Moonlight to shine at Premier’s awards

ROKEWOOD natural agriculture community, Moonlight Creek, is a finalist in the Premier’s Sustainability Awards.

An initiative of Cassinia Environmental, the project is up for the Industry Leader Award in the thriving environment category for its model that aims to combine biodiversity, farming, and a sense of community.

Sustainability Victoria interim CEO Matt Genever said the initiative is an inspiring one.

“Community champions like this are leading the way in sustainability, and I look forward to recognising their achievements at the awards ceremony in November,” he said.

Based at Kyneton, Cassinia Environmental is a land management company that seeks to deal with conflict between farming and environmental groups.

As part of the Moonlight Creek project the organisation’s staff established a land management plan addressing profitable agriculture while incorporating environment issues including indigenous flora and fauna.

The document also sought to support the Rokewood community.

“The large-scale protection and restoration of over 200 hectares of the [Moonlight Creek] property was largely undertaken in 2021, and already the landscape is visibly changed, with waterways cleaner, birds returning and over 10 kilometres of waterways protected,” a statement from Sustainability Victoria said.

“A farming family reside in the house on the property, running the farm on regenerative principles and producing high quality food.”

Now in its 21st year, the Premier’s Sustainability Awards aim to highlight communities, groups, enterprises, and local governments working to prioritise the health of the environment, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.