Horticulture Resource Management

Tiahna, Judy & Sophie

Background- The Yarra Valley CatchmentThe Yarra Valley Catchment is located in the north and east of Melbourne. The regions involved in the Horticulture

Resource Management study include three subcatchments of the Yarra Catchment: Stringybark Creek, Olinda

Creek and Woori Yallock Creek. The horticulture industry in these areas include: strawberry, blueberry, cut flower,

wine and five other industries.

Project OverviewThe project aims to identify improvements that

could be made regarding issues that have been

damaging or depleting the natural resources in

the catchments which are related to the

horticulture industry. The major issues arisen

include: water availability, water quality, soil

health, land use, pests, management systems,

waste management, biodiversity and

environmental services. To ensure that resources

are used sustainably by the horticulture industry

and that damage is not caused to the catchment,

the program is required to conduct research in

these areas and determine how they can be

improved.

Who is involved in it?The Centre for Agriculture and Business-Yarra Valley sign

the Pilot Project on behalf of the stakeholders which

involve the local government (Shire of Yarra Ranges),

Victorian government (DPI), regional NRM authority

(PPWCMA), agribusiness group (CAB-YV), and the

horticultural industry group such as the Nursery and

Gardening industry and the Yarra Wine Growers Assoc.

The people that have been involved in the Pilot Project

include Ian Ada (Shire of Yarra Ranges), Steve Chapman

(Centre of Agriculture and Business-Yarra Valley), David

Matthews (Nursery Growers Industry Association of Vic),

Lizzy Skinner (Melbourne water), Bronwyn South (Port

Phillip and Westernport CMA), Chloe Thomson

(Strawberry Industry Association, Industry Development

Officer), Adam Upton (Eastern Metropolitan Fruit Growers

Association) and Jim White (Yarra Valley Wine Growers

Association, Technical Sub-Committee).

What are the aims/intended outcomes?

The project is aimed to conduct an analysis of local issues,

environmental targets and programs for industry to identify any

gaps and program opportunities. A committee team was formed

to provide feedback and management to the project team. A

desktop analysis of a range of documentations about the region

natural resources such as Port phillip,Western Regional

Catchment Strategy and other management plans was revealed

to be a number of environmental risks that were rated as high,

medium or low risk. recurrent and annual crops and other new

businesses have lead to diversity in production practises both

across and and within industries. key natural resource

management risks and current production practices were

analysed and was then carried out. the process used to analyse

the collected information was:

1. Current Environmental Risks

2. Current Horticulture Production practises

Conclusion of project

From the results of the project, the following actions were recommended:

● A program assisting farmers to monitor the environmental impacts of their

practises.

● Assisting growers to set up more sustainable water storage options.

● Improving soil moisture monitoring and irrigation scheduling.

● Communication needs to occur between the horticulture industry and agencies with

an interest in natural resource management.

● Finding ways to recycling or reusing waste material.

● Further studies into why sustainable practises may not be possible.