You are here: Home > Soil degradation > Salinity > Science > Pilot studies > The TARGET Project

The TARGET project

Tools to Achieve Landscape Redesign Giving Environmental / Economic Targets

Farmers in Central West NSW participated in a groundbreaking project that integrated social, economic and environmental issues in salinity management.

The TARGET project (Tools to Achieve Landscape Redesign Giving Environmental / Economic Targets) targeted land use change in small, medium and regional scale catchments affected by salinity scales to assess which was the best for achieving on-ground change. The small-scale catchments were Warrangong and Mid-Talbragar. The medium scale catchments were Little River, Weddin and the large-scale catchment was the Castlereagh/Dunedoo.

The project also identified the barriers and incentives to implementing change to help Catchment Management Authorities understand the best ways to implement Catchment Action Plans. The project delivered 70% of its total funds to on-ground work.

Biophysical planning was also undertaken in each of the catchments to ensure there was adequate information to make decisions on land use change. The findings indicated that the level of land management planning undertaken by Landcare groups was not adequate for the scale of action or the level of investment proposed under the TARGET project, and subsequently the National Action plan for Salinity and Water quality (NAP) and Natural Heritage Trust 2.

During the first year financial incentives and training was available to landholders undertaking land management works. The types of activities that were funded included; perennial pastures, native pastures, saline pastures, conservation farming machinery conversions, intercropping, saline agroforestry, farm forestry, riparian vegetation conservation and remnant vegetation conservation.

In the second year, several different incentive packages were trialed. Initially, alternative funding mechanisms were investigated including market-based incentives such as carbon, salinity and biodiversity credits, and Environmental Management Systems (EMS). Following this, the options included investing in landscape change by purchasing outcomes such as well-established perennial pastures, the use of tenders and the use of variable cost sharing ratios.

Several component investigations were also conducted under the TARGET project, including:

Landholder Profile Surveys. The Australian National University (ANU), through its commercial centre iCAM, conducted surveys to identify the social and economic barriers preventing landholders from adopting better land use practices. This information was then used to design incentive packages that can be used to overcome impediments to change. The results from these surveys are providing Catchment Management Authorities and Government agencies with guidance about how to design incentive programs to ensure effective implementation of Catchment Action Plans.

Farm Economic Analyses. This component, also undertaken by iCAM, used investment models to investigate the economic feasibility of land use change in the different catchments and the feasibility of changing from one enterprise to another, for example, the change from pasture to farm forestry.

Ecological Surveys. The Department of Environment and Conservation carried out ecological surveys for biodiversity in the Warrangong, Mid Talbragar, Little River and Weddin catchments. These surveys provide a benchmark for biodiversity and native vegetation in the region. Guidelines to enhance biodiversity have also been developed.

Reports

Drew, A., Freudenberger, D. and Clayton, M. (2002). Weddin Catchment Biodiversity Assessment. A Report for the TARGET Project. NPWS.

Hall, N., Watson, W. and Oliver, M. (2002). Farm Economic Analysis: Little River Catchment. Integrated Catchment Assessment and Management (iCAM) Centre report no. 2003 TARGET 6. Prepared for the TARGET Project. Australian National University, Canberra.

Oliver, M., Hall, N. and Watson, W. (2002). Farm Economic Analysis: Mid-Talbragar Catchment. Integrated Catchment Assessment and Management (iCAM) Centre report no. 2003 TARGET 7. Prepared for the TARGET Project. Australian National University, Canberra.

Oliver, M., Hall, N. and Watson, W. (2003). Farm Economic Analysis: Weddin Catchment. Integrated Catchment Assessment and Management (iCAM) Centre report no. 2003 TARGET 8. Prepared for the TARGET Project. Australian National university, Canberra.

Seddon, J., Briggs, S. and Doyle, S. (2002). Little River Catchment Biodiversity Assessment . A Report for the TARGET Project. NPWS.

Seddon, J., Drew, A., Doyle, S., Clayton, M., Davey, C., Briggs, S. and Freudenberger, D. (2003). Birds in Woodland Remnants in the Little River and Weddin Catchments, Central West NSW. A Report for the TARGET Project. NPWS.

Watson, W., Oliver, M. and Hall, N. (2002). Farm Economic Analysis: Warrangong Catchment. Integrated Catchment Assessment and Management (iCAM) Centre report no. 2003 TARGET 5. Prepared for the TARGET Project. Australian National university, Canberra.

Watson, W., Evans, R., Powell, J., Oliver, M. and Hall, N. (2002). Sustainability Profile for the Little River Catchment Integrated Catchment Assessment and Management (iCAM) Centre report. Prepared for the TARGET Project. Australian National university, Canberra.

Watson, W., Evans, R., Powell, J., Oliver, M. and Hall, N. (2002). Sustainability Profile for the Mid-Talbragar Catchment. Integrated Catchment Assessment and Management (iCAM) Centre report. Prepared for the TARGET Project. Australian National university, Canberra.

Watson, W., Evans, R., Powell, J., Oliver, M. and Hall, N. (2002). Sustainability Profile for the Warrangong Catchment. Integrated Catchment Assessment and Management (iCAM) Centre report. Prepared for the TARGET Project. Australian National university, Canberra.

Watson, W., Evans, R., Powell, J., Oliver, M. and Hall, N. (2002). Sustainability Profile for the Weddin Catchment. Integrated Catchment Assessment and Management (iCAM) Centre report. Prepared for the TARGET Project. Australian National university, Canberra.