Reef protection enhanced with $2 million to support farm extension services

• The Palaszczuk Government is providing $2 million in funding to the Queensland Farmers’ Federation to continue the Agricultural Extension Work Placement Program.
• The program will see up to 16 trainees placed with regional agribusinesses to help farmers in Great Barrier Reef catchments improve their land management practices. 
• The first cohort of trainees are expected to start in February 2024.

The Palaszczuk Government is providing $2 million in funding to continue a highly-successful program which helps primary producers in Great Barrier Reef catchments improve their land management practices.

Under the Queensland Farmers’ Federation’s Agricultural Extension Work Placement Program, trainee agricultural and natural resource management extension officers work with producers to enhance on-farm land management in order to reduce pollutant run-off which can end up on the reef.

The new funding, will support two cohorts of trainees, up to 16 in total, who will be hosted by extension organisations in reef catchments.

The positions are open to recent graduates from university and other institutions or those from other fields of expertise who want to become an extension officer.

The trainees will be mentored by industry experts to gain skills and experience to support agricultural producers in these catchments to improve their land management practices.

Trainees will be employed for 15 months and supported to deliver extension services through their host organisations, with mentoring from experienced advisors and a tailored training program.

They can also build professional and local networks with their fellow trainees, industry advisors and previous trainees, as well as in their local communities.

Palaszczuk Government funding will support these programs to run in 2024 and in 2025.

Previous trainees have worked for organisations including the Australian Banana Growers’ Council, RCS Australia, Farmacist, MSF Sugar and natural resource management organisations such as NQ Dry Tropics and the Burnett Mary Regional Group.

Expressions of interest are now open for trainees and host organisations.

The first of the new trainees are expected to join the program in February 2024.

Quotes attributable to the Minister for the Environment and the Great Barrier Reef, Leanne Linard:

“The Palaszczuk Government is strongly committed to protecting the Great Barrier Reef.

“Since 2015, we have invested $1 billion on programs and initiatives to protect the reef, including $270 million for the Reef Water Quality Program.

“Queensland farmers have been an important partner in the effort to enhance reef water quality through ongoing land management improvements.

“Our efforts to protect the reef have been recognised, with the UNESCO World Heritage Committee last week announcing that it would not list the reef as being “in-danger” because of the significant action that our government undertaken, alongside the work of the Albanese Government, to respond to the threats facing the reef.

“But the job is not over and the work to protect this iconic ecosystem continues.

“When it comes to the long-term survival of the reef, the most manageable impact is reducing pollutant run-off to local waterways.

“In particular, sediment, nutrients and pesticides affect the health of coral and seagrass ecosystems.

“Our farmers are to be acknowledged for their efforts with agriculture, particularly in the regions surrounding the reef, playing a significant role in the health of this delicate ecosystem.

“We know our farmers depend on their local advisors and agronomic services for advice on the best approaches and latest science to support their business so we are investing in their industry support systems and building regional capability and jobs for the future.

“Farmers can make a significant difference in safeguarding the future of the Great Barrier Reef.  The Agricultural Extension Work Placement Program – which we piloted with the Queensland Farmers’ Federation – addresses a real need to boost extension services.

“We thank our farmers and businesses who have supported the trainees since the program started.”

Quotes attributable to Queensland Farmers’ Federation Chief Executive Officer, Jo Sheppard:

“This program is a great opportunity for people with a passion for agriculture and the Great Barrier Reef to work with leading organisations to achieve positive land management outcomes, so we are really pleased to see it continue.

“Our farmers are the Great Barrier Reef’s biggest asset when it comes to improving reef water quality, and they work hard to ensure their land management causes the least amount of impact, with this program providing essential support for our farmers in their efforts towards this.

“As well as gaining really practical hands-on experience, previous program graduates went on to secure jobs in the agricultural, natural resource management and research sectors, many of which were with their host organisation.

“This is a proven project that offers the extension officers a lot of support and opportunities to build connections with fellow graduates, industry advisors and program alumni, improving their employability and future work readiness.

“Not only is this a great program for the extension officers, but the hosts get a lot out of it too, receiving resourcing to support the graduate’s salary, as well as mentorship training to facilitate the graduate’s development.

“The program also plays a crucial role in succession too, as trainees learn from those more experienced on their way to becoming future industry leaders.”

Further information:

Since 2018, the Agricultural Extension Work Placement Program has supported 31 trainees, providing them with work-ready skills. All trainees have gained employment in agricultural extension and farm advisory positions.

More information on the Queensland Reef Water Quality Program is available here.

More information on the Queensland Farmers’ Federation’s Agricultural Extension Work Placement Program  is available here.

ENDS

Media contact: Scott Chandler – (07) 3719 7339