DRAFT: For Official Use Only
National Landcare Programme
Regional Funding 2014-15 to 2017-18
Application Guidelines
Online applications close at 2pm AEDT* Thursday, 4 December 2014
LATE APPLICATIONS MAY NOT BE ACCEPTED
Electronic applications are preferred.
If you are unable to submit your application online, contact us to make alternative arrangements.
Projects must be completed by 30 June 2018
For more information:
Free call: 1800 552 008
Email:
Web: www.nrm.gov.au/regional
*Australian Eastern Daylight Time.
National landcare programme 2014-15 to 2017-18 - Regional funding Guidelines 17
DRAFT: For Official Use Only
Important information
These National Landcare Programme Regional Funding 2014-15 to 2017-18 Application Guidelines (Guidelines) apply only to the regional funding component 2014-15 to 2017-18 (Regional Funding) of the National Landcare Programme (Programme).
Regional Funding under the Programme is only available to the regional natural resource management organisations listed at www.nrm.gov.au/regional/regional-nrm-organisations. Other stakeholders should contact their regional natural resource management organisation to discuss opportunities to be involved in delivery of the Programme.
Regional natural resource management organisations (Applicants) should read these Guidelines and consider the application form carefully before starting their application.
Regional natural resource management organisations should note that this is expected to be the only call for applications for Regional Funding over the period 2014-15 to 2017-18.
Electronic applications are preferred.
If an Applicant is unable to submit their application electronically, they can request a hard copy application form. Hard copy applications must be received on or before the closing date.
A copy of these Guidelines can be downloaded from www.nrm.gov.au/regional. Before commencing the application process, Applicants should familiarise themselves with the further information contained in the Frequently Asked Questions and other supporting documents available at www.nrm.gov.au/regional.
For further information, please visit the www.nrm.gov.au/regional website or call the hotline on
1800 552 008.
© Copyright Commonwealth of Australia, 2014
The National Landcare Programme Regional Funding 2014-15 to 2017-18 Guidelines are licensed by the Commonwealth of Australia for use under a Creative Commons By Attribution 3.0 Australia licence with the exception of the Coat of Arms of the Commonwealth of Australia, the logo of the Department of the Environment, content supplied by third parties, and any images depicting people. For licence conditions see: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/au/
This document should be attributed as: ‘The National Landcare Programme Regional Funding 2014-15 to 2017-18 Applicant Guidelines Commonwealth of Australia, 2014’.
The Commonwealth of Australia has made all reasonable efforts to identify content supplied by third parties using the following format ‘© Copyright, [name of third party]’.
National landcare programme 2014-15 to 2017-18 - Regional funding Guidelines 17
DRAFT: For Official Use Only
Table of Contents
Important information 1
Table of Contents 1
Part 1 - National Landcare Programme Overview 1
1.1 Overview 1
1.2 Strategic objectives and outcomes 1
1.3 Timeframes 3
Part 2 - Regional Funding 2014-15 to 2017-18 Overview 3
2.1 The role of regional natural resource management organisations under Regional Funding 4
Part 3 - Regional Funding Requirements 4
3.1 The importance of community engagement under Regional Funding 4
3.2 Indigenous participation 5
3.3 Monitoring and reporting of natural resource management outcomes 5
3.4 Capacity building and performance reviews 6
Part 4 - Assessment criteria 6
Part 5 - Eligibility 7
5.1 Who can apply? 8
5.2 What activities are eligible for funding? 8
5.3 What activities/costs are not eligible for funding? 9
Part 6 - Application lodgement and assessment process 10
6.1 Lodgement process 11
6.2 Assessment process 11
Part 7 - Funding agreement requirements 11
7.1 Funding agreements 11
7.2 Public and private benefit 12
7.3 Project commencement 12
7.4 Taxation and GST 13
7.5 Insurance 13
7.6 Communication and acknowledgement requirements 13
7.7 Project acquittals 13
7.8 Australian Government audit requirements 14
7.9 Compliance with relevant laws 14
Part 8 - Rights and responsibilities 14
8.1 Applicant’s responsibilities 14
8.2 Work Health and Safety 15
8.3 False or misleading information 15
8.4 The Australian Government’s rights 15
8.5 Disclaimer 15
8.6 Confidentiality and privacy 16
Part 9 - Enquiries, complaints, feedback and contact details 17
9.1 Enquiries and complaints 17
9.2 Feedback 17
9.3 Contact details for further information 17
National landcare programme 2014-15 to 2017-18 - Regional funding Guidelines 17
Part 1 - National Landcare Programme Overview
1.1 Overview
The Programme is part of the Australian Government’s Plan for a Cleaner Environment. This plan has four ‘pillars’: Clean Air, Clean Water, Clean Land and National Heritage. The Programme will contribute to the Clean Land ‘pillar’ by delivering practical change at the local level.
