Streamlining and Property Management Systems Project Overview

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'Improving farm business by working with farmers, regulatory authorities, local government and industry to demonstrate opportunities to reduce regulatory burden for farmers'

This project is important because......

Increasing pressure on primary producers to meet regulatory and legislative requirements whilst working towards 'cleaner, greener and more ethical' production systems is adding to the burden for farmers.

The Streamlining and Property Management Systems project is designed to identify, develop and promote ways to reduce regulatory and legislative burden, so that farmers can focus on farm productivity and improved environmental outcomes.

Funded under the Provincial Victoria initiative, this project was established in February 2006 and will end in June 2010.

How the project will reduce regulatory burden for farmers

Building on previous whole of farm planning and environmental management systems work, it will establish a 'fit for purpose' whole of property management systems (PMS) framework and work with local government to streamline planning and regulatory processes. Initial research indicates that reduced regulatory burden for farmers can be achieved through: streamlining planning and regulatory processes; farmers utilising property management systems; and service agencies collaborating to deliver information to farmers.

What we are doing to make this happen

To achieve this, project activity will include:

• undertaking extensive stakeholder engagement to gain a better understanding of policy issues, regulatory compliance requirements and causes of regulatory burden;
• conducting surveys and investigative workshops to better understand what is causing the burden on farmers;
• investigating PMS, industry certifications, standards and tools to assist farmers achieve compliance;
• using project methodology to identify, record, measure and demonstrate regulatory burden reductions across a range of farming enterprises; and
• establishing collaborative approaches and building capability within agencies, local government and industry to reduce regulatory burden.

Three pilot projects demonstrating regulatory burden reduction for farmers will be undertaken over the next 18 months. These are: Sustainable dairy development in South West Victoria; Land use planning with local government; and Collaborative service delivery using PMS in the Wimmera. The project will continue to develop collaborative partnerships with multiple stakeholders and provide training to enhance the capability and capacity of service providers.

• farmers recognise value in and using whole of farm planning/property management systems and participating in streamlined processes;
• agencies streamlining planning and regulatory processes and using PMS in a whole of government approach;
• local government collaborating with agencies to streamline and co-ordinate planning and regulatory processes and using PMS to meet their requirements: and
• industry proactively engaging with agencies and local government to streamline processes and utilitising PMS to meet legislative requirements.

Streamlining, with regard to property management systems, is about improving a situation that leads to: reduced regulatory burden on farmers and others involved; improved turn around time; improved farmer or agency understanding of legal regulatory and industry requirements; reduced farmer frustration; and improved goodwill between agencies and the farmer.