed in the region.
The regional facilitator initiative is funded by the Federal Government as part of its $450m Regional Land Partnerships program and is the second phase of the $1b National Landcare Program.
