A South Australia farming couple has won the most prestigious national award for excellence in natural resource management.

Port Vincent farmers Wolford and Marie Parsons were awarded the annual McKell Medal at a meeting of the Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council in Melbourne today for transforming their 630 hectare farm, The Springs.

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Tony Burke congratulated the Parsons on their efforts to revitalise their property.

“Back in the early 1980s, the Parsons were confronted with a property so badly degraded by salinity that they considered leaving,” Mr Burke said

“Instead, they made drastic changes to the way the farm is managed and the results are outstanding.

“They incorporated marginal land back into a whole-of-farm system, rather than just focus on the profitable land, and turned the unprofitable parts of their farm into real assets.

“The Parsons have now controlled the spread of salinity, transformed the appearance of their farm and provided habitat for native flora and fauna by planting 200,000 trees and shrubs, constructing 45 kilometres of fencing and putting in countless hours of labour.”

Wolford and Marie have also worked with the local primary school to provide a learning package for children to give them a hands-on understanding of managing dryland salinity.

This education program, part of the Australian Government’s Sustainable Schools Initiative, has expanded across the region and beyond. The Springs now regularly hosts visits from schools and university students, researchers, extension specialists and farmer groups.

The McKell Medal is named in honour of Sir William McKell, a former NSW State Premier (1941-47) and Governor-General (1947-53), for his outstanding contribution to soil and land conservation in Australia.

Nominations for next year’s McKell Medal are now open, and will close on 14 November 2008.

Nomination forms are available at www.daff.gov.au/mckellmedal.