Caring for our Country grants

Media Statement - 20th November 2008

The Rudd Government today announced more than $28.5 million in funding to support 137 local and community groups with environmental and sustainable farming projects under Caring for our Country.

Environment Minister, Peter Garrett and Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Tony Burke, said grants of between $80,000 and $400,000 would assist catchment management bodies, farmer and community groups, universities and industry organisations.

Projects will include work to protect endangered species in the Mount Lofty Ranges in South Australia; manage weeds in the Fitzroy Basin in Western Australia; improve soil carbon storage, restore seabird habitat on Montague Island off the coast of NSW, protect platypus in Tasmania and protect turtles in Arnhem Land.

The package includes more than $5.5 million for sustainable farming practices; $8.9 million for Landcare projects; more than $7.3 million for biodiversity and natural icons, more than $5.7 million for coasts and critical aquatic habitats and more than $1.1 million for other projects.

“These 137 grants, part of the Rudd Government’s $2.25 billion commitment to Caring for our Country, will lead to significant environmental benefits and advances in land management practices in all states and territories,” Mr Garrett said.

“Through Caring for our Country, the Government is taking a comprehensive, targeted and integrated approach to natural resource management funding, encouraging organisations to work together to deliver on national priorities.

“Many projects funded through this Open Grants scheme look beyond their local environmental issues to link up with others to deliver better environment and land management practices on a larger scale.

“For example, the Murrumbidgee Catchment Management Authority’s project Murray Mouth to Mountains Ecosystem Corridors will bring together ten catchment management organisations along the length of the Murray River. They will work together to build on and create links of native vegetation between the river and the ridgeline areas from the Murray mouth in South Australia, through NSW, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory to the recently National Heritage Listed Australian Alps.”

The ministers said climate change and other pressures such as invasive weeds and pests underlined the need for the Government to continue to work in partnership with communities to help ensure the future of Australia’s environment and farming industries.

Minister Burke said Australia’s farmers were world-leaders in sustainable land management and the funding would help them to continue their environmental work.

“Our farmers understand the harsh Australian environment and the need to look after our precious landscape,” Mr Burke said.

“These grants allow local projects to build on farmers’ good work.

“Through Caring for our Country, the Government continues to recognise that work and provide funding support so it can continue.

“One example is a project in the northern agricultural region of Western Australia to encourage the planting of the native shrub melaleuca, to minimise the effects of salinity on farms.

“This will provide both biodiversity benefits including lowering the water table and revegetation of land affected by salinity.

“At the same time, prunings from the melaleuca trees can be harvested for brushwood fencing material. This is a win for both the environment and farmers,” Mr Burke said.

“We look forward to working together to secure a sustainable, resilient and productive environment for all Australians to share.”

Further information and a full listing of successful grants is available at www.nrm.gov.au/projects/open-grants.html

Projects Funded

National or Multistate

Landcare

Project Title	Group	Funding
Sustainable Milk Production Model for the Northern Dairy Industry	Queensland Dairyfarmers' Organisation Limited	$152,273
Maximising Nutrient Use Efficiency and Improving Soil Health in the Processing Tomato Industry	Australian Processing Tomato Research Council Inc	$141,279
Strategic Management of Serrated Tussock - Reducing Threats to Sustainable Farming	Snowy River Interstate Landcare Committee Inc.	$143,460
Australian Wine Industry Stewardship Environmental Assurance Program	Winemakers' Federation of Australia Inc.	$241,982
Australian Pastoral Property Innovation Manual	Rural Directions Trust	$192,182
Sustainable Piggery Effluent Utilisation in Australian Farming Systems	Australian Pork Limited	$127,955
Protecting the Northern Territory from Rubber Vine incursion	Roper River Landcare Group Inc	$158,500
Sustainable Practice - Development of the Horticulture Recognition Framework	Horticulture Australia Limited	$239,326
Do It with Dung - from the Mountains to the Murray	Kiewa Catchment Landcare Group	$253,023
Enhancing Adoption of Best Practice Grazing Management in Northern Australia: Phase 1 - Integration and Scenario Testing	Meat & Livestock Australia Limited	$299,795
A Responsible Lead - Laying the Foundations of the Grains Industry Environmental Plan	Grains Research and Development Corporation	$363,636
Seanet East- the Environmental Fisheries Extension Program for Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria	Oceanwatch Australia Ltd	$398,545
Developing Sustainable Production Systems, Resilient to Climate Change - Baselining	Avongro Wheatbelt Tree Cropping Incorporated	$399,682

