BALONNE RECEIVES AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE
Balonne Shire Council has been awarded the Local Government Managers of Australia’s 2024 Award for Excellence in the Sustainability category for its ambitious and highly successful Wild Dog Exclusion Fencing Program.
The LGMA Awards for Excellence recognise the best of local government initiatives in the state, noting the differing environments and communities that local government serves.
Mayor Samantha O’Toole was delighted to be acknowledged for this program and credited the result as a collaborative effort from Council and landholders.
“This is a great result, but we really need to acknowledge everyone who participated in this program, which is delivering some outstanding benefits for participants and the broader community”, said Mayor O’Toole.
Council has been delivering this Wild Dog Exclusion Fencing Program since 2019, which has seen a total of around 1,692km of fencing now constructed, which encompasses an area of 695,554 ha on 87 properties and more than 66% of the Shire now fenced with exclusion fencing.
The Wild Dog Exclusion Fencing Program will deliver a $100 million increase in agricultural income and around 230 extra jobs in the Shire.
This program was the result of Council securing $13 million in Federal government grants and State government Special Rate Scheme funding, which was a major catalyst that inspired additional private farm funding to create a total of $44 million investment in exclusion fencing in the Shire.
This project has also created a greater ability for on-farm diversification, which has also generated an additional $42 million in investment in plant and equipment, yards and sheds, internal fences and water improvements on local farms.
“We are now seeing the obvious benefits of reduced stock losses and improved stock reproductive rates, along with a range of other benefits from farmers regaining control of their properties and being prepared to invest and diversify,” said Mayor O’Toole.
“For our small Shire to see an increase of around 230 jobs from one program is a great outcome for locals and landholders alike.
“The new exclusion fencing is also giving our landholders the opportunity to explore different types of farming to improve productivity in a variety of conditions, including an unexpected growth in cropping.
“We know that farmers are a resilient bunch, but to see the results of this report identifying a reduction of landholder’s stress levels and an improvement in positivity about their future was great to see.
“We still have more to do with this program and Council will continue seeking further grant funding opportunities to continue increasing exclusion fencing and the benefits it creates for the Shire.”
The Balonne Shire Exclusion Fencing Program was made possible through funding Balonne Shire Council (BSC) sourced from the Australian Government’s Communities Combating Pest and Weed Impacts during Drought (CCWI) grant program, the Murray Darling Basin Economic Development Program (MDBEDP) and two rounds of Special Rate Scheme with low-interest loans from the Queensland Treasury Corporation, organised by Council.