MSF wins funding to tackle Mallee seeps

Mallee Sustainable Farming (MSF) will be taking the lead to tackle seeps in the Mallee landscape with a $965,000 funding boost from the National Landcare Program’s Smart Farming Initiative.

Federal Member for Mallee, Andrew Broad MP met with MSF to make the announcement.

The Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) and the South Australian Murray Darling Basin Natural Resource Management Board have also come on board with co-funding for the project, raising the investment to nearly $1.4 million.

The project will be delivered over the next 4 years with a number of project partners including CSIRO, South Australian Murray Darling Basin Natural Resource Management Board, Mallee Catchment Management Authority, Insight Extension for Agriculture, AGRIvision, Coorong Tatiara Local Action Planning Association and University of Adelaide.

MSF Chairperson and Gol Gol farmer Daniel Linklater said seeps are a serious and complex land degradation issue affecting many farmers in the SA and Vic Mallee.

“A problem of this magnitude requires a significant investment and a collaborative approach. Our farmer members have been telling us they need solutions and we are looking forward to working with leading researchers and consultants to develop innovative management strategies that will benefit our farmers and the wider community”, added Mr Linklater.

Over the next four years the project will model seep formation in the landscape to identify high risk areas and seasonal indicators, develop an early detection system, trial novel plant species for their suitability in seep prevention and management and determine the best practices for old seep remediation.

In 2017 MSF conducted a survey of 80 Mallee farmers to investigate the extent of seeps in the region. The findings were that if left unmanaged seeps could increase ten-fold in the next ten years leaving over 20,000 ha of land affected.

Download a copy of this media release here

Photo: Federal Member for Mallee, Andrew Broad MP and MSF Chairperson Daniel Linklater

Contact: Tanja Morgan, Program Manager, 0429 395 918