Approximately 4,000 landholders across the West Australian Wheatbelt and high rainfall regions of the south-west are being invited to participate in a major survey investigating land and farm management practices. This marks the second time WA landholders will take part in the Soil CRC’s agricultural social benchmarking study, led by Murdoch University.
“The most important element of healthy soils and a resilient farming system are the decisions made by farmers about their farm,” said Project Leader, Associate Professor Hanabeth Luke of Murdoch University.
“This comprehensive survey is a vital part of our efforts to understand the important social and economic factors shaping landholder decision-making in Western Australia.”
The longitudinal study brings landholder voices together to inform strategic planning for the organisations that support them. It builds on the Soil CRC’s landholder survey delivered in 2020 and provides insight into practice changes and trends that property managers are experiencing.
The WA survey is being delivered in collaboration with local partners including the West Midlands Group, Wheatbelt NRM, Liebe Group, the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER), and the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD).
“Our partners and farmers have helped to co-design and test the survey to ensure the questions are useful and relevant, and that the results can support tailored assistance for landholders,” Associate Professor Luke said.
West Midlands Group’s Simon Kruger is a member of the project team and said the previous survey findings have significantly influenced their operations over the past five years.
“The first round of surveys helped us to focus funding priorities for our growers, and the results provided the impetus for other investment we have brought into the region,” he said.
The survey asks landholders about their long-term plans, enterprise mix, key challenges, and how they access information. The findings will help identify factors shaping farming land management in Western Australia to inform future engagement, research and investment.
Paper survey notices will arrive in letterboxes across the region from late August.
“Participation by our local landholders is incredibly valuable and we encourage every property manager who receives the survey in their mailbox to get involved,” Mr Kruger said.
Associate Professor Luke also encourages grower groups and support agencies in the WA wheatbelt and south-west region to help raise awareness of the landholder survey to increase participation.
“The benefits of this research extend beyond the Soil CRC and our partners – the key findings will be made available on the Soil CRC’s website and can be used by other local grower groups to inform their own planning and activities.
“A high level of landholder participation will benefit individuals and organisations working across the West Australian agriculture and land management space,” Associate Professor Luke said.
Survey details for WA landholders
Paper notices have been mailed to a random sample of rural landholders with properties across the state.
Our postal correspondence has a serial number that enables us to spatially reference our survey results with soil and weather data. Please use the serial number included in your paper notice if completing the survey online. No specific property or person will ever be identifiable in our reporting.
If you did not receive a paper notice, we still welcome your participation, so please feel free to complete the survey online.
For more information about participating in the survey, contact Associate Professor Hanabeth Luke on 08 9360 7472 or by email at Hanabeth.Luke@murdoch.edu.au.
About the Social Benchmarking Study
The survey is part of the Soil CRC’s national effort to deliver landholder surveys across six major farming regions: the Western Australian Wheatbelt, Central West NSW, South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula, Tasmania and two major catchment regions of Victoria.
The project team is building a national dataset to better understand landholder needs to inform research and policy and strengthen the resilience of Australian farming systems.
So far, more than 4,000 landholders have participated in this study across Australia.
Reports from the previous landholder surveys can be viewed on the Soil CRC website.
Find out more at the NRM Knowledge Conference
Associate Professor Luke will be presenting on the Soil CRC Social Benchmarking Project at the 9th National NRM Knowledge Conference in Cairns Queensland next month. She will also be sitting on a panel with the leaders of the National Soil Monitoring Program and National Soil Action Plan. For more details and to register for the conference, head to the NRM Regions Australia website.