Australian Dairy Industry Farm Environment - Effluent, Fertiliser, Soils, Water, Biodiversity and Energy

Environmental Issues –Overview Dairying for Tomorrow –Issue Regulation framework Industry activities How is the industry performing? Where next?

Dairying for Tomorrow The Australian Dairy natural resource management on-farm change program. Based on collaborative partnerships between the dairy industry, catchment managers and regulators. Over 40 projects involving Dairying for Tomorrow decision support tools and resources are currently being delivered across Australia. Key feature –supported networks and professional development activities

Dairying for Tomorrow About the programTackling specific issuesPublicationsFert$martProfessional Development Tools and guidelines 1.News and events 2.Current activities 3.Contacts 4.Regional NRM reference groups Water Soils and fertilisers Soil health Effluent Climate Biodiversity Waste Reports Case studies Fact sheets Fert$mart planning Information for farmers Information for advisors Soil testing Tools Effluent systems design FertCare Industry workshops Dairy SAT Effluent Database Climate Toolkit DGAS -Farm carbon calculator Mortality composting Riparian Assessment Tool Dairy Catchments Assessment Tool

Effluent management –Guidelines (Victoria) –Codes of practice (Queensland, SA, Tasmania & WA) –EPA (Victoria, SA and Tasmania) –Resources Effluent and manure database for the Australian Dairy Industry (Dairy Australia) BMPs – DairySAT (Dairy Australia) State guidelines & codes of practice (Industry, State agencies and Food Safety Authorities) NCDEA effluent system design course Capacity building program Fact sheets, case studies State regulation

Environment Protection Authority - Victoria. – All effluent from the dairy, feedpads, standoff areas, underpasses and tracks must be contained and reused (most commonly spread back on pastures and crop). –Effluent must not enter surface waters (including billabongs, canals, springs, swamps, natural or artificial channels, lakes, lagoons, creeks and rivers). –Runoff containing effluent must not leave the property boundary. –Effluent must not enter ground waters either directly or through infiltration (for example seepage from ponds). –Effluent must not contaminate land (discharging effluent onto the same small area over time will cause nutrient overload and contaminate land). –Offensive odours must not impact beyond property boundaries. Failure to meet these obligations will result in the EPA implementing the enforcement policy, which has consequences ranging from a warning, through improvement notices to fines or court action

Effluent management How is the industry performing? Steady improvement

Effluent management How is the industry performing? Steady improvement

Effluent management Current and future activities Industry guidelines –Update Effluent and Manure management database –Develop NSW effluent guidelines in partnership with government agencies Capacity building –Increase the number of certified effluent system designers (Victoria, QLD and Tasmania) –Establish an industry effluent communications group –Collate and harmonise existing state extension materials into a national resource Research –Industry manure calculators –Environmental impacts of different manure management systems –Covered lagoon biodigesters

Fertiliser management Fert$mart (Dairy Moving Forward – Dairy Australia) On farm change programs (over 30 currently) Resources Fert$mart Fertiliser BMPs – DairySAT (Dairy Australia) Capacity building program Fact sheets, case studies Research Industry programs

Fertiliser management How is the industry performing? Improving

Fertiliser management Current and future activities Fert$mart Capacity building –Increase the number of FertCare C certified advisors –Greater emphasis on up skilling consultants and other relevant service providers On farm change programs –Incorporate Fert$mart principles –Greater involvement of consultants in delivery (Core4) Research –Nitrogen use efficiency ($7 Million program) –Microbial influences on nitrogen plant uptake and loss pathways –Modelling and DSS –Extension (evaluation and monitoring)

Soil management Land and water management plans (Whole farm plans) Industry programs Regulation Fert$mart On farm change programs Future Ready Dairy Systems Acid sulphate soils (SA) Whole Farm Planning – MDB Targets for change Resources Soils BMP – DairySAT (Dairy Australia) Feedpad guidelines Issue specific fact sheets, case studies, e.g. Managing wet soils Research

Soil management How is the industry performing? - Improving “ despite these issues being mentioned as major land management issues, only very small proportions of respondents say they do not have enough information or support to deal with them”, DfT Survey 2012.

Water management –Murray Darling Basin Plan –Rural Water Authorities –Water licences –Water trading On farm change programs Northern Irrigation Renewal Program Queensland Dairyfarmers WUE program Water Stewardship pilot Lower Murray Swamps Renewal program Future Ready Dairy Systems Resources Irrigation BMPs – DairySAT DPI Victoria – Irrigation DPI Victoria - Saving water in the dairy DSS Tools, Case studies Research Regulation

Water management

How is the industry performing? - Improved

Water management Current and future activities Capacity building –Increased number of service providers who understand linkages between irrigation delivery systems, management requirements and peak water demand by different forages On farm change programs –Improving irrigation performance: focus on automation and irrigation scheduling Research –Precision irrigation application –Improved automation technology –Manipulating the forage canopy environment with irrigation scheduling

Biodiversity –Anti -clearing rules –Threatened species Landcare Industry on farm change programs GipRip Targets for change Nutrient management programs Resources Native vegetation and waterways– DairySAT Dairy Riparian Assessment Tool Fact sheets Case studies Research Regulation

Biodiversity How is the industry performing? – Continuous Improvement

Biodiversity

Energy Industry on farm change programs Smarter energy use on Australian dairy farms DairyNSW dairy farm energy assessment program Future Ready Dairy Systems CowTime Resources Energy BMPs- DairySAT Dairy shed energy assessment tools DPIV Energy Efficiency Resources Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Fact Sheets (SA) Energy (WA) Renewable energy scenario tools Fact sheets Case studies

Energy How is the industry performing?

Energy

“Over 150 activities, with approximately 4,600 farmer and service provider attendees. 100% of farmers attending events thought the topics were relevant and 94% of farmer attendees said they learnt something from the FRDS event they can use on their property.” Watson, P and Watson, D MAADI Evaluation