Burnett Mary Regional Group gains $975,850 to improve grazing practices
22nd July, 2008
The Burnett Mary Regional Group will receive $975,850 for its Super Graze Landcare project, the Federal Member for Wide Bay, Warren Truss said today. Mr Truss said that the project was designed to help maximise sustainable grazing practices in Southern Queensland.
“I congratulate the Burnett Mary Regional Group on their successful application”, Mr Truss said.
“However, I am aware that this funding will not of itself, be sufficient to sustain and conserve the environment throughout the Burnett and the Mary Valley.
“More funding will be required for other projects to help landholders and land managers deal with drought and climate change.”
“Weeds and feral animals will not go away without intervention and riverbeds and riparian zones will not rehabilitate on their own. Landcare facilitators and coordinators played an essential part in improving our region’s conservation and biodiversity, but they have become an endangered species under Kevin Rudd’s cuts to environment funding.”
The Coalition pledged $112 million for Landcare projects from 2008-2011 in the 2007 Budget — an average of $37 million per year. The funding commitment from the Rudd Labor Government is $9 million less than that.
Labor’s environmental budget cuts include $45 million to catchment management bodies, the loss of the EnviroFund and the Environmental Stewardship Programme, and a 20 per cent cut in Landcare funding.
“The Rudd Labor Government has encouraged organisations that have had their funding cut or terminated to consider applying for Caring for our Country Open Grants. But universities, the CSIRO, other government agencies and hundreds of other groups are also able to seek funding from these grants,” Mr Truss said.
“The Rudd Labor Government crowned itself as an environmental champion, but in reality it is an environmental hypocrite, pretending to be serious about tackling climate change, while taking funding away from programs that deliver measurable, on the ground results which help to manage climate change.
“Mr Rudd must deal with the real issues of tackling weeds and feral animals, water and soil quality and biodiversity protection, instead of hiding behind announcements and stunts that deliver little real benefit.”
