South Australian primary producers will receive support to install new underpasses to help with safer movement of livestock from paddock-to-paddock with the launch of a $3 million grants program.
The Livestock Underpass Scheme (LUPS) will provide a 50 per cent reimbursement of up to $70,000 to farmers towards the cost of constructing underpasses beneath public roads to move livestock.
Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development David Basham, who announced the new grants at Nangkita Dairy on the Fleurieu Peninsula, said the grant program is expected to lead to improved safety and boost on-farm productivity.
“Grants for farmers to build livestock underpasses has been successfully done interstate and it is pleasing to be able to deliver for the dairy industry, which has been championing this program for many years,” Minister Basham said.
“Livestock underpasses remove the need for farmers to herd livestock across roads to access facilities such as dairies, as well as eliminating traffic delays and reducing the risk of road accidents and damage to road surfaces.
“This means a safer working environment for the livestock industry as well as for families driving through agricultural areas.
“Underpasses improve farm productivity by allowing freer movement of stock and reducing the time livestock spend off pasture waiting to be herded across roads and minimising pugging at gates.
“The Marshall Liberal Government will always back our farmers to help grow South Australia’s economy and create jobs and this new $3 million grants scheme is another example of that.
“This builds on our State Budget 2021-22 which committed $56 million across a range of initiatives to help support economic recovery, grow the industry and create local jobs in agriculture.”
South Australian Dairyfarmers’ Association board representative, Ben McHugh, welcomed the initiative as part of the South Australian Dairy Action Plan.
“The safe movement of livestock across roads has been a serious issue for the industry for many years and we expect these grants to be well utilised,” Mr McHugh said.
“South Australian dairy is uniquely poised to carve out a niche in the global marketplace by placing itself at the front of the premium market and it is initiatives such as this grant program that will create efficiencies and help us compete on a world stage.
Applications open Monday 12 July and will close on 30 June 2022 with the scheme available to primary producers, abattoirs and saleyards.