A NEW $2.25 million project will give pastoralists greater flexibility to diversify.
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The State Government will invest $2.25m from Royalties for Regions funding to support the Rangelands Reform Program, which is designed to give pastoralists more flexibility and freedom in how they can earn a living.
Currently, pastoralists are restricted to running stock but this program will encourage them to consider tourism, conservation, horticulture, abattoirs or lotfeeding opportunities.
The reform program will also include the creation of a "one-stop shop", to reduce red tape and streamline the process for approving pastoral lease diversification.
It will build on the work of the Southern Rangelands and Pastoral Diversification reviews instigated last year by Agriculture and Food Minister, Terry Redman.
"A number of recommendations came from those reviews, including potential legislative changes to allow for a greater level of flexibility across the rangeland areas," Mr Redman said.
"This step is to allow the opportunities that are present in those areas to be fully used."
In conjunction with other government agencies and the Pastoral Lands Board, the Department of Regional Development and Lands will begin work in 2011 towards drafting changes to the Lands Administration Act 1997 to allow leaseholders increased capacity to diversify operations.
Member for the Mining and Pastoral Region, Wendy Duncan, will lead the reform process which will occur over the next three years.
Ms Duncan said developing alternative forms of land tenure would provide current and future leaseholders with greater flexibility, security and incentives to invest.
She said the philosophy was to maintain and improve the rangelands.
"We will now be judging on what they can do in the rangelands based on the rangelands conditions," she said.
"There are also those niche marketing opportunities that we need to assist them with."
Pastoralists and Graziers Association (PGA) president, Rob Gillam, welcomed the announcement and said he would be very pleased if the reform program was completed in 2011.
"I am very happy that it appears that the process is underway and the main thing is making changes to land tenure," Mr Gillam said.
"It's a very drawn out process at the moment.
"These changes will allow for diversification in tourism, horticulture and livestock feeding opportunities."
Kimberley pastoralist, Kirsty Forshaw, who runs Nita Downs station with her husband, Damian, said the Rangelands Reform Program was a good step that demonstrated the government's interest in pastoral diversification.
The Forshaws have recently got a diversification permit and next year will grow Rhodes grass for the cattle and are also considering going down the horticultural path.
"If the process was easier and they had guidance, I think more would diversify," Ms Forshaw said
"It is quite a daunting process because people don't know where to start and how to approach it.
"But the process is getting easier and quicker."
Ms Forshaw said in light of the live export situation more pastoralists were looking at diversifying and become more viable.
"Not everybody wants to diversify but there are people who want to make their future a bit more stable and take away a few of the risks," she said.
"When you have trouble selling cattle, it's important you have a back-up."