Other

Project Title	Group	Funding
Prickly Acacia Outlier Control in Northwest Queensland and South Australia	Southern Gulf Catchments Limited	$120,750
National Online Database for Weed Risk Assessment	Department of Primary Industries	$138,218
National Guidelines for Minimising Waterway infestations of Chilean Needle Grass - Filling a Major Gap in Knowledge and Advice	Victoria University	$85,000
Woodland Bird Conservation Project	Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union	$301,909
The Great Toad Muster and National Cane Toad Eradication Week	Stop the Toad Foundation (Inc.)	$150,273
EMU - Empowering Pastoralists to Manage for Sustainable and Productive Landscapes	Natural Resource Management Board (NT) Incorporated	$201,500
Upper Murrumbidgee Demonstration Reach	Territory and Municipal Services	$274,636
Protecting and Restoring Arid Rivers from Invasive Athel Pine (Tamarix Spp)	Department of Primary Industries and Resources	$360,235
A National Market Based instrument for Feral Camel Control	National Rangelands NRM Alliance	$397,727
The Threatened Bird Network	Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union	$135,000
Harnessing Continent-Wide Biodiversity Datasets for Prioritising National Conservation Investment	Commonwealth Science and Industrial Research Organisation	$95,742

New South Wales

Landcare

Project Title	Group	Funding
Yowrie Valley Biodiversity Enhancement and Sustainable Farming Program	Yowrie Valley Landcare Group	$82,273
Farmer Targets for Climate Change - New South Wales Mid North Coast	Dairy Advancement Group	$131,700
Climate Priorities - Stocktake and Priority Setting for Broadacre Irrigation in the New South Wales Riverina	Ricegrowers Association of Australia	$185,500
Horticulture For Tomorrow - Taking Stock of the Environmental Impacts of Horticultural Production in Australia	Horticulture Australia Limited	$93,000

Other

Project Title	Group	Funding
Kalare (Lachlan) River Willow Eradication and Management Project	Lachlan Aboriginal Natural Resource Management Corporation	$362,633
Conservation of Remnant Vegetation on Travelling Stock Reserves	Lachlan Catchment Management Authority	$400,000
Saving Island Ecology - Eradication of Weeds from Lord Howe Island	Lord Howe Island Board	$363,636
Protecting our Migratory Shorebirds and Seabirds	Southern Rivers Catchment Management Authority	$248,140
Fishtrack: Fish Movement and Effects of Flows and Barriers	Northern Rivers Catchment Management Authority	$328,124
Enhancing Riparian Biodiversity and Habitat for Threatened Species in The Upper Murray	Murray Catchment Management Authority	$318,636
Resilient Riverine Landscapes Below World Heritage Areas	Hawkesbury Nepean Catchment Management Authority	$90,909
Riparian Management in the Yanco Creek System	The Yanco Creek and Tributaries Advisory Council	$363,636
Protecting Values Associated with the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area	Hawkesbury Nepean Catchment Management Authority	$331,182
Strategic Bitou Bush Control to Protect Biodiversity in NSW	Northern Rivers Catchment Management Authority (NRCMA)	$400,000
Pulling Rock-Wallabies From an Extinction Vortex	World Wide Fund For Nature Australia	$273,619
Restoring Lowland Rainforest in the NSW North Coast Bioregion	Big Scrub Rainforest Landcare Group Inc.	$368,309
Seabird Habitat Restoration Project - Montague Island Nature Reserve	Department of Environment and Climate Change	$72,818
Protection and Enhancement of Biodiversity on Nanya Station	University of Ballarat	$129,094
Eradicating Rodents from Lord Howe Island	Lord Howe Island Board	$200,509
Saving our Swamps: National Restoration Program for Temperate Peat Swamps	Blue Mountains City Council	$364,518

