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The Rudd Government has announced $8.9 million for 46 Landcare projects across Australia, as part of a major investment in land management and sustainable farming projects under Caring for our Country.

The Landcare projects are among 137 community initiatives to receive grants of between $80,000 and $400,000 through the Open Grants funding round.

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Tony Burke said the Landcare projects covered all states and territories.

Examples include a project to manage mesquite in the Pilbara, Western Australia; enhancing grazing productivity in the Northern Territory; managing serrated tussock in the Snowy River, NSW; and integrated farm management support in the Burdekin and Bowen regions of Queensland.

“The Rudd Government recognises the Landcare movement is responsible for decades of invaluable environmental work across Australia,” Mr Burke said.

“The Landcare work funded today directly involves farmers or farming industry groups in improving the productivity of their land.

“By investing now in productivity gains, the Government will help to ensure our farming industries are resilient in the face of climate change.”

The funding is part of the $2.25 billion earmarked for the first five years of Caring for our Country, launched in July this year.

The mesquite management projects in the Pilbara will tackle some of the largest infestations of mesquite in three sub-regions of the rangelands of Western Australia.

One infestation alone covers 30,000 hectares of alluvial flood country.

The project is led by a non-profit community group involving state and local governments, industry groups, the CSIRO, Indigenous organisations and natural resource management regional organisations.

Smaller-scale Landcare projects include a group expanding holistic resource management techniques in the Yowrie Valley region in NSW.

The local Landcare group will educate other communities interested in the techniques.

For more information and a full listing of successful grants, please visit here