Australian Dairy Industry

Farm Environment - Effluent, Fertiliser, Soils, Water, Biodiversity and Energy

Environmental Issues

– Overview Dairying for Tomorrow

– Issue

• Regulation framework

• Industry activities

• How is the industry performing?

• Where next?

Dairying for Tomorrow

The Australian Dairy natural resource management on-farm change program.

Based on collaborative partnerships between the dairy industry, catchment managers and regulators.

Over 40 projects involving Dairying for Tomorrow decision support tools and resources are currently being delivered across Australia.

Key feature –supported networks and professional development activities

Dairying for Tomorrow

About the program Tackling specific issues

Publications Fert$mart Professional Development

Tools and guidelines

1. News and events2. Current activities3. Contacts4. Regional NRM

reference groups

WaterSoils and fertilisersSoil healthEffluentClimateBiodiversityWaste

ReportsCase studiesFact sheets

Fert$mart planning Information for farmersInformation for advisorsSoil testing Tools

Effluent systems designFertCareIndustry workshops

Dairy SATEffluent DatabaseClimate ToolkitDGAS -Farm carbon calculatorMortality compostingRiparian Assessment ToolDairy Catchments Assessment Tool

Effluent management

– Guidelines (Victoria)– Codes of practice (Queensland, SA, Tasmania &

WA)

– EPA (Victoria, SA and Tasmania)

– Resources• Effluent and manure database for the Australian

Dairy Industry (Dairy Australia)• BMPs – DairySAT (Dairy Australia)• State guidelines & codes of practice (Industry,

State agencies and Food Safety Authorities)• NCDEA effluent system design course• Capacity building program• Fact sheets, case studies

State regulation

Environment Protection Authority - Victoria

.– All effluent from the dairy, feedpads, standoff areas, underpasses and tracks

must be contained and reused (most commonly spread back on pastures and crop).

– Effluent must not enter surface waters (including billabongs, canals, springs, swamps, natural or artificial channels, lakes, lagoons, creeks and rivers).

– Runoff containing effluent must not leave the property boundary.– Effluent must not enter ground waters either directly or through infiltration (for

example seepage from ponds).– Effluent must not contaminate land (discharging effluent onto the same small

area over time will cause nutrient overload and contaminate land).– Offensive odours must not impact beyond property boundaries.

Failure to meet these obligations will result in the EPA implementingthe enforcement policy, which has consequences ranging from awarning, through improvement notices to fines or court action

Effluent management

How is the industry performing?

Steady improvement

Effluent management

How is the industry performing?

Steady improvement

Effluent management

Current and future activities

Industry guidelines– Update Effluent and Manure management database– Develop NSW effluent guidelines in partnership with

government agencies

Capacity building– Increase the number of certified effluent system designers

(Victoria, QLD and Tasmania)– Establish an industry effluent communications group– Collate and harmonise existing state extension materials into a

national resource

Research– Industry manure calculators– Environmental impacts of different manure management

systems– Covered lagoon biodigesters

Fertiliser management

Fert$mart (Dairy Moving Forward – Dairy Australia)

On farm change programs (over 30 currently)

Resources• Fert$mart • Fertiliser BMPs – DairySAT (Dairy Australia)• Capacity building program • Fact sheets, case studies

Research

Industry programs

Fertiliser management

How is the industry performing?

Improving

Fertiliser management

Current and future activities

Fert$mart

Capacity building– Increase the number of FertCare C certified advisors– Greater emphasis on up skilling consultants and other

relevant service providers

On farm change programs– Incorporate Fert$mart principles– Greater involvement of consultants in delivery (Core4)

Research– Nitrogen use efficiency ($7 Million program)– Microbial influences on nitrogen plant uptake and loss

pathways– Modelling and DSS– Extension (evaluation and monitoring)

SOM

Fertilization

NH4+mineralization

NO3-

NO2-

LeachingNO3-, NO2-

Urea Ammonium nitrate

N2N fixation

immobilization

nitrificationimmobilization

amoA

nxr

nirK

denitrification

N2NO N2OcnorB nosZ

narG

nifH

Plant uptake

Microbial functional gene

SOM

Fertilization

NH4+mineralization

NO3-

NO2-

LeachingNO3-, NO2-

Urea Ammonium nitrate

N2N fixation

immobilization

nitrificationimmobilization

amoA

nxr

nirK

denitrification

N2NO N2OcnorB nosZ

narG

nifH

Plant uptake

Microbial functional gene

Soil management

Land and water management plans (Whole farm plans)

Industry programs

Regulation

Fert$mart

On farm change programs•Future Ready Dairy Systems•Acid sulphate soils (SA)•Whole Farm Planning – MDB•Targets for change

Resources•Soils BMP – DairySAT (Dairy Australia)•Feedpad guidelines •Issue specific fact sheets, case studies, e.g. Managing wet soils

Research

Soil managementHow is the industry performing? - Improving

“ despite these issues being mentioned as major land management issues, only very small proportions of respondents say they do not have enough information or support to deal with them”, DfT Survey 2012.

Water management

– Murray Darling Basin Plan– Rural Water Authorities– Water licences– Water trading

On farm change programs•Northern Irrigation Renewal Program•Queensland Dairyfarmers WUE program•Water Stewardship pilot•Lower Murray Swamps Renewal program•Future Ready Dairy Systems

Resources• Irrigation BMPs – DairySAT•DPI Victoria – Irrigation•DPI Victoria - Saving water in the dairy•DSS Tools, Case studies

Research

Regulation

Water management

Water management

How is the industry performing? - Improved

Water management

Current and future activities

Capacity building– Increased number of service providers who understand linkages between irrigation delivery systems, management requirements and peak waterdemand by different forages

On farm change programs– Improving irrigation performance:focus on automation and irrigation scheduling

Research– Precision irrigation application– Improved automation technology– Manipulating the forage canopy environment with irrigation scheduling

Biodiversity

– Anti -clearing rules– Threatened species

Landcare

Industry on farm change programs•GipRip•Targets for change•Nutrient management programs

Resources•Native vegetation and waterways– DairySAT•Dairy Riparian Assessment Tool•Fact sheets•Case studies

Research

Regulation

Biodiversity

How is the industry performing? – Continuous Improvement

Biodiversity

EnergyIndustry on farm change programs

•Smarter energy use on Australian dairy farms•DairyNSW dairy farm energy assessment program•Future Ready Dairy Systems•CowTime

Resources•Energy BMPs- DairySAT•Dairy shed energy assessment tools•DPIV Energy Efficiency Resources•Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Fact Sheets (SA)•Energy (WA)•Renewable energy scenario tools•Fact sheets•Case studies

Energy

How is the industry performing?

Energy

“Over 150 activities, with approximately 4,600 farmer and service provider attendees. 100% of farmers attending events thought the topics were relevant and 94% of farmer

attendees said they learnt something from the FRDS event they can use on their property.” Watson, P and Watson, D. 2012 MAADI Evaluation