Successful Projects - Biodiversity Fund Round 1 - New South Wales

BIODIVERSITY FUND ROUND ONE

NSW

Applicant Name / Project Title / Project Description / Funding Length (years) / Total Funding ($)
A.M COLEMAN & L.C COLEMAN / Wilgara Ramsar restoration & resilience project / The Wilgara Ramsar Site has the potential to support a large range of biodiversity and thus capable of storing significant amounts or carbon. However, this ecosystem has suffered considerably through drought and continues to face increasing pressure from climate change and over allocation of water resources. This ecosystem needs to adjust to climate change naturally through building resilience.
The aim of this project is to enhance restoration and regeneration, through a change to "business as usual" grazing, the introduction of invasive species management programs and pivotal to this will be the introduction of a comprehensive monitoring program which will feed back into the overall adaptive management of this site. / 6 / 779,600
ANDREW EGON KNOP / Building biodiverse carbon & ecological resilience on Mottlecah / Mottlecah has 809ha of high conservation value native woodlands impacted by exotic plant competition and feral animal disturbance. This project will monitor and manage pest animal and exotic plants to reduce invasive species impact and undertake revegetation to enhance native plant and structural diversity. Activities include:
1) managing total grazing pressure to promote native plant growth and suppress exotic plant regeneration;
2) monitoring and managing emergent and established invasive plant populations using low disturbance management techniques;
3) monitoring and managing pest animal population;
4) revegetation enhancement in strategic areas;
5) monitoring changes to native plant density, diversity and structure. / 6 / 97,000
Australian River Restoration Centre Limited / Rivers of carbon: Southern Tablelands riparian linkages project / 'Rivers of Carbon' will work in partnership with landholders, NRM Regional Bodies and other organisations in the Southern Tablelands region to link remnant vegetation and previously rehabilitated sites to form intact riparian corridors. The project will also extend riparian corridors into the wider terrestrial landscape to facilitate species movement in the face of climate change, as well as leveraging biodiverse Carbon Farming Initiatives in these highly productive areas. Science and local knowledge will be used to identify priority areas for on-ground works, and will focus on important threatened species habitat. The project is a collaboration between the Australian River Restoration Centre and Greening Australia Capital Region. / 6 / 1,909,000
AUSTRALIAN TRUST FOR CONSERVATION VOLUNTEERS / Kangaroo Valley, Brogers Creek private property restoration projects / In many rural communities, the population is declining and so too are the number of volunteers. This project aims to increase the number of people involved in NRM activities in the area of the headwaters of the Brogers Creek in Kangaroo Valley. Activities address weed invasion, habitat and catchment degradation and water quality issues within the catchment.
The project has five landholders currently committed to take part in this program. There is significant local interest and potential to expand connectivity through the project if additional funding is available in subsequent rounds. / 6 / 167,400
BALLINA SHIRE COUNCIL / Lennox headland littoral rainforest restoration project / This project is an important component of joint community and Ballina Council efforts to restore 50 hectares of high conservation value native vegetation, reconnecting habitat in a fragmented coastal landscape. The project will protect, restore and extend 7 has of littoral rainforest on public land on a coastal headland in northern NSW. Bush regeneration will reduce the threat of weeds in 2 has of disturbed littoral rainforest. The remnant will be expanded by five hectares by planting 10,000 mixed locally occurring native plant species in gaps and amongst scattered isolated natives plants and a 1 km long wallaby proof fence erected to protect the plantings. / 3 / 121,400
BOELGI PASTORAL CO. PTY. LTD. / Linking retained fragmented vegetation areas to create connected corridors / The project will facilitate linking of retained fragmented vegetation areas on a large pastoral property to create connected corridors. It will enable fencing of existing native vegetation, biodiverse planting of locally appropriate vegetation species and management of invasive species within these connected corridors. The project, by connecting retained vegetation areas with newly created linked corridors, will establish an entirely connected landscape on the property. Successful completion will enable native species to move through created vegetation corridors within the property. The project will also create management strategies and facilities to allow the ongoing management of these vegetation corridors and threatened species. / 4 / 214,700
