The Australian Government has allocated $302 million through the Natural Heritage Trust to establish the Climate-Smart Agriculture Program to improve agricultural sustainability and climate adaptation.
The Natural Heritage Trust is the government’s primary investment platform for managing natural resources, promoting sustainable agriculture, and protecting the environment.
The program aims to promote the adoption of climate-smart practices by industries, thereby reducing emissions and enhancing their resilience to climate change.
“This program draws from the strengths of past Natural Heritage Trust investment and brings a heightened focus on the contemporary challenges our farmers are facing,” Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry Murray Watt said.
According to Minister Watt, the new phase of the National Heritage Trust will prioritise climate adaptation, addressing the significant challenge of addressing climate change.
“This Climate-Smart Agriculture Program also continues the enduring investment into sustainability and natural resource management,” the Minister stated.
“Sustainable and climate-smart practices are central to our agenda for agriculture and key industry’s future,” he added.
Over the next five years, the Climate-Smart Agriculture Program will be delivered through a series of linked investment streams, including:
- $45 million for Partnerships and Innovation grants
- $15 million for Capacity Building grants
- $36 million in soil measures
- $13 million for small grants
- $35.7 million towards operational capacity of Regional Delivery Partners and national Landcare organisations
- $85.6 million towards on-ground sustainable agriculture and natural resource management projects lead by our Regional Delivery Partners
- $40.7 million for a network of Sustainable Agriculture Facilitators.
“Together, this integrated suite of investment represents a clear-sighted and comprehensive response to what we have heard through consultation with agriculture stakeholders up to now,” Minister Watt said.
Minister Watt stated that the program equips farmers and landholders with the necessary skills to tackle climate change challenges, adopt sustainable agriculture practices, and enhance their sustainability credentials.
“Looking after our natural resources and responding to climate change has never been more important, for our economy, for our regional communities, and for our trade,” he noted.
“Through this funding, the Albanese Government is standing alongside the ag industry to meet this challenge,” he added.
