Farmers plant riparian landscape in bid to save Victoria's Hopkins River

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Authorities warn the Hopkins River is in poor health and declining with agriculture largely to blame. But as Ted O'Connor reports, farmers are seen as a crucial part of the solution.

Transcript

00:00Jane O'Byrne is doing what she loves best, planting new trees among others she planted

00:08two decades ago.

00:09My happiest place is being on the river and planting trees and just being amongst nature

00:16and having those moments when you hear a splash in the water and there's a platypus looking

00:20at you.

00:21This is the riparian zone, the strip of vegetation between the paddocks and the Hopkins River.

00:27It's a buffer stopping cattle getting in the water and filtering out fertilisers while

00:32boosting biodiversity.

00:34But this is a bright spot amid a grim picture.

00:38The river is not in great shape, its water quality is poor and has been declining over

00:45time.

00:46Farming fertilisers are largely to blame.

00:48Since the 1990s nitrogen has increased by about fourfold, whereas phosphorus has increased

00:54maybe twice or two or three times as bad as it was.

00:59And these are actually over the EPA's environmental quality objectives.

01:03To address the issue, the Catchment Management Authority wants farmers to revegetate all the

01:08banks of the Hopkins and its tributaries.

01:11It estimates the job is just over half done.

01:13It's up to farmers whether they want to do the work.

01:17There are grants available, but landholders often need to shoulder a good chunk of the

01:22cost themselves, stretching into the tens of thousands of dollars.

01:27And right now, primary producers are struggling.

01:31Waterholes here that are normally, they'd be right up higher.

01:37Drought has gripped the region.

01:39On Brendan O'Brien's dairy farm, the river is the lowest he's seen it.

01:43He warns drought-stricken farmers are unlikely to prioritise river revegetation.

01:48At the moment, they're probably too tired and long days feeding.

01:52It would not be on their radar at the moment.

01:55But there is now a new way for farmers to make money out of revegetating riverbanks.

02:00They can sell these works on a commonwealth market.

02:03And corporations can buy them to show they're looking after the environment.

02:08We're looking at companies, particularly those that are in the food, fibre and beverage

02:11industry, who rely on agricultural products that have a requirement to their shareholders

02:17under their environmental, social and government's reporting obligations.

02:21Some landholders believe those with river frontage also have a social responsibility.

02:26Being as stewards of our land, we should be caring for it.

02:30So it can be enjoyed by future generations.

02:38Welcome back.

02:40Let's go.

02:42Thanks, Scott Fulmon.

02:43I'm simply watching.

02:45Let's watch.

02:46Here we go.

02:49Let's talk about policy…

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03:04Correct.

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