Border Rivers-Gwydir Catchment Management Authority / Revegetate ecological communities, control threats & increase connectivity / A broad consortium of natural resource management organisations and individuals has developed a vision for an increase in connectivity and agricultural productivity across the eco-climatic gradients in Northern NSW (New England Regeneration). The Tycannah and Gurley Creeks landscape connectivity project will increase connectivity in one key landscape of this area, linking the Darling Riverine Plains to the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range. The project will protect important remnants of threatened ecological communities, increase the condition of scattered remnants, control key threats and increase connectivity through revegetation of 1150ha of stepping stones and habitat blocks. / 6 / 2,260,600
Border Rivers-Gwydir Catchment Management Authority / Border Rivers-Gwydir biodiverse riparian linkages / The highest value commercial and environmental return on investment for revegetation effort in the Border Rivers-Gwydir Catchment will be achieved in creating bio-diverse habitat linkages in and adjacent riparian zones, benefiting soil, water, atmosphere and biodiversity. This Project will employ a Property Management Planner/Project Leader to teach landholders the sustainability threshold theory which supports this fact; and to assist landholders to fence, protect, revegetate and provide alternative stock water along 175 kilometres of priority riparian zones, at least 100 metres wide. A locally endemic seed collection contract, priority area modelling and wide-line direct seeding technology will be used to optimise the cost and benefit. / 6 / 2,757,000
BP BARDON & DM BARDON / Future landscapes: Improving connectivity, soil, habitat & waterways / The project will plant an additional 2000 trees and shrubs on private land across two sites that are on the bench of the Eusdale Creek. These two sites have lost their native flora coverage due to farming and grazing practices of the past and as a result have become heavily weed infested and fragmented from the adjoining lands which have significant environmental value in the local area.
Proven planting alliances for the region will be utilised to both restore native plantings and to give the best possible chance of survival which in turn will have an impact on creek health, wildlife habitat and connection to the wider environment.
The project has 3 main phases over 4 years: Site Preparation; Planting; and Management and Monitoring / 4 / 30,400
BURRALONG VALLEY PTY LIMITED / Restoration, revegetation & protection of the Wollombi Brook, Burralong Valley / This project will see the revegetation and strengthening of both the riparian zone and waterway of the Wollombi Brook where it travels through "Burralong Valley". The Brook and its surrounds host many native species including, but not restricted to Wombats, Platypus, Australian Bass and Turtles. In particular, the project aims to address specific threats to the Brook's wellbeing including; erosion of the toe of the Brook's bank (requiring shoring and planting of long stem tube stock), erosion and lack of indigenous species within the riparian zone (requiring planting of upper, mid and understory species) and the threat of invasive species - notably Salvinia and Blackberry (requiring both manual removal and spot spraying). / 5 / 15,000
Central West Catchment Management Authority / Improving ecosystem connectivity & landscape resilience / The project will address a number of key threatening processors to the riparian environment as well as enhancing ecosystem connectivity and carbon stores with a view to ultimately building landscape resilience.
Private landholders within targeted areas of the Fish river catchment will be offered financial incentives and technical support to protect and enhance ecologically sensitive areas and manage/ control invasive species that threaten biodiversity. Revegetation activities will be undertaken to build landscape resilience and establish wildlife corridors linking high conservation value riparian lands to significant remnant areas and public reserves. A series of workshops detailing specific riparian management issues will be undertaken. / 4 / 688,100
Central West Catchment Management Authority / Protecting & enhancing biodiverse carbon stores in central western woodlands / Protect, enhance and restore remnant vegetation on private land in identified areas of regional significance. These areas provide an existing framework of connective corridors on public lands linking iconic national reserves. Catchment Action Plan (CAP) consultation and scientific research identified that expansion and buffering these areas onto adjacent private lands will provide the greatest improvement of ecological function and landscape resilience within our catchment area.
Private landholders in the target area will be provided funding and technical support to improve floristic and structural diversity in native ecosystems, manage invasive species, preserve habitat features and restore connective corridors of indigenous species. / 6 / 1,440,000
Christopher Best / Rehabilitation & restoration of endangered ecological community, Tyagarah / The ecological restoration of approximately 9 Hectares of Sub-tropical Coastal floodplain forest in the catchment of Simpsons Creek. The project will address;
• Degradation caused by historical management practices
• Reduction of native habitat through invasion by exotic plant species
• Distribution of exotic species through flood events
• Natural aging of some endemic species and the need for replacement with diverse range of native species. Older endemic species are most vulnerable around the perimeter of the project area.
