North East CMA

Financial assistance is available to help fire-affected farmers with recovery.
* Primary Producer Bushfire Recovery Grants of up to $75,000 to assist with clean-up and reinstating enterprises.
* Primary Producer Bushfire Recovery Concessional Loans of up to $250,000 for those who have suffered major asset damage or loss of income.
These supports are administered by Rural Finance on behalf of the Victorian Government, for grant guidelines and to apply visit ruralfinance.com.au/grants
For more information about financial assistance, technical information and recovery support, visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/bushfires

🌾🐄Meet our keynote presenter: Cynthia Mahoney 🌾🐑

North East CMA is excited to welcome experienced facilitator, coach, mentor, speaker and author Cynthia Mahoney to our upcoming Women in Agriculture Forum. There are still plenty of tickets despite an earlier glitch with our ticketing platform.

Cynthia is passionate about personal growth, neuroscience, positive psychology, courageous conversations, and human performance and wellbeing. Her guiding belief—grounded in neuroscience research—is that “happier people are higher performing.” She is dedicated to helping individuals and teams thrive, particularly within the agricultural sector.

Cynthia will lead her highly regarded, hands-on workshop “Farming Stronger”, which will feature as the morning session at the forum. Delivered across the state, this practical workshop supports women in agriculture to perform at their best—even through the toughest seasons.

💡 In this session, you’ll gain:
• Practical strategies to manage stress and uncertainty
• Evidence-based tools to sustain energy and wellbeing
• Take-home resources you can apply immediately
• Skills to make clear, confident decisions when it matters most

📍 Where: Milawa
📅 When: Thursday 18 June 2026
👉 Don't miss out! Secure your spot: https://events.humanitix.com/women-in-agriculture-forum
This project is supported by the Australian Government through funding from the under the Climate-Smart Agriculture Program.

Next generation of farmers focus on soil health 🌱

The hosted its third Next Generation Farmers workshop at Murmungee at the weekend, bringing together 36 local producers from across the Ovens Catchment.

This dedicated group represents the next generation of farming—spanning those working within multi-generational family businesses, those establishing their own enterprises, and those delivering services supporting the agricultural sector.

The focus of this workshop was soil health, with participants taking part in a farm walk at Paul Neary’s property. The session included:
• Inspecting recently sown paddocks and irrigation areas
• Exploring a soil pit to better understand local soil characteristics
• Practical workshop at the Bowmans-Murmungee Memorial Hall on interpreting soil test results, with Dr Cassie Schafe, a soil scientist from Rutherglen-based business .

Key takeaways included:
• Ensuring soil pH and phosphorus levels are adequate for plant growth before looking at nitrogen-fertilisers
• The benefits of incorporating lime to 10-15cm with a speed disc to improve soil pH at depth when re-sowing pastures
• Understanding subsoil constraints – particularly avoiding deep ripping in sodic subsoil to prevent slaking and soil structure collapse

The Next Generation Farmers group meets 4-5 times a year to share experiences and build skills in soils, animal health and management.

Family-friendly events, including activities for children, help ensure everyone can take part.

👉 Interested in joining? Contact Libby on [email protected].

This project is supported by the Australian Government through funding from the under the Climate-Smart Agriculture Program.

Mid Ovens Landcare Consortium Inc

North East CMA would like to congratulate Upper Murray Landcare Network and Mitta to Murray Landcare on their success in receiving Landcare Australia's Victorian Bushfire Recovery Grants.
In the Upper Murray, Bullioh, Tallangatta Valley and Granya areas, landholders will be supported to restore both agricultural land and native vegetation through activities such as fencing, erosion control and pest management.
The grants are backed by a bequest alongside contributions from corporate and private donors, with more than $160,000 directed to grassroots Landcare groups leading recovery efforts on the ground.
The full list of grant recipients is at https://landcareaustralia.org.au/grant/landcare-australia-victorian-bushfire-recovery-grants-2026/

Did you know ARV Mt Hotham undertakes a range of seasonal environmental programs to keep its precious headwater streams healthy and thriving with indigenous biodiversity?

A highlight of this year was partnering with who provided additional funding and contractor oversight to treat Seeding Willow and English Broom along Swindlers Creek from Orchard Chair offload downstream past the Silver Brumby Hut. Swindlers Creek is a headwater tributary of the Cobungra River in the Upper Mitta Mitta Catchment.