The Programme will also contribute to the Government’s agenda for increased food security and a strong, competitive and resilient agricultural sector.
The Programme brings together previous programmes to create a single national programme that will invest to protect and improve our nationally and internationally important natural assets and values through action at the local level.
It will also assist farmers and fishers in improving their management of the natural resource base to support sustainable production, including aquaculture, and contribute to national responses to agricultural and environmental natural resource management issues.
The Programme is designed to be simple, reflect local and regional priorities, and be long-term.
Simple
The Programme will be delivered through simplified guidelines, applications, reporting and administration.
Local
Local communities, including regional natural resource management organisations and Landcare groups, will become more involved in identifying and addressing regional natural resource management priorities. These priorities will be important to underpin local action and also achieve the Programme’s national strategic objectives and outcomes (refer to Table 1).
Long-term
Where appropriate, the Programme will look to provide an increased proportion of funding to multi-year projects as we understand that longer-term funding increases the likelihood of achieving lasting on-ground results.
The Programme is an on-going initiative that will continue significant investment in natural resource management priorities. The Programme provides multi-year funding for regional natural resource management organisations to maintain regional infrastructure for natural resource management planning and delivery.
1.2 Strategic objectives and outcomes
The following table sets out the Strategic Objectives and Outcomes for the Programme. These national Strategic Objectives and Outcomes reflect the basis for the Australian Government’s natural resource management investment under the Programme and relevant national and international policy commitments.
· These Objectives and Outcomes are relevant to Australia’s national and international obligations.
· Only projects that are directed at the purposes described in column 3 of Table 1 below are eligible for funding.
Table 1: National Strategic Objectives and Outcomes for the Programme
Strategic Objectives / Strategic Outcomes / Contribution to national and international obligationsStrategic Objective 1: Communities are managing landscapes to sustain long-term economic and social benefits from their environment. / Maintain and improve ecosystem services through sustainable management of local and regional landscapes. / Protection and restoration of ecosystem function, resilience and biodiversity; appropriate management of invasive species which threaten ecosystems, habitats or native species.
Strategic Objective 2: Farmers and fishers are increasing their long term returns through better management of the natural resource base. / Increase the number of farmers and fishers adopting practices that improve the quality of the natural resource base, and the area of land over which those practices are applied. / Sustainable management of agriculture and aquaculture to conserve and protect biological diversity and reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase carbon stored in soil.
Strategic Objective 3: Communities are involved in caring for their environment. / Increase engagement and participation of the community, including landcare, farmers and Indigenous people, in sustainable natural resource management. / Build community awareness of biodiversity values, skills, participation and knowledge, including Indigenous knowledge and participation, to promote conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity.
Strategic Objective 4: Communities are protecting species and natural assets. / Increase restoration and rehabilitation of the natural environment, including protecting and conserving nationally and internationally significant species, ecosystems, ecological communities, places and values. / Reduce the loss of natural habitats, degradation and fragmentation; protecting or conserving Matters of National Environmental Significance including management of World Heritage Areas, Ramsar wetlands, natural values of national heritage etc; reduce the number of nationally threatened species and improve their conservation status.
Australia’s natural resources are important nationally and globally for many reasons including for ecosystem services, tourism, recreation, health and cultural values. The natural resource base and biodiversity also forms the basis of many of our primary production industries such as agriculture, forestry and fisheries.
Each of the Programme’s Strategic Objectives and Outcomes contribute to one or more of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets set out under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Australia has been a Contracting Party to the CBD since 1993 and is committed to implementing its obligations under the CBD in accordance with its national priorities.
