Northern Tasmanian dairy farmers join fight to clean Tamar estuary

As well as crossed sewer and stormwater connections, effluent and runoff from dairy farms is another major driver of pathogen concentrations in the kanamaluka/Tamar estuary and Esk rivers.

As part of the River Health Action Plan operated by the Tamar Estuary Management Taskforce, dairy farmers have been given funds through the Tamar Action Grants program to better manage the by-products of farming.

Bracknell-based Grant Archer maintains a herd of 1400 crossbred dairy cows.

Mr Archer said he was "very keen to do the right things environmentally", and the grant money he received allowed him to do just that.

"We have a sustainable farm philosophy where we want our people to enjoy coming to work and we want to look after our animals," Mr Archer said.

"What we've been able to do with the help of the grant funding is expand our effluent application area and go into an area that hadn't been irrigated before.

"This increases our irrigation area, reducing runoff and increasing storage capacity through winter months."

Efforts tailored to dairy farms included updating effluent management plans, increasing storage capacity, and increasing application area through improved infrastructure.

These mean that the risk of effluent overflowing and entering nearby waterways during heavy rainfall and flooding events is reduced.

A spokesperson for DairyTas, the industry's peak body in Tasmania, said the funds had been put to good use.

"The effluent management program has been fully contracted and, in doing so, has assisted in significant effluent management upgrades on dairy farms within the catchment," they said.

"There are over 20 dairy farmers involved in the Tamar Action Grants program which has helped to fund stock fencing along waterways, stock crossings, new water troughs and some revegetation works, which is great."

DairyTas has partnered with the program operators to extend the program and will give farmers the opportunity to connect with industry leaders and provide learning resources over the next 12 months.

These will give dairy farmers the opportunity to stay up to date with industry best practices, and hear about new or emerging technologies.

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