Guy Barnett,Minister for Primary Industries and Water
Healthy soils, farmland, rivers and other natural resources underpin Tasmania’s world class agricultural sector and our clean and sustainable reputation.
The benefits of the Tasmanian Liberal Government’s increased investment in natural resource management is evidenced through the three regional Natural Resource Management (NRM) annual reports tabled in State Parliament today.
These reports indicate that the Tasmanian Government’s increased investment in NRM has paid immediate and significant dividends, and recognises the key role these bodies play in delivering both state and national environmental and agricultural priorities.
This is why the Government chose to invest in improved natural resource management outcomes for Tasmania, and this year increased funding to our three regional NRM organisations to $466,000 per region per year.
The three regional NRMs are delivering major projects to support our primary producers and our unique environment.
I am delighted to be able to report that NRM South, NRM North and Cradle Coast NRM have delivered excellent results for their communities in the past year, with an estimated total combined contribution to economic activity worth $189 million.
This investment has delivered 47 projects, involving more than 50 project partners, and that more projects will be announced in this financial year.
Current projects include those addressing:
- Soil carbon, grazing management and pasture improvement;
- Fisheries management and sustainable seafood production;
- Marine and terrestrial habitat restoration;
- Drought resilience and climate change adaptation;
- Feral cat management;
- River health improvement;
- Stormwater management;
- Soil erosion;
- Threatened species and threatened ecological community conservation and restoration; and
- Weed management.
The NRM annual reports once again illustrate the important role that these organisations play in bringing together community, industry, researchers and governments to partner in projects which are relevant to us all.
