Long-term help for farmers to rebuild individual advisory services – who took up various offers of Beyond immediate help, such as fodder for and assistance has provided positive new fences, fire-affected farmers needed assistance to rebuild their farming enterprises feedback about the services offered and get back to where they were before the fires. and the outcomes of the assistance The State Government identified a number of provided. potential services that could help farmers recover and rebuild. A letter was sent to 600 fire-affected landholders offering one-to-one assistance with a range of Advice to develop or review whole farm plans services: whole-farm planning; or agronomic, financial Ninety landholders nominated whole farming planning enterprise and succession planning advice. as either their first or second choice. The purpose of Landholders were asked to nominate their preference this type of advice was to enhance long-term and for the type of service they wanted to receive. DPI short-term planning in a farming system context. selected relevant contractors after inviting expressions of interest from qualified and experienced The offer included a photograph of a farmer’s consultants in the key areas. property and, because it was a complex process, it was decided to prepare all 90 property photos in the Advice on pasture re-establishment and one step. The grid references of boundaries needed fertiliser requirements to be determined and base photographs located if More than 90 landholders nominated that they wanted they existed and new aerial photographs taken if they agronomy advice and were visited individually by the did not. The photos then needed rectification to allow contracted agronomists. An average of soil them to be joined and accurately measured to samples were taken for analysis and landholders provide orthophoto maps. received written reports outlining pasture options, Contractors are now developing whole farm including fertiliser and/or seed resowing rates and plans that identify land capability and how land methods, and current and potential stocking rates. may be Many landholders now have pasture development fenced into the same paddock to maximise plans, which they didn’t have before the fires. productivity and sustainability. Few landholders had done whole-farm planning before the fires, so these plans will help them An evaluation form sent to landholders significantly with their future farming activities.
Long-term help for farmers to rebuild – individual advisory services Beyond immediate help, such as fodder for and new fences, fire-affected farmers needed assistance to rebuild their farming enterprises and get back to where they were before the fires. The State Government identified a number of potential services that could help farmers recover and rebuild. A letter was sent to 600 fire-affected landholders offering one-to-one assistance with a range of services: whole-farm planning; or agronomic, financial enterprise and succession planning advice. Landholders were asked to nominate their preference for the type of service they wanted to receive. DPI selected relevant contractors after inviting expressions of interest from qualified and experienced consultants in the key areas. Advice on pasture re-establishment and fertiliser requirements More than 90 landholders nominated that they wanted agronomy advice and were visited individually by the contracted agronomists. An average of soil samples were taken for analysis and landholders received written reports outlining pasture options, including fertiliser and/or seed resowing rates and methods, and current and potential stocking rates. Many landholders now have pasture development plans, which they didn’t have before the fires. An evaluation form sent to landholders who took up various offers of assistance has provided positive feedback about the services offered and the outcomes of the assistance provided. Advice to develop or review whole farm plans Ninety landholders nominated whole farming planning as either their first or second choice. The purpose of this type of advice was to enhance long-term and short-term planning in a farming system context. The offer included a photograph of a farmer’s property and, because it was a complex process, it was decided to prepare all 90 property photos in the one step. The grid references of boundaries needed to be determined and base photographs located if they existed and new aerial photographs taken if they did not. The photos then needed rectification to allow them to be joined and accurately measured to provide orthophoto maps. Contractors are now developing whole farm plans that identify land capability and how land may be fenced into the same paddock to maximise productivity and sustainability. Few landholders had done whole-farm planning before the fires, so these plans will help them significantly with their future farming activities.
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