NRM South

Land Management

Southern Tasmania has large tracts of agricultural land and other areas managed by farmers and private land managers. To address land management issues across the region NRM South is working with our farmers and private land managers through subregional coordinators in priority areas.

Land Management Environmental Values

A large proportion of Southern Tasmania is managed by the region’s farmers and private land managers. Much of this land has high environmental significance beyond its agricultural and primary production value. The environmental values of the region’s agricultural landholdings include biodiversity, waterways and wetlands, geoheritage, soils and cultural heritage.

Within the region, several subregional areas contain significantly higher levels of shared agricultural and environmental value. These include the Huon Valley, the area extending from the foothills of Mt Wellington across to Bruny Island and the D’Entrecasteaux Channel, land in the vicinity of the Upper Derwent Lakes, Tasman  and Sorell municipalities, and land around the Swan Apsley catchment. As a result NRM South has identified these locations as priority areas for supporting land management activities.

Industry and Economic Values

Southern Tasmania supports a broad range of primary industries, ranging from intensive crop-based agriculture to sheep farming for wool and meat, cattle and dairying, aquaculture, fruit and berry orchards, viticulture and farmed and native forestry. With so much of the region’s private land being used for primary production Land Management is a key focus for the region’s natural resource managers across all sectors.

Effective Land Management

For much of the past decade the Southern Tasmania has been affected by sustained drought. This has had significant impact and influence on the region’s agricultural land, including its soil, water and biodiversity. Many farmers have been reassessing the long-term sustainability of their farms with adversity becoming the catalyst for invention and reinvention. The region is seeing increased interest in new techniques and technologies, including low input and alternative land management systems designed to deliver economic, environmental and social outcomes.

Effective land management begins with managing the region’s soils. Improving soil management entails:

  • Increasing soil carbon levels across the region
  • Increasing groundcover to 100% at all times
  • The introduction of grazing regimes that promote soil growth
  • Integrating NRM data into government and local council decision-making processes
  • Planning and management information and training for farmers covering land use change and intensification
  • Working with land managers in priority areas to address threats to soil values
  • Supporting land managers to implement land management practices and improve soil health. This includes trialling new land management techniques as well as providing information and training
  • Supporting primary producers and Landcare groups across the region

What are we doing to improve Land Management?

NRM South is working with farmers to address land management issues through subregional coordinators in priority areas. Our work include activities through our Healthy Catchments and Coasts program to address rural tree decline and dryland salinity, support soil health monitoring, deliver property management planning, assist with the implementation of salinity management plans and providing support for farmers to implement drought mitigation measures.