Victoria

Landcare

Project Title	Group	Funding
Reducing Wild Dog Impacts on Agriculture through Enhanced Community Participation	Wild Dog Management Groups	$157,273
Farming for a Sustainable Future - Demonstrating Best Farm Practices	Lake Wellington Landcare Network	$113,273
East Gippsland Soil Carbon Project - Pilot Project	Agribusiness Gippsland Inc	$158,455
Compost Use in Sustainable Agriculture	William Grant	$101,236
Improving the Efficacy of Hydrogen Phosphide (Ph3) Fumigation for Rabbit Control	Frank Gigliotti	$135,909
Development of Multi-Dose Ejector for the Control of Foxes	Frank Gigliotti	$338,068

Other

Project Title	Group	Funding
Establishing Sustainable Perennial Pastures Systems in the Upper Wimmera Catchment	Project Platypus Association Incorporated	$100,909
Conservation Management Networks in Gippsland: Protection of Sustainable Farming and Biodiverse Ecosytems	East Gippsland Rainforest Conservation	$363,636
Strzelecki Warm Temperate Rainforest Restoration - Macks Creek Catchment	Grand Ridge Plantations Pty Ltd	$211,359
Gunbower Creek Riparian and Aquatic Habitat Reconnection and Restoration Project	North Central Catchment Management Authority	$363,445
Wedderburn Restoration for Malleefowl and Woodland Birds	Wedderburn Conservation Management Network	$80,382
Strategic Vegetation Linkages on the East Gippsland Red Gum Plains	Department of Sustainability and Environment	$270,621
Improving Biodiversity Outcomes in Existing Remnant Protection/Revegetation Sites	Maffra & Districts Landcare Network	$100,091
"Strengthening Bioregional Landscape Connectivity in the Mid-Loddon Sub-Catchment"	Mid-Loddon Sub-Catchment Group	$241,479
Strengthening Northern Melbourne's Merri Corridor for Flora, Fauna and People.	Merri Creek Management Committee Inc	$81,236
Saving Critically Endangered Grassland on the Victorian Volcanic Plain	Department of Sustainability and Environment	$199,486

Queensland

Landcare

Project Title	Group	Funding
Integrated Management Practices for Alternating Crops - Burdekin Region	Queensland Fruit & Vegetable Growers	$210,309
Queensland Grow Me Instead Project	Nursery & Garden Industry Queensland Industrial Union of Employers	$173,000
South East Queensland Sustainable Trees on Farms Program	SEQ Catchments Ltd	$106,500
Carbon – What Does it Means for Me on My Property	Agforce Queensland Industrial Union of Employers	$400,000
Transforming Sunshine Coast Caneland into Sustainable Biodiesel and Integrated Farming Enterprises	Maroochy Land Care Group Inc	$156,141
Educating Producers in Accessing and Utilising Spatial Information!	Agforce Queensland Industrial Union of Employers	$363,636
Reducing Emissions and Improving Carbon Levels in Southern Queensland Soils	North East Downs Landcare Group Inc.	$80,000
Macintyre Brook Sustainability Initiative	Macintyre Brook Irrigators Association Incorporated	$131,127
Encouraging Sustainable Farm Practices via Adoption of Grains Best Management Practices in Queensland	Fitzroy Basin Association Inc.	$194,778
Burdekin Bowen Integrated Farm Management Monitoring and Support Project	Burdekin Bowen Integrated Floodplain Management Advisory Committee Inc	$300,793

