The Mingenew-Irwin Group has been involved in the development of Environmental Management Systems (EMS) since 2000.  With the Grains Reserach Development Corporation (GRDC), the Natural Heritage Trust (NHT) and more recently NACC support, MIG have managed to develop a simple and easy to adopt EMS approach specifically tailored for MIG members and broadacre agriculture.  The MIG EMS is essentially based on the ISO14001 standard.

Benefits associated with EMS do, and it is presumed will occur at several levels.  These include but are not restricted to the following:

Individual farm business

• More strategic environmental management (rather than reactive)
• Better whole of business management (plan-do-check-act)
• Introduction to quality assurance requirements
• Proof of good management
• Succession planning tool
• Easy step up to ISO14001 level if desired by members

Mingenew-Irwin Group

• Monitoring and evaluation of NRM projects (through auditing)
• Focus on regional targets
• Improved whole of catchment management
• Proof of member excellence
• Possible local ‘branding’ or marketing

Industry

• Protection of ‘clean and green’ image and hence continued access to certain markets
• Protection against legislation
• Large scale environmental improvement

For approximately 10 years the MIG has been supporting local members environmental activities through funding submissions (approx $1,500,000 since 1996), planning, advice, demonstrations, etc.  In more recent years, MIG has been successfully integrating farm production and natural resource management (perennial pastures, weed management, stubble retention) and now has a membership base which is seeking recognition for its environmental performance.  Because of this, the membership needed a method to take its environmental efforts to the next level, therefore the ‘Healthy Farms’ program was developed.

The idea of the ‘Healthy Farms’ program is to:

i.                     Promote MIG members environmental efforts

ii.                   Integrate environmental efforts and develop progressive new initiatives

iii.                  Alongside the EMS, incorporate other essential farming programs including:

a.       Quality Assurance

b.      Chemical Accreditation

c.       Farm Safety

What is in it for members?

1. Assistance with the development, implementation and maintenance of MIG developed Environmental Management Systems (EMS)
2. Inclusion in funding submissions put forward by the Mingenew-Irwin Group (i.e. NHT Envirofunds)
3. Direct link to peak our regional NRM body – the Northern Agriculture Catchments Council (NACC)
4. Farm mapping support through MIG's geographic information system
5. Advice and support from MIG Environmental staff
6. Involvement in new NRM focused research and development projects (i.e. Grain and Graze – perennial pastures)
7. Annual summary of local environmental activities and outcomes

What does a member have to do to be involved?

1. Commit to adopting MIG approved EMS
2. Undertake annual EMS ‘self audit’ and biennial ‘external audit’
3. Pay annual MIG membership levy

EMS and associated auditing will play a significant part in the ‘Healthy Farms’ program.  It is the single tool that will allow us to differentiate the program from others across Australia.

It is also the tool that will allow us to carry out detailed monitoring and evaluation of projects and overall environmental efforts.  The MIG annual and external audits (developed alongside the CBH Better Farm IQ auditing system), will result in information being collated by MIG staff, which allow us to build a very powerful data-base of local activity.  This will be useable to guide our efforts and also to prove that ‘good environmental management’ is taking place.