Grazing

This social monitoring data presents the opinions of graziers engaged in practice change projects to reduce sediment, nutrients and pesticides being lost to local waterways.

During 2019–2020, many graziers engaged in practice change projects, with over 200 producers responding to surveys about their practice change journey.

The below graphs present data from projects that provided surveys at the start and at the end of a project in 2019–2020.

Not all graziers completed both surveys, so the graphs may represent different respondents and are not directly comparable.

Attitudes

Before

“I think this farming practice is a positive thing to do on my farm.”

Response Number of responses
Strongly agree 47
Agree 27
Neither agree nor disagree 0
Disagree 0
Strongly disagree 1
Don't know 0
No response 1

76 graziers answered this question at the start of their project, in relation to their particular practice (e.g. changing my pasture management, changing the way I manage streambanks and gullies).

After

Response Number of responses
Strongly agree 76
Agree 54
Neither agree nor disagree 4
Disagree 5
Strongly disagree 0
Don't know 0
No response 2

141 graziers answered this question at the end of their project, in relation to their particular practice (e.g. changing my pasture management, changing the way I manage streambanks and gullies).

Confidence

Before

“I feel that this farming practice is easy to do on my farm.”

Response Number of responses
Strongly agree 11
Agree 40
Neither agree nor disagree 14
Disagree 8
Strongly disagree 3
Don't know 0
No response 0

76 graziers answered this question at the start of their project, in relation to their particular practice (e.g. changing my pasture management, changing the way I manage streambanks and gullies).

After

Response Number of responses
Strongly agree 16
Agree 87
Neither agree nor disagree 19
Disagree 16
Strongly disagree 1
Don't know 0
No response 2

141 graziers answered this question at the end of their project, in relation to their particular practice (e.g. changing my pasture management, changing the way I manage streambanks and gullies).

Motivations

Before

“What were your main reason/s for implementing this farming practice?”

Topic Number of responses
Government funding  6
Increased profitability 33
Increased production 45
To save time 6
To save money 4
To comply with regulations 7
Benefit local water quality 30
Benefit the environment 54
For my family 12
Other landholders  0
No reasons to change 0
Other 10
I don't know  0
I'd prefer not to answer 0
No response 1

76 graziers answered this question at the start of their project, in relation to their particular practice (e.g. changing my pasture management, changing the way I manage streambanks and gullies). Respondents were asked to choose up to three options.

After

Topic Number of responses
Government funding  26
Increased profitability 52
Increased production 76
To save time 5
To save money 2
To comply with regulations 6
Benefit local water quality 42
Benefit the environment 77
For my family 17
Other landholders  2
No reasons to change 1
Other 15
I don't know  0
I'd prefer not to answer 0
No response 25

141 graziers answered this question at the end of their project, in relation to their particular practice (e.g. changing my pasture management, changing the way I manage streambanks and gullies). Respondents were asked to choose up to three options.

Barriers

Before

“What where your main challenge/s in relation to implementing this farming practice?”

Topic Number of responses
Worried about production 5
Worried about profitability 5
I do not have the time 34
I need more information  12
It costs too much 42
No water quality benefit 0
It is not the way I manage my farm 6
Weather and seasonal issues 26
Lack of family support 4
Past failures 0
Constrained by contractors 8
No challenges/difficulties 10
Other 10
I don't know 0
I'd prefer not to answer 2
No response  2

76 graziers answered this question at the start of the project, in relation to their particular practice (e.g. changing my pasture management, changing the way I manage streambanks and gullies). Respondents were asked to choose up to three options.

After

Topic Number of responses
Worried about production 6
Worried about profitability 3
I do not have the time 46
I need more information  11
It costs too much 68
No water quality benefit 1
It is not the way I manage my farm 13
Weather and seasonal issues 44
Lack of family support 2
Past failures 3
Constrained by contractors 13
No challenges/difficulties 18
Other 17
I don't know 0
I'd prefer not to answer 3
No response  18

141 graziers answered this question at the end of their engagement, in relation to their particular practice (e.g. changing my pasture management, changing the way I manage streambanks and gullies). Respondents were asked to choose up to three options.