Other

Project Title	Group	Funding
Realising a National Rangeland Monitoring Network “Vegmachine”	Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries	$90,773
Restoring Wetland Function and Health of the Mungalla Wetland.	Commonwealth Science and Industrial Research Organisation	$267,401
Rehabilitating Burdekin's Billabongs and Bowling Green Bay Catchments	Burdekin Solutions Ltd	$189,727
Improving Connectivity and Biodiversity Values in Stanley and Pumicestone Headwaters	SEQ Catchments Ltd	$157,550
Delivering Wildlife Habitat Management Decision Support in the Brigalow Belt	The University of Queensland	$80,455
Landscape Connectivity in Queensland's Northern Brigalow Belt - A Biodiversity Hotspot	Burdekin Solutions Ltd	$398,455
Embracing Partnerships to Protect and Enhance Significant Remnant Vegetation	Toowoomba Landcare Group Inc.	$239,545
Granite Flora: Recovery in Action	Queensland Murray-Darling Committee Inc.	$158,091
Protecting Quolls in Queensland Landscapes	Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland	$101,656
Jointly Managing and Promoting the Bohle River, Louisa Creek, Town Common Catchment	Australian Trust for Conservation Volunteers	$197,005
The Keys to Healthy Savanna Lands	Northern Gulf Resource Management Group Limited	$210,000
Rescuing a Gondwanaland Survivor: The Eastern Bristlebird Habitat Restoration Project	Condamine Catchment Natural Resource Management Corporation Limited	$218,636
South Burnett Regional Integrated Natural Resource Management Project	South Burnett Regional Council	$240,136
TKRP - Traditional Knowledge Revival Pathways	Mulong Pty.Ltd	$296,818
Fitzroy Basin Weed Management Strategy Implementation - Weeds of National Significance	Capricorn Pest Management Group Inc	$345,280
Bunya Biolink - Cooyar Creek Riparian Zone Rehabilitation	Greening Australia (Queensland) Ltd	$393,791

Western Australia

Landcare

Project Title	Group	Funding
A Broadacre Approach to Certification of Sustainable Farm Practice	Curtin University of Technology	$219,000
Adopting Innovative Practices to Improve the Resilience of Farming Systems in the Northern and Eastern Wheatbelt of Western Australia	Wheatbelt East Regional Organisation of Councils (Weroc)	$273,182
Sustainable Production and Landscape Repair in Salinity-Affected, Water Supply Catchments	Treenomics	$149,718
Good Practice and Better Environmental Outcomes in Vegetable Production	WA Vegetable Growers Association Inc	$147,273

Other

Project Title	Group	Funding
Enabling Martu to Preserve Biodiversity in the Western Desert	Western Desert Lands Aboriginal Corporation	$355,636
Increased Adoption of Sustainable Brushwood Production.	Moore Catchment Council Inc	$224,091
Best-Practice Mesquite Management in the Rangelands of Western Australia	Pilbara Mesquite Management Committee Inc.	$302,765
Taking 'Active Awareness' to the Regions	Blackwood Basin Group Inc.	$192,136
Protecting Critical Habitat for the Endangered Carnaby’s Black-Cockatoo	Birds Australia Western Australia Inc.	$161,935
Rangelands Restoration - Restoring Native Mammal Diversity and Vegetation Condition in the Arid Zone Rangelands.	Department of Environment and Conservation	$220,909
Gouldian Finch Conservation through Indigenous Fire Management in East Kimberley	Kimberley Land Council Aboriginal Corporation	$99,000
Integrated Weed Management of Riparian Areas of the Kimberley	Ord Land and Water Incorporated	$147,273
A Strategic Regional Conservation Plan for Australia’s Global Biodiversity Hotspot	World Wide Fund for Nature Australia	$333,755

South Australia

Landcare

Project Title	Group	Funding
Increasing Precision Agricultural Awareness and Adoption in South East South Australia	Mackillop Farm Management Group Inc	$86,835

