Australian Dairy Industry

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

Environmental Issues

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Overview Dairying for Tomorrow

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Issue

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Regulation framework

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Industry activities

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How is the industry performing?

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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

1. News and events 2. Current activities 3. Contacts 4. Regional NRM reference groups

Tackling specific issues Publications

Water Soils and fertilisers Soil health Effluent Climate Biodiversity Waste Reports Case studies Fact sheets

Fert$mart

Fert$mart planning Information for farmers Information for advisors Soil testing Tools

Professional Development

Effluent systems design FertCare Industry workshops

Tools and guidelines

Dairy SAT Effluent Database Climate Toolkit DGAS -Farm carbon calculator Mortality composting Riparian Assessment Tool Dairy Catchments Assessment Tool

Effluent management State regulation

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

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EPA (Victoria, SA and Tasmania)

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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

Environment Protection Authority - Victoria

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– 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 implementing the enforcement policy, which has consequences ranging from a warning, through improvement notices to fines or court action

Effluent management How is the industry performing?

Steady improvement

100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% 54% 73% 75% dairy shed ponds 100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0%

milking shed effluent system

(base: all respondents) 2000 2006 2012 54% 73% 75% pond system 27% 15% 15% 17% 11% 8% sump and dispersal system drains directly to paddocks

effluent management

(base: respondents for whom measure applies) 79% 89% 94% 24% 43% 48% fed pad ponds apply effluent to land 54% 60% 16% 20% eff applied to diff areas 2000 2006 eff nutrient value tested 2012

Effluent management How is the industry performing?

potential for effluent system improvement

(base: all respondents) 100%

Steady improvement

80% 60% 48% 40% 20% 0% 44% 15% 2006 17% 2012 can improve little can improve great deal

made changes to effluent system in past 5 years

(base: all respondents) 2006 2012 100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% 46% 38% national 36% 28% 54% 44% 52% 41% 43% 40% 37% 41% 45% 33% 48% 40% 52% 49% murray westvic gipps dairy nsw sdp sa wa tas

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 Industry programs

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

Fertiliser management How is the industry performing?

Improving

conditions preventing urea application

(base: respondents using urea) 100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% 60% 59% 50% 12% paddocks too wet too drive on soil moisture limiting/conditions too dry weather is too hot/ windy no limiting factors – apply all year round

method used to determine fertiliser /nutrient requirement

(base: all respondents) 100% 80% 80% 83% 82% 60% 40% 20% 0% soil test 80% 66% 73% 89% 70% 70% 28% 38% 57% 37% 44% 39% 30% 30% 2000 2006 12% 16% own observation past experience independent consultant fertiliser supplier nutrient budget tissue test 2012 16% 14% 10% dairy officer

confidence in advice

(base: source advice from resellers, consultants, dairy officers) fairly confident 49% not confident at all 1% not too confident 2% very confident 45% confident in some, not others 3%

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) NH 4 + NO 2 -

Plant uptake

NO 3 -, NO 2 NO 3 N 2 O N 2 N 2

Soil management

Regulation

Land and water management plans (Whole farm plans

) Industry programs 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 management How is the industry performing? Improving

major land issue

(base: all respondents) 2000 2006 60% 2012 40% 20% 36% 29% 39% 36% 37% 22% 30% 14% 21% 33% 14% 15% 16% 8% 9% 0% wet soils pugging noxious weeds insect pests surface crusting/ soil compaction soil acidity soil erosion 8% 5% 6% 15% 10% 6% 4% dryland salinity irrigation induced salinity soil sodicity 7% 3% 3% acid sulphate soils 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%

have feed pad

(base: all respondents) 2000 19% 18% 31% 23% 26% 34% 13% 17% 31% 12% 10% 20% 19% 21% 38% 27% 25% 44% 15% 16% 31% 31% 13% 30% 2006 2012 11% 12% 33% national murray westvic gipps dairy nsw sdp sa wa tas “

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

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Water management

Regulation

– 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

Water management

% obtaining water from source

(base: respondents using source) 2006 2012 100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% 36% 53% scheme allocation 21% 22% purchased/ sales 24% 38% groundwater 28% 27% 19% 23% on farm dam river/stream

average ML of water sourced

(base: respondents using source) 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 505 522 250 243 scheme allocation purchased/ sales 243 258 groundwater 264 271 84 185 river/stream on farm dam 2006 2012 127 130 other 2% other 1%

Water management How is the industry performing? Improved

% with some automation of irrigation system

(base: respondents from irrigation farms) 2006 2012 100% 80% 80% 70% 60% 51% 54% 66% 56% 67% 60% 62% 60% 38% 47% 46% 35% 40% 32% 26% 21% 23% 20% 0% national murray westvic gipps dairy nsw sdp dairy sa western dairy dairy tas 100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0%

irrigation system automation

(base: irrigators farms) 26% 63% 74% flood spray pivot

Water management Current and future activities

Capacity building

– Increased number of service providers who understand linkages between irrigation delivery systems, management requirements and peak water demand 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

Regulation

– 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

Biodiversity How is the industry performing? – Continuous Improvement

100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0%

waterways fenced

(base: respondents with naturally occurring waterways) 43% 23% 16% 18% 2000 34% 19% 20% 26% 2006 27% 18% 20% 34% 2012 none fenced some fenced most fenced all fenced 100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% 35% 25% 17% 22% small

waterways fenced

(base: respondents woith waterways) 28% 15% 20% 37% medium 19% 16% 25% 41% large 11% 13% 28% 48% x-large none some most all

Biodiversity

implementing revegetation program

(base: all respondents) 100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% 56% 55% 58% national 64% 62% 59% 63% 60% 67% 62% 63% 67% 52% 59% 49% murray west vic gipps dairy nsw 31% 28% 30% sdp 74% 61% 70% 2000 64% 65% 70% 2006 2012 39% 37% 36% sa wa tas

reasons for implementing revegetation program

(base: all respondents) 100% 80% 60% 51% 42% 49% 40% 20% 0% stock shade 45% 40% 45% 38% 25% 23% 34% 21% 26% 22% 19% 23% 15% 18% 15% 18% 12% 10% windbreaks property value aesthetics fauna corridors improve riverbanks control soil salinity 2000 3% 3% 2% commercial forestry 2006 2012 2% 1% 2% control soil erosion

Energy

Industry 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 audit interest

(base: all respondents) 100% 80% 60% 40% 40% 44% 41% 20% 0% 20% national 18% murray 13% west vic 19% 32% 45% 66% 28% 9% gipps dairy nsw sdp 42% 14% sa 41% 30% wa 47% not had audit but interested 18% tas energy audit conducted

implemented strategy as result of audit

(base: respondents having energy audit conducted) 100% 80% 60% 31% 34% 33% 40% 20% 0% 48% 48% 43% national murray west vic 40% 48% 27% 52% gipps dairy nsw 17% 55% sdp 22% 62% sa 33% 44% wa 60% 20% tas plan to implement strategy implemented strategy

Energy

100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 40% 18%

renewable energy systems

(base: all respondents ) 0% renewable energy installation heat pumps 15% solar water heating 15% solar photovoltaic 1% <1% wind turbines variable speed milk pump <1% mini hydro

“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