1. Horticulture Resource Management Tiahna, Judy & Sophie

2. Background- The Yarra Valley Catchment The Yarra Valley Catchment is located in the north and east of Melbourne. The regions involved in the Horticulture Resource Management study include three subcatchments of the Yarra Catchment: Stringybark Creek, Olinda Creek and Woori Yallock Creek. The horticulture industry in these areas include: strawberry, blueberry, cut flower, wine and five other industries.

3. Project Overview The project aims to identify improvements that could be made regarding issues that have been damaging or depleting the natural resources in the catchments which are related to the horticulture industry. The major issues arisen include: water availability, water quality, soil health, land use, pests, management systems, waste management, biodiversity and environmental services. To ensure that resources are used sustainably by the horticulture industry and that damage is not caused to the catchment, the program is required to conduct research in these areas and determine how they can be improved.

4. Who is involved in it? The Centre for Agriculture and Business-Yarra Valley sign the Pilot Project on behalf of the stakeholders which involve the local government (Shire of Yarra Ranges), Victorian government (DPI), regional NRM authority (PPWCMA), agribusiness group (CAB- YV), and the horticultural industry group such as the Nursery and Gardening industry and the Yarra Wine Growers Assoc. The people that have been involved in the Pilot Project include Ian Ada (Shire of Yarra Ranges), Steve Chapman (Centre of Agriculture and Business-Yarra Valley), David Matthews (Nursery Growers Industry Association of Vic), Lizzy Skinner (Melbourne water), Bronwyn South (Port Phillip and Westernport CMA), Chloe Thomson (Strawberry Industry Association, Industry Development Officer), Adam Upton (Eastern Metropolitan Fruit Growers Association) and Jim White (Yarra Valley Wine Growers Association, Technical Sub-Committee).

5. What are the aims/intended outcomes? The project is aimed to conduct an analysis of local issues, environmental targets and programs for industry to identify any gaps and program opportunities. A committee team was formed to provide feedback and management to the project team. A desktop analysis of a range of documentations about the region natural resources such as Port phillip,Western Regional Catchment Strategy and other management plans was revealed to be a number of environmental risks that were rated as high, medium or low risk. recurrent and annual crops and other new businesses have lead to diversity in production practises both across and and within industries. key natural resource management risks and current production practices were analysed and was then carried out. the process used to analyse the collected information was: 1.Current Environmental Risks 2. Current Horticulture Production practises

6. Conclusion of project From the results of the project, the following actions were recommended: ●A program assisting farmers to monitor the environmental impacts of their practises. ●Assisting growers to set up more sustainable water storage options. ●Improving soil moisture monitoring and irrigation scheduling. ●Communication needs to occur between the horticulture industry and agencies with an interest in natural resource management. ●Finding ways to recycling or reusing waste material. ●Further studies into why sustainable practises may not be possible.