Other

Project Title	Group	Funding
Threatened Flora Recovery on the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands	Department for Environment and Heritage	$178,746
Improving Natural Resource Management Outcomes in the Rangelands by Strategically Removing Feral Goats	South Australian Arid Lands Natural Resources Management Board	$353,182
Managing and Controlling High-Risk Pest Plants on Kangaroo Island	Kangaroo Island Natural Resources Management Board	$90,909
Mount Lofty Ranges Watershed Water Quality Improvement Plan Community Engagement	Environment Protection Authority	$136,364
Wildeyre - Collaborative, Landscape-Scale, Biodiversity Conservation on the Eyre Peninsula	Eyre Peninsula Natural Resources Management Board	$144,358
Arid Recovery: Developing New Partnerships to Restore Our Arid Lands	Arid Recovery	$90,845
Threatened Plant Action Group - Community Action to Recover South Australia's Threatened Flora	Nature Conservation Society of South Australia	$72,727
the Middleback Alliance - a Regional Conservation Initiative	Ecological Horizons Pty Ltd	$81,618
Involving Community in Conserving Threatened Species in the Angas River Catchment	Angas River Catchment Group	$103,990
Caring For Country with Fire in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands	Anangu Pitjantjatjara Inc	$123,886
ForestrySA Multi-Region Strategic Area and Habitat Restoration Project	South Australian Forestry Corporation	$135,000
Battling Boneseed in the Upper South East and Murray-Darling Basin of South Australia	South East Natural Resources Management Board	$156,191
Priority Onground Works to Protect The Endangered Mount Lofty Ranges Southern Emu-Wren (MLRSEW) and the Critically Endangered Fleurieu Peninsula Swamps	Conservation Council of South Australia Incorporated	$261,932
Supporting Local Government in Natural Resource Management Delivery Across the Northern and Yorke Region	Central Local Government Region of South Australia Inc	$286,364

Tasmania

Landcare

Project Title	Group	Funding
Soil Biology - the Missing Link for Regenerative Production in Our Farming Systems	L.R Young & R.J Young	$94,821
Adoption of Sustainable Water Management on Tasmanian Vegetable Farms	Rds Partners Pty Ltd	$123,788
Protecting Tasmania's Sustainable Farming and Biodiversity Assets from Serrated Tussock Invasion	Tasmanian Land & Water Professionals Pty Ltd	$195,662
Using Landscape Ecology to Prioritise Property Management Actions in Tasmania	Natural Resource Planning Pty Ltd	$296,264

Other

Project Title	Group	Funding
Control of Wons Outliers in Cradle Coast NRM Region, Tasmania	Cradle Coast Authority	$152,909
Soil Ecosystem Health Measures: An Interpretive Guide for Land Managers	Department of Primary Industries and Water	$111,123
Threatened Species Protection through Implementation of Coordinated Riverine Management Activities	Northern Tasmanian Natural Resource Management Association Inc.	$242,727
Progressing Nationally Strategic Control of Boneseed And Asparagus Weeds (WONS) in Southern Tasmania	Southern Tasmanian Councils Authority	$119,724
Platypus Disease Assessment and Conservation in Tasmania	Department of Primary Industries and Water	$229,600

Northern Territory

Landcare

Project Title	Group	Funding
Scoping Future Scenarios and Building Innovative Partnerships for Northern Territory Pastoral Lands	Northern Territory Cattleman's Association	$327,602
Integration of Fire, Feral and Weed Management to Enhance Grazing Productivity, Top End Floodplains	Northern Territory Cattleman's Association	$75,432
Land Type Specific Sustainable Practice Guidelines for NT Pastoral Lands	Northern Territory of Australia	$81,295
Asset Protection Decision Support Tools for Pastoralists in Semi-Arid Landscapes.	Barkly Landcare and Conservation Association Inc	$129,910

Other

Project Title	Group	Funding
Building Capacity to Establish a Parkinsonia Dieback Biological Control Model	Victoria River District Conservation Association Incorporated	$181,591
Healthy Pastures - Native Grasses and Fodder Trees in Production Systems	Greening Australia (NT) Ltd.	$167,500
Zero Toads - Community Control of Invasive Cane Toads in Darwin	Darwin City Council	$86,418
Conserving Turtles in Arnhem Land by Managing an Exotic Species	Bawinanga Aboriginal Corporation	$134,637
Biodiversity Conservation Values and Management for Northern Territory Islands	Northern Territory Department of Natural Resources Environment and The Arts	$277,315
Managing the Cane Toad Menace in Tropical Savannas	Riyala Assn Inc	$118,636
Implementing Priority Recovery Actions for the Bilby and Other Key Threatened Species	Central Land Council	$156,282
Northern Territory off Reserve Sustainable Country Initiative - Building on the NRS	Northern Territory of Australia	$235,459

Australian Capital Territory

Project Title	Group	Funding
Molonglo River Rescue	Territory and Municipal Services	$335,386
Ecosystems = Murray Mouth to Mountains Climate Change Corridors (E+M3C3)	Murrumbidgee Catchment Management Authority	$358,973