Treating invasive Willow at the top of the catchment helps stop the spread downstream. These works are vital in keeping our headwater streams pristine, maintaining both water quantity and quality. For more information on North East CMA’s Upper Mitta Mitta Flagship Project go to https://www.necma.vic.gov.au/Projects/Current-projects/Upper-Mitta-Mitta-Flagship-Project.

For more information on ARV Mt Hotham’s environmental management programs, go to alpineresorts.vic.gov.au/the-resorts/environment

North East CMA supports National Reconciliation Week (27 May - 3 June).
This year's week is about coming together – be it in person or online.
📅 Add your public event to the public calendar to encourage people to join: https://bit.ly/3Jn5dhy
AlburyCity will host the local National Reconciliation Week Flag Raising Ceremony at QEII Square this Wednesday 27 May at 10am.
Towong Shire Council will host a reconciliation morning tea at Tallangatta Library, 33-37 Towong St, Tallangatta on Thursday 28 May at 10:30 am - 11:30am
Wodonga TAFE will hold two cultural immersion walks on Thursday 28 May at 9.30am to 10.30am and 11am to 12pm.
🔎 Search for local events near you: https://bit.ly/3WL2kPn
⬇️ Download resources for your event: https://bit.ly/3Jn5dy4
🖼️ Find multilingual resources and posters: https://bit.ly/3Jn5d12

The theme for this year’s is From Sorry to Action. The call is clear, we must move from words to action, and this needs to happen now, not in another decade.
Acknowledging past harm is important, but acting to address it is critical. Sorry signals compassion, action delivers justice.
We encourage you to mark National Sorry Day on 26 May, and to stand with us to ensure this day is part of an ongoing commitment to truth-telling and healing.
Sorry without action is not enough

Huge congratulations to Julie Hind and Wodonga Urban Landcare Network.
Julie last week received the Bryan Watson Wodonga Individual Volunteer of the Year award for her exceptional work as president and chair of the Wodonga Urban Landcare Network.
A founding member, Julie has guided WULN from a small volunteer committee into a strong, skills-based charitable organisation supporting 18 member groups and hundreds of volunteers. Her vision, reliability and mentorship have shaped WULN's growth and long-term success.

North East CMA project officer Phillip Falcke inspects a w**d infestation within the King Valley Woody W**d Incentives Program area.

The North East CMA is inviting landholders and private land managers in the Upper King River Valley, between Lake William Hovell and Edi Cutting, to submit an Expression of Interest to receive grant funding for the control of priority invasive woody w**ds.

We are seeking projects that cover a minimum area of 1 hectare (2.5 acres). Sites may be located anywhere within the Program Area, including difficult or hard to access locations such as farm dams or stream corridors.

The aim of the program is to reduce the local and regional spread of invasive woody w**ds, which are costly to manage and cause ongoing environmental damage if left untreated.

THE EOI PERIOD WILL RUN FROM 25 May to 2 July 2026 (5pm)

For full information and application details click on https://www.necma.vic.gov.au/Solutions-Resources/Landholder-and-Community-Grants/King-Valley-Woody-W**d-Incentives-Program-Expressions-of-Interest

The group, through funding from the and North East CMA has produced a video on the highly invasive and hard-to-control w**d Tall Fleabane.

This w**d is increasingly present in north east Victoria and other parts of the state.

Tall fleabane is a fast-spreading w**d that threatens agriculture and the environment by competing for water, nutrients, and sunlight, reducing land productivity and increasing control costs.

It produces large numbers of wind-dispersed seeds, allowing it to spread quickly, and its rising resistance to herbicides makes it harder to manage over time.

It can also invade natural ecosystems, displacing native species and lowering biodiversity.

Acting early is critical - once established, it becomes much more difficult and expensive to control. Everyone can play a role in stopping its spread by staying alert and removing young plants - be part of the solution and help protect our land and environment.

This funding has enabled production of the very first Australian video on Tall Fleabane to be uploaded on YouTube.

More information in this brochure produced by the Kergunyah Landcare group -https://www.kclg.org.au/wp-content/uploads/tall_fleabane_full_brochure-compressed.pdf
You can also link to the Landcare group at https://www.kclg.org.au/kergunyah-landcare/

Tall Fleabane: Spot it, Stop it Learn about the biology, spread and control of Tall Fleabane. A video by Kergunyah Landcare Group, a sub-group of Kiewa Catchment Landcare Groups