Pregnancy-testing a cow at Mt Crompton with a ReproScan.

NQ Dry Tropics looks for incentives to break down barriers.

Incentives can help graziers trial new technology like this weed wiper at Eungella.

For example …

The types of management practices landholders tried with the support of Exploring New Incentives included:

  • Pregnancy testing technology.
  • Water telemetry.
  • Weed management infrastructure (weed wiper, weed mister).
  • Fire management planning.
  • Flora and fauna surveys.

Incentives to knock down barriers

A key LDC component has been to look at ways to address barriers to the adoption of improved grazing land management practices and landscape remediation approaches.

The Exploring New Incentives activity area is to tackle that issue.

A New Incentives grants framework was developed to help grazing enterprises build resilience into their business while improving water quality outcomes, production, and the knowledge and skills of people working in the enterprise.

The grants were aimed at encouraging graziers with innovative ideas they would like to trial to tackle property issues such as weeds, animal health and welfare, herd productivity and erosion features.

Providing their proposal met strict criteria, the LDC team linked graziers to the right expertise and resources to help them implement the project.

It’s important to measure the impact of this grants framework to help NQ Dry Tropics improve its extension activities with landholders.  

CSIRO and James Cook University were engaged to review the activity area, and investigate motivations and barriers to improved land management practices on grazing property. Landholders who were recipients to Exploring New Incentives grants were interviewed in February this year.

Findings from the study will also help policy makers in their future decisions and activities related to improved land management practices for water quality outcomes.  

The review, funded by the Department of Environment and Science, was conducted collaboratively by CSIRO and James Cook University and here is a summary of the key findings.

Fauna survey: planigale, lizard, lady bugs.