With support from the State Government’s Bindjareb Djilba (Peel-Harvey estuary) Protection Plan, project partner PHCC has recently published resources for future horticulture developments in the Peel-Harvey coastal catchment.
Horticulture is an important industry in the Peel region, with it and the greater food production sector projected to grow and diversify in the coming decades.
Government policies are in place to ensure both sustainable horticulture and a healthy environment can co-exist within the Peel-Harvey coastal catchment, which is characterised by soils unsuitable for traditional intensive cropping in many areas. These policies aim to help minimise the loss of nutrients from horticulture land uses to our waterways, as excessive nutrients can reduce water quality and fuel harmful algal blooms.
The new resources help industry and local governments plan ahead to ensure horticultural land uses are sustainable and our waterways are protected.
Trudy Evans, who coordinates the delivery of the Bindjareb Djilba Protection Plan, said the resources will help horticulture growers and investors, as well as local governments.
“An updated guide for investors and growers gives them the information they need about which areas within the catchment are best suited for their intended cropping methods while minimising nutrient loss to the estuary,” said Trudy.
“For local governments, the new Model Local Planning Policy for Horticulture Development can be adapted and integrated into their local policy framework, helping them to support industry to develop in the most suitable areas.”
The resources are available to view and download from the PHCC website.
This project is part of the Bindjareb Djilba Protection Plan and Healthy Estuaries WA – State Government initiatives to improve the water quality of the estuary. PHCC supports the program through the Sustainable Agriculture Facilitator position, which is funded and supported by the Australian Government as part of the Climate-Smart Agriculture Program.