The importance of biodiversity and ecosystem services is recognised in Australia’sBiodiversity Conservation Strategy 2010–2030 (ABCS), which is the overarching policy and guiding framework for national biodiversity conservation in Australia. The Australian Government also has in effect the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBCAct) which enables a national scheme of environment and heritage protection and biodiversity conservation. Matters of National Environmental Significance are identified in Part 3 of the EPBC Act.
In addition, farmers and fishers play an important role in assisting Australia to meet its international commitments under the Kyoto Protocol (KP) and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) by adopting sustainable management and farm practices that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase the amount of carbon stored in soil.
Investments under the Programme ensure that the Australian Government is able to meet its national and international obligations, including under the CBD, KP, UNFCCC, ABCS and the EPBC Act. For this reason all projects funded under the Programme must be directed to the purposes described in column 3 of Table 1 (most of these purposes reflect a number of Australia’s key international environmental obligations).
By investing in local and regional projects the Australian Government recognises the important contribution of regional natural resource management organisations and their local communities in assisting Australia to realise its national and international obligations.
1.3 Timeframes
Table 2: Key dates for Regional Funding
New Applications
New application period commences / Closing date for new applications / Assessment period13 November 2014 / 4 December 2014 / December 2014
The Australian Government may, at its discretion, extend the period for submission of applications for Regional Funding under the Programme. Any such extension will be advised on the www.nrm.gov.au website and the Department of the Environment and the Department of Agriculture (the Departments) will endeavour to contact all eligible regional natural resource management organisations with this information.
Part 2 - Regional Funding 2014-15 to 2017-18 Overview
Regional natural resource management organisations (Applicants) are required to demonstrate how they will use Regional Funding to contribute to the Programme’s Strategic Objectives and Outcomes as they relate to their associated national and international obligations (see Table1). Regional Funding applications are expected to show how they will achieve practical on-ground natural resource management and sustainable agricultural outcomes and also contribute to these by increasing community engagement, participation, skills and capacity in natural resource management.
Under the Programme, regional natural resource management organisations, in consultation with their local landcare communities, have greater autonomy in decision making for natural resource management activities, including identifying the best ways to achieve local natural resource management and sustainable agricultural priorities and deliver on the Programme’s Strategic Objectives and Outcomes. The Australian Government will not prescribe delivery approaches; rather, it is the responsibility of Applicants to ensure that these are appropriate, and that they consult with other parties with natural resource management and sustainable agricultural interests, such as landcare groups and landholders, and responsibilities to determine delivery mechanisms.
Prior to the application period commencing, each regional natural resource management organisation will be notified in writing of the notional allocation of Regional Funding that they can apply for. Notwithstanding these notional allocations, all applications will be assessed on merit against these Guidelines and funding is not guaranteed. The Australian Government also reserves the right to redirect investment at any stage of the process if applications do not meet the Programme’s requirements.
2.1 The role of regional natural resource management organisations under Regional Funding
Regional natural resource management organisations have a significant role in the Programme’s delivery, through Regional Funding, and are expected to:
· in collaboration with community, landcare and farming system groups, lead regional natural resource management planning and prioritisation of natural resource management activities to support environmental protection and sustainable agricultural practices
· deliver nationally important outcomes that assist Australia to meet its national and international obligations
· broker partnerships, collaborate with networks and support local stakeholders in the delivery of regional natural resource management activities
· build local community and industry engagement, skills and capacity in natural resource management and sustainable agriculture
· support Indigenous participation in delivering natural resource management outcomes
· report natural resource management outcomes at a regional level and contribute to Programme reporting at the national level.
Part 3 - Regional Funding Requirements
Applicants are required to demonstrate their commitment to community engagement, Indigenous participation, monitoring and reporting, capacity building and performance. They will be expected to show how the local community, including landcare, has been engaged in setting investment priorities. They will also be expected to show how regional natural resource management plans take account of national and state/territory plans and, if relevant, appropriate agricultural industry strategic plans. In administering Regional Funding, the Australian Government will focus on accountability, transparency and ensuring compliance with the Programme’s requirements. This will be achieved through frameworks for monitoring and reporting, and performance review.