Improving farm water for livestock and biodiversity

Having access to good quality water for people and livestock on farms is critical at any time. By managing farm water supplies like farm dams better, producers can expect to see healthier livestock, an improved environment and higher farm productivity.

Murray Local Land Services has developed a small initial incentive program to help landholders carry out projects to improve water quality and security as well as biodiversity on their farms.

What assistance is available?

Up to $10,000 per successful application is available to help improve the condition of existing confined water bodies (such as farm dams and lagoons) on private farms within the Murray Local Land Services (LLS) area, which are routinely used by livestock.

Incentives may be used for such things as:

• restriction of stock access through fencing materials
• establishment of alternative watering points, including pumps, pipes, troughs and associated infrastructure where a site is excluded from livestock access
• construction of hardened access points
• improvement of native vegetation
• installation of structures for sediment control, and
• incorporation of innovative approaches that meet the objectives of the program.

Am I eligible to be involved?

• You must be a private landholder within the Murray LLS region.
• Your landholding must be greater than 10 ha in size.
• Your project must be at least 0.5 ha in size.
• Your project will need to be able to be completed by 10 June, 2022.
• You must have no outstanding debt with Murray Local Land Services.
• You must be willing to enter into a contractual arrangement with Murray LLS for 10 years.
• You must have a minimum of $20 million public liability insurance.

For a full list of the eligibility criteria, please refer to the program guidelines (link below).

How can I find out more?

Click here for the program guidelines.

Click here for the application form.

You can submit an email enquiry to us at farmwater.murray@lls.nsw.gov.au.

Or you can contact:

• Paul Simpson 0439 384 749, Paul.Simpson@lls.nsw.gov.au

Applications for the program close 8 October, 2021.

To submit an application, either:

1. Download a copy of the Application Form, save it to their desktop/computer and once completed submit the Application to the farmwater.murray@lls.nsw.gov.au email address, OR
2. Print a copy of the form to complete in a hand written format. The completed application can then either be scanned and submitted to the email address above, or sent directly by mail to “Farm Water Project Application” Murray Local Land Services, PO Box 797, Albury, NSW, 2640.

It is recommended applicants keep a copy of their application for their own records.

This program is supported by Murray Local Land Services, through funding from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund.