Land management in the Wimmera: Rural landholder social benchmarking report 2023

The Soil CRC Social Benchmarking project, Surveying On-Farm Practices, was initiated in 2019 to implement surveys in partnership with local farming organisations across multiple Australian states, providing accurate information to support improved soil and land management. It is collating a dataset of national significance, showing both breadth and depth of information on factors involved in on-farm decision-making for Australian farmers.

The 2023 Wimmera Social Benchmarking Study contributes to the national Soil CRC project, and is funded by the Co-operative Research Centre for
High-Performance Soils (Soil CRC) and the Wimmera Catchment Management Authority (CMA). The survey approach, led by Dr Hanabeth Luke, of Southern Cross University (SCU), builds on previous work by Professor Allan Curtis1. The questionnaire is customised through collaboration with regional partners to ensure regional relevance, with questions asked regarding farmers’ actual and intended practices, challenges, and aspirations. Important background information is also collected on farm management styles, landholder values, risk perception, and items that focus on self- assessed knowledge of, and confidence in, current recommended (best) practices. Core questions remain consistent across regions to enable comparisons and the development of a nationally
consistent dataset; however, our approach allows regional priorities to be explored through the customised questions