Funding To Future-proof Farms On Cassowary Coast

• The Crisafulli Government delivers $2 million to Terrain Natural Resource Management group to support grazing, cane and banana sectors in the Cassowary Coast Local Government Area.
• The funding forms part of the Crisafulli Government’s $117.8 million Natural Resource Management Expansion Program.
• The Crisafulli Government is delivering a plan for Queensland’s future and giving local Natural Resources Management groups the tools they need to enhance regional communities, after a decade of decline under Labor.

The Crisafulli Government is delivering a plan for Queensland’s future with an additional $2 million to support grazing, cane and banana sectors in the Cassowary Coast Local Government Area.

Terrain Natural Resource Management Group will receive funding to provide landholders with practical tools and on-ground support to improve soil resilience, riparian vegetation and land and streambank conditions.

The funding is part of the Crisafulli Government’s election commitment to deliver a total of $117.84 million in funding for on-ground land, soil, water and biodiversity programs through Natural Resource Management groups.

It’s just one of the ways the Crisafulli Government is delivering a plan for Queensland’s future and a better lifestyle through a stronger economy, after a decade of decline under Labor.

Additional funding announced recently under the Natural Resource Management Expansion Program includes:

• $2.99m for Gulf Savannah NRM to address major threats to native vegetation and improve the health of wetlands in the Northern Gulf region.
• $2.49m for Reef Catchments NRM to tackle invasive weeds and restore native vegetation in the Mackay-Whitsunday-Isaac region.
• Almost $1 million for NRM Regions Queensland to reduce Crown of Thorns Starfish densities in the eastern reefs of Erub and Mer in the Torres Strait.

Regional Natural Resource Management groups are being supported by the Crisafulli Government to deliver targeted, practical, on-ground initiatives that improve and restore areas essential to safeguarding Queensland’s natural assets.

Minister for Natural Resources and Mines, Minister for Regional and Rural Development Dale Last said the funding for Terrain Natural Resource Management group would support local grazing, cane and banana farmers to deliver improved agricultural and landscape management practices.

“Local landholders have been subject to extreme weather events in recent years, and this program will fund on-ground initiatives to improve farm resilience and soil and land conditions,” Minister Last said.

“We recognise the importance of local stewardship and this funding will empower landholders to build stronger farms and more resilient communities because they know how to do it best.

“The Crisafulli Government is delivering a fresh start for our regions after a decade of decline under the former Labor Government left Queensland’s natural habitats high and dry with no meaningful funding.”

Terrain NRM CEO Stewart Christie said this program would future-proof the Cassowary Coast’s key industries through real engagement with landholders.

“The Cassowary Coast is a powerhouse for industries such as sugarcane, grazing and bananas, but it is also one of the regions most exposed to extreme weather,” Ms Christie said.