More than ever, farmers are expected to be custodians of their natural resources. However, there is a bewildering amount of information available on vegetation management, salinity, soils, water resources, groundwater, climate, ecosystems, pests and more. The situation is becoming more challenging for farmers as legislation covering tree clearing and water rights is changing rapidly. To help farmers, FSA Consulting has developed the “Managing my Natural Resources” training course. This course is delivered to you on your farm. It is approved by FarmBis in Queensland. FarmBis will subsidise 85% of the costs up to $10000. [subsidy suspended pending FarmBis budget allocations for 2004/2005] For more information, read this PDF document.

To understand and plan the development of your farm, you need detailed maps showing all of the natural resources of the property. This includes cadastral boundaries, topography, soils, vegetation, fields, roads, services, drainage lines and other features. FSA Consulting has prepared numerous whole farm plans. Plans can be supplied as hard copy or in a digital format suitable for GIS packages.

Soil Surveys    more info

Soil physical and chemical properties play a major role in the success of any agricultural system. An inventory of the soil and land resources for a property can provide data for numerous planning and management purposes. The majority of existing soil data is collected at a regional scale, which means the information will not provide sufficient information for farm scale planning and management. To provide a better understanding of the soil resource, more detailed mapping is essential. FSA Consulting has experienced soil surveyors to undertake site specific soil assessments and/or sampling for your property.

Property Vegetation Management Plans (PVMP)    more info

The Queensland State Policy for vegetation management was updated in September 2002. Under this new legislation, permits are required from NR&M to clear native vegetation from both freehold and leasehold land. Landholders need to develop Property Vegetation Management Plans (PVMP). Similar legislation exists in other states. FSA Consulting can assist landholders in complying with this legislation.

Land & Water Management Plans /
Irrigation and Drainage Management Plans    more info

Irrigation and drainage management plans (IDMPs) or Land and water management plans (LWMPs) describe the infrastructure, natural resources and management practices on a property. LWMPs are prepared to plan the productive, profitable and sustainable use of water for irrigation purposes. In Queensland, the Water Act 2000 outlines the current policy, including the need for an approved LWMP before purchased water allocations can be used for irrigation purposes. A LWMP will have a 'life' of up to 10 years from the initial approval. FSA Consulting has considerable experience in preparing LWMPs for a range of properties throughout the QMDB.

Whole Farm Planning    more info

Whole farm planning is essential for new and existing farming developments. FSA Consulting can prepare whole farm plans that reduce infrastructure and earthmoving costs, lower maintenance, increase crop production, minimise environmental impacts and ultimately save water and money. Whole farm plans can investigate and identify storage sites, drainage and contours, suitable land use and irrigation areas, pump and infrastructure sites, irrigation methods, etc.