Dairy farm impacts of fencing riparian land: An analysis of farmers' perceptions of the costs and benefits

Excerpt

Uncontrolled stock access to streams contributes excessive nutrient and pathogen inputs from urine and dung, causes trampling and pugging or poaching of banks, and leads to overgrazing of riparian vegetation (Trimble and Mendel 1995; Hooda et al. 2000; Agouridis et al. 2005). In addition, in Victoria, Australia, all of the processes that potentially threaten riparian biodiversity are influenced by grazing management of riparian areas (NRE 1997; Lowe et al. 2000).

The grazing-based dairy industry in the Gippsland region accounted for 35.3% of Victoria's dairy production in 2009 and 2010 (DA 2011) and half of the agricultural production in Gippsland (WGCMA 2004). GippsDairy, the regional dairy board, highlighted water and biodiversity management for community and on-farm benefits as major challenges currently facing the industry (GippsDairy 2006), with the desired outcomes including (1) a reduction in nutrient contamination of waterways and groundwater while maintaining dairy farm productivity and (2) the protection and enhancement of native vegetation, wildlife habitat, stream banks, and wetlands on dairy farms to increase biodiversity assets.

Riparian Interventions. Improvement in riparian management and water quality on dairy farms includes the installation of buffers (Dabney et al. 2006), exclusion of stock (Line et al. 2000), and rotational grazing (RMS 2009).