Rural producers in the New England are being encouraged to apply for Australian Government funding of up to $100,000 to support their natural resource management efforts.

Member for New England, Barnaby Joyce, said applications for Round 4 of Smart Farms Small Grants were now open.

“This is a hugely popular program that provides a real bang for buck when it comes to delivering benefits for farms and local communities,” Mr Joyce said.

“We’re looking for projects across a range of areas such as pest control, vegetation management, farm input efficiency and the use of new technologies.”

“Previous rounds of this federally-funded program have delivered benefits across the New England including a pest animal management program in Glen Innes and grazing, soil and native vegetation management on the Northern Tablelands.

“Our farmers have always looked after the land and through these grants we can give them a helping hand to continue that work and further support Australia’s invaluable agricultural industry.”

Smart Farms Small Grants form part of the National Landcare Program (NLP).

The Australian Government is investing more than $1 billion towards the second phase of the NLP from 2018-2023.

For more information and to apply, visit communitygrants.gov.au/grants

 (ENDS)