The North East Catchment Management Authority (CMA) has received funding from the Australian Government to undertake knowledge building and practical on-ground, climate-smart agriculture activities across north-east Victoria over the next four years until June 2028.
The delivery of this project includes funding for:
Group Grants for groups and organisation to deliver group-led activities that support agricultural productivity in north-east Victoria, by improving sustainable land management and protecting and conserving natural capital and biodiversity on farms. This includes funding for events (e.g. workshops, field days, training courses) to improve farmer knowledge and adoption of sustainable agricultural practices, and on-farm soil testing, soil and farm monitoring equipment, demonstration sites and trials, and revegetation programs. 12 projects were awarded funding through an Expression of Interest process held in March 2025, including:
- Indigo Extension - TAFCO Online Weather Station Network, Indigo Shire Council ($22,840)
- Mitta 2 Murray Landcare Network Digs Deeper into Soils and Pasture, Mitta to Murray Landcare Inc ($40,000)
- Climate-Smart Vineyard Soils: A Rutherglen Pilot for Low-Input, High-Resilience Winegrowing, Winemakers of Rutherglen ($40,000)
- Integrated Soil and Climate Strategies for Managing Brown Rot in Chestnuts, Chestnuts Australia Inc ($40,000)
- Working towards learning adaptive pathways to sustainable production and a resilient natural environment in a changing climate, Upper Murray Landcare Network ($39,400)
- Identifying soil type changes and levels across the paddock using modern mapping techniques, Boorhaman Landcare and District Group Inc ($15,000)
- Growing Together: Leneva Castle Creek Biodiversity Workshop Series, Wodonga Urban Landcare Network ($30,000)
- Demystifying Soil Health, Victorian No Till Farmers Association ($10,000)
- Building climate resilient agriculture and sustainable farming practices in the Greta Valley, Greta Valley Landcare Group Inc ($34,000)
- Improving farm dams in Edi Upper - support and demonstration, Edi Black Range Catchment Group ($10,000)
- Shelterbelts: benefits for biodiversity and livestock, Benambra Dinner Plain Omeo Landcare Group ($19,905)
- Learning together as the Next Generation of farmers, Burgoigee Creek Landcare Group Inc ($30,000).
Read more about the Group projects here.
- Landholder Incentives for individuals to undertake on-ground projects to improve their farm's agricultural productivity, natural capital values and climate resilience have also been made available through the project. Our target is to establish 40ha of new vegetation strategically on farms in north-east Victoria over the next 3 years. 89 expressions of interest for the Landholder Incentives were received in March 2025, and 103 individual sites have been inspected and assessed across 69 eligible properties between April and September 2025. Landholders will be notified of the outcome of their application in October 2025.
Activities delivered by the CMA throughout the duration of the project will include:
- practical workshops on designing and implementing revegetation sites in the landscape (such as shelterbelts, farm dams, paddock trees and waterway sites)
- supporting landholders to develop plans for their revegetation sites and guidance throughout site implementation
- supporting groups and organisations to deliver their group-led projects
- annual forums to build the skills and capability of regional farmers and industry support staff to adapt to climate change, apply industry sustainability frameworks and/or engage in natural capital markets, specifically in relation to risk and opportunities
- events and other communications such as videos, podcasts and fact sheets to draw together key findings from the project,
- benchmarking of community attitudes and knowledge in sustainable land management over the course of the project and reporting on project findings at the completion of the project.
Read more about the Group Grants and Landholder Incentives.
As additional investment streams become available under this program, the North East CMA will investigate opportunities for additional funding to support the needs and interests of groups and landholders in our catchments.
For further information please contact Sally Day on 0488 576 533 or sally.day@necma.vic.gov.au.
