VICTORIAN farmers will lose control of the state's 10 catchment management authorities as they are merged to form five new natural resource and catchment management authorities.

Until now more than half of a CMA's board had to be primary producers, who derived most of their income from the land.

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But Environment Minister Gavin Jennings said the rules would change under a raft of reforms outlined in the Government's Securing Our Natural Future white paper released last week.

"The NRCA Boards will be skills-based rather than occupation-based," Mr Jennings said.

"But the Government is committed to having significant landholder involvement and will work with the Victorian Farmers Federation on the best way to ensure this happens."

VFF land management committee chairman Gerald Leach said he was obviously disappointed by the Government's decision.

"Farmer representation has been important because farmers manage 60 per cent of the land and have the practical knowledge and resources," Mr Leach said.

Not only will the make-up of the new NRCA boards change, but their role in planning is also likely to change.

"The NRCAs will provide up-to-date information and guidance to local government to assist in their decision-making processes," Mr Jennings said.

This will include:

  • Providing a planning addendum to the regional catchment strategies outlining important catchment areas.
  • Developing a model schedule for an Environmental Significance Overlay.
  • Nominating priority locations for native vegetation offsets and clearly identifying priorities for the protection of native vegetation.

The Government is set to pour $105 million into funding the new NRCAs from 2010-11 to 2013-14.

However, Mr Jennings said only $30 million of the funding was new money.

Some of the money will be used to provide incentives to farmers to form corridors of native vegetation (biolinks) across their properties in order to connect remnant vegetation, reserves, waterways and national parks.

"Biolinks on private land will be voluntary - either through BushTender-type incentives or Landcare grants," Mr Jennings said.

The Government is yet to determine how much it will spend on the new programs.

However, Mr Jennings said landholders would be able to tap into these incentives in 2010-11.