Tonnes of nutrients removed from local waterways

NutrientSmart Farms, a partnership between the Hawkesbury-Nepean Catchment Management Authority (HNCMA) and Industry and Investment NSW (formerly NSW DPI), has so far invested $440,000 in 17 properties in the Hawkesbury, Penrith, Camden and Wollondilly areas.

"We have had a great response so far from landholders and the level of nutrients reduced from entering the river system has exceeded expectations," said Paul Bennett, Catchment Coordinator at the HNCMA.

"But we are still looking to invest a further $2 million in projects to manage nutrients over the next 18 months.

"We are now calling on interested landholders across the project area that includes parts of the Wollondilly, Camden, Liverpool, Penrith, Blue Mountains, Hawkesbury, Baulkham Hills, Blacktown and Hornsby local government areas to contact us on (02) 4725 3050," said Mr Bennett.

To date projects have been carried out with properties involved in dairy, grazing, vegetable and turf industries. Works have included effluent management system upgrades, fencing to exclude stock from waterways, alternative watering systems away from waterways, improving detention ponds to better filter run-off and replanting riverbank vegetation.

Scott Machar, project officer at Industry and Investment NSW, said that just one project in Wallacia repaired a failing dam will halt 21,000 tonnes of sediment washing into the Nepean River.

"Landholders have enthusiastically taken up the projects and invested over $1 million of cash and in-kind contributions to ensure the initial $440,000 investment by government has been boosted to $1.5 million in the first six months of this two-year project," said Mr Machar.

Funding is now available to landholders for works improving nutrient management including:

• establishing perimeter vegetation, riverbank buffer zones and filter strips
• soil conservation works
• incorporating compost into soils
• stock exclusion fences and off-stream watering points
• pasture re-establishment
• upgrades to systems managing dairy effluent

For further information contact the Smart Farms Information Line on 4725 3050 or visit www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/resources/smartfarms.

NutrientSmart Farms is part of the Hawkesbury-Nepean River Recovery Program which is funded by the Australian Government through its Water for the Future program.