Industry projects

On this page:

• DairyTas - reducing the carbon footprint of Tasmanian dairying
• Enterprise suitability mapping
• Fert$mart - improving fertiliser use and irrigation on dairy farms
• Preparing your business for natural disasters

Reducing the carbon footprint of Tasmanian dairying

DairyTas is identifying ways to reduce the carbon footprint of dairying in Tasmania. DairyTas were successful in receiving grant funding from our Climate Research Grants Program in 2020-21. They have published ‘The 10 Steps’, a series of “10 fast facts and farm actions”. They have also published a case study of solar on Tasmanian dairy farms.

Visit the DairyTas website to learn more about The 10 Steps.

Enterprise suitability mapping and climate projections

Enterprise suitability maps help farmers match local soil and climate information with the right crops for those conditions.

Enterprise suitability maps combine new digital soil mapping, localised climate data and crop rules. The maps help farmers or investors to prepare a shortlist of potential crops or enterprises for further investigation. The mapping process also identifies the likely risks or barriers to growing the crops.

In 2014-15, the Tasmanian Climate Change Office supported the Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment (DPIPWE) on a project to incorporate Climate Futures for Tasmania climate projections with enterprise suitability modelling. The project shows how five crops (poppies, wheat, potatoes, wine grapes and barley) could be productively grown in the future under different climate scenarios. This information will support agricultural decision making in Tasmania.

The project produced enterprise suitability mapping and a report outlining the project’s conclusions. The report highlights areas of Tasmania that are likely to become more or less suitable for cropping in response to changes in climate, particularly in relation to frost risk and growing degree days. (Growing degree days are a measure for assessing crop development.)

The project’s key findings are listed below.

• Frost risk is expected to become generally less severe for all of the five crops investigated.
• The areas most likely to experience less severe frosts include the upper Derwent Valley and lower highland areas, as well as parts of the Midlands Region.
• Table wine grape production is expected to benefit from increased growing degree days during the growing season.
• Sparkling wine grape production may be adversely affected, particularly for areas on the East Coast and in the Midlands. This is based on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) higher emission scenario at year 2050.
• Heat risk for potatoes is also expected to increase in probability. This will result in a small decrease in suitable land for potatoes around the coastal and Midland areas of the State. However, the decrease in frost prone areas means that there will be an overall increase in land suitable for growing potatoes.

Full details are available in the Incorporating Climate Futures into Enterprise Suitability Mapping – Technical Report (PDF). The enterprise suitability maps are available on the DPIPWE website as part of the Enterprise Suitability Toolkit.

Fert$mart

Since 2014, the Tasmanian Climate Change Office has supported DairyTas to implement Fert$mart across Tasmanian dairy farms.

Fert$mart is a Dairy Australia program designed to assist dairy farmers to improve the effectiveness of fertiliser use and irrigation practices, and to improve water quality and soil health.

The program uses the best available science to undertake soil and effluent testing, farm and nutrient mapping and nutrient budgeting. The result is the development of tailored Fert$mart plans that assist farmers to achieve production goals and maximise the efficiency of fertiliser use.

Fert$mart has been highly successful and approximately 50 per cent of Tasmanian dairy farms (217) now have Fert$mart plans in place.

The Tasmanian Climate Change Office provided financial assistance to farmers to implement the effluent management component of their Fert$mart plans.

In 2017, this funding provided the momentum for practical on-farm infrastructure works totalling $112,000. The work undertaken has resulted in an additional 339 hectares of pasture being irrigated with effluent, which provides financial savings for farmers, improved water quality and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

The success of Fert$mart was recognised at the December 2017 Landcare Tasmania Awards, with the program winning the ‘Excellence in Sustainable Farm Practices’ category.

Fert$mart resources are available on the DairyTas website, including information on making the best use of nutrients from fertiliser and effluent. The Fert$mart case study video ‘Dairy cares for Derwent’ is available to watch on the DairyTas YouTube channel.

Fert$mart forms part of the Tasmanian Government's broader commitment to work with agricultural producers to improve energy efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to a changing climate.

Trenching effluent irrigation pipe, Chudleigh	Re-fencing river bank and extending effluent line to new part of farm, Flowerdale

Effluent pipe installed on new bridge, Mersey River	Effluent irrigator in new area, Chudleigh

Preparing your business for natural disasters

Disasters have the potential to significantly disrupt your business activities and cause financial setbacks. However, the impacts of disasters and disruptions can be managed by advance preparation.

TCCO has worked closely with a broad range of stakeholders to develop a collection of resources to help Tasmanian businesses prepare for, respond to, and recover from, natural disasters such as bushfires and floods. The resources, including a Business Continuity Plan template, factsheets and checklists, are available on the Business Tasmania website.