A NEW report released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics has found that Australian farmers revegetated almost 70 million hectares of agricultural land in 2011-12.
CEO of the National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) Matt Linnegar said that the data shows just how important a role Australia’s 157,000 farmers play in managing the natural environment.
“70 million hectares is 10 per cent of Australia’s landmass, or almost the size of NSW – all of which, says the ABS report, has had its vegetation protected or regenerated by farmers,” Mr Linnegar said.
The report also shows that weed management and fencing off or excluding stock are both important practices that farmers undertake on their farms to help look after their land.
A second report, also by the ABS, has found that almost one third of Australian agricultural businesses set aside 8.4 million hectares, or an area bigger than Tasmania, on their own properties for conservation. And where natural environments existed, over half of all these businesses protected these areas for conversation purposes.
Australian farmers own, manage and care for more than half of Australia’s land, delivering environmental outcomes on behalf of the Australian community.
“In fact, according to a recent survey by the National Landcare Facilitator, some 93 per cent of Australian farmers practice Landcare on their farms. Australia’s farmers really are Australia’s environmental stewards,” Mr Linnegar said.
