Farmers & NRM Regions pursue shared vision for sustainable, profitable & productive farms
Australia’s farm sector has teamed up with the national collective of regional organisations responsible for the delivery of natural resource management investment and initiatives to assist to deliver improved sustainability outcomes.
NRM Regions Australia and Chair of West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority Angus Hume (lt) and National Farmers' Federation President Fiona Simson (rt) have agreed to develop a formal memorandum of understanding to enhance the way industry and the regions work together to deliver projects that benefit farmers and the environment.
In Melbourne today, National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) President Fiona Simson and Natural Resource Management (NRM) Regions Australia Chair Angus Hume signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to officially recognise the organisations’ plans to collaborate.
Ms Simson said the MoU aims to better connect the investment and initiatives managed by the agriculture industry with those managed by NRM Regions.
“The agreement is founded on the NFF and NRM Regions Australia’s shared vision for productive, profitable and sustainable farms.
“A key opportunity in the partnership is to strategically connect and leverage the investments agriculture industries make in delivering sustainable farming initiatives with the work and investment of the NRM Regions.”
Ms Simson said the MoU would build on the already-successful partnerships between regions and industry and encourage further collaboration.
“We know that investing in sustainable agriculture activities has benefits on-farm and for our landscapes. However, increasingly there are benefits far beyond the farm gate.
“Being able to demonstrate our sustainability credentials underpins continued access to many of our most valuable markets,” Ms Simson said.
NRM Regions Australia Chair Angus Hume said he was pleased to have Ms Simson join the NRM Regions Chairs meeting in Melbourne for the MoU signing ceremony.
“Later this month, NFF members and CEOs from NRM Regions from across the country will converge on Canberra to share successes, discuss opportunities and form new linkages,” Mr Hume said.
Mr Hume said the Federal Government’s Budget commitment of $1 billion for the next National Landcare Program was a welcomed continued investment in natural resource management.
“In signing this MoU, NFF and NRM Regions Australia signal the importance of encouraging collaboration – both to leverage the Commonwealth’s investment in sustainable agriculture and to ensure our investments deliver real benefits.
"Working with NFF will mean that we can design the program settings in a way that maximises this opportunity," Mr Hume said.
Media contact
Laureta Wallace
National Farmers' Federation
0408 448 250
[email protected]