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The Coorong District Council was one of the first Councils in Australia to incorporate the environment into their strategic and development plans. As a result, more than 1,200 square kilometres of on-ground works have been carried out since 1997, funded by the Australian Government’s Natural Heritage Trust and National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality. The community has embraced the Council’s Local Action Plan with more than two thirds of landholders actively participating in projects aimed at reducing groundwater levels and improved biodiversity. Projects include revegetation, perennial pastures, fodder shrubs, farm forestry, saltland pastures, wind erosion stabilisation, soil improvement, sustainable agriculture and protection of remnant native vegetation and wetlands. According to the Coorong Council natural resource management is “core business” because its rate base and assets are directly threatened by land degradation. There are many more reasons to get involved in natural resource management (NRM), which is delivered through the $3 billion Natural Heritage Trust and $1.4 billion National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality, representing the largest environmental rescue package ever delivered by an Australian Government. Other benefits of getting involved in NRM include:
More importantly, NRM also paves the way for funding for works that Council would perhaps not normally do, such as revegetation and wetland projects. |