• Provision of habitat and food sources for endemic fauna especially within a recognised Koala habitat. / 6 / 44,400
CLARENCE LANDCARE INC / Clarence Valley biodiversity resource support project / This project aims to establish a coordinated approach to seed collection, storage and dissemination to biodiversity projects. The Clarence River Coastal Floodplain is a highly cleared, very fragmented, low reserved area of high intensity agricultural production. There is an urgent need to conserve remaining freehold vegetation, revegetate priority areas and link remnants. Opportunities for re - establishing vegetation are mainly on private land (sugarcane, grazing & peri urban farms ). Riparian vegetation on the Coastal Floodplain is limited to either a few reserved remnants that are in danger of decline or exist on private properties, mainly farming land with intact riparian vegetation and remnant stands. / 3 / 123,000
Clarence Valley Council / The living Clarence: Revegetation of habitat fragmentation & biodiversity / This revegetation project will address habitat fragmentation, biodiversity loss and riparian degradation in rural and peri-urban landscapes on the Clarence floodplain through on-ground works and extension.
This project will expand and reconnect 18 priority riparian and wetland sites identified in Council’s Biodiversity Strategy and Riparian Action Strategy.
Biodiverse native vegetation will be established with over 8400 plants made up of over 26 species of riparian and wetland plants. Threats such as invasive weeds, pests and stock will be removed.
Landholder capacity will be built and management plans will ensure that outcomes are maintained beyond the project duration. / 4 / 223,300
CO2 AUSTRALIA LIMITED / Biodiversity enrichment of Australia's largest commercial carbon forest estate / The project will research, map, design and implement targeted biodiversity enhancements across Australia’s largest commercial forest carbon sink estate. Delivered across four properties in NSW, the project directly addresses Themes 1 and 2 of the Biodiversity Fund Round 1 Guidelines. CO2 Australia manages a 25,000 ha estate across 30 properties in Australia’s highly fragmented wheat-sheep belt.
This project will demonstrate the integration of biodiversity outcomes with large-scale commercial carbon plantings creating a unique partnership between a for-profit commercial entity and the government. A partnership of this nature and scale has not been attempted outside the not-for-profit sector. / 6 / 1,556,500
D.S RAWLINSON & V ZACCARI / Restoring & enhancing biodiversity in a piece of the Macdonald Valley / This project supports the recovery of indigenous plant communities on a 60 acre rural property (Lot 16) that fronts on to 1.5km of the Macdonald River and is flanked by the Great Blue Mountains World Heritage Area through the eradication of invasive weeds, revegetation of those areas and those previously damaged by stock and the restriction of stock to appropriate designated areas.
Building on previous riverbank rehabilitation work undertaken in 2009 -10 and experience gained from it, this project will improve the ecological health of the environment in a small but critical area that will serve to restore and connect a landscape that has been severed by ribbon development along the Macdonald River since early white settlement. / 6 / 175,700
Department of Environment Climate Change Energy and Water (ACT) Departmental / Building restored resilient landscapes in the ACT & greater Goorooyarroo / This project will consolidate and connect the largest remaining box-gum grassy woodland landscape in Australia (60,000 ha), enhancing a biodiverse and carbon storing landscape, resilient to climate change. Diverse stakeholders in the ACT region will develop a shared restoration vision, implemented through targeted on-ground restoration and regeneration works that harness proven and effective methods, and community capacities. The project will directly tackle key threats and will be an exemplar of innovative cross-border, cross-tenure and community engagement approaches. It will encompass the best conservation and carbon storage outcomes for this large endangered woodland landscape and it’s threatened species. / 6 / 2,155,000
DEPARTMENT OF TRADE & INVESTMENT REGIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES / Connecting riverine communities in the Namoi / Connecting Riverine Communities in the Namoi is a collaborative project between NSW DPI and Namoi CMA that will address the loss and degradation of riparian and aquatic habitat along a 150km (600Ha) priority reach of the Namoi River. The project will strengthen partnerships with local landholders and community groups to plant native riparian and aquatic vegetation, protect remnant native vegetation through stock management, and control invasive weeds. These activities will enhance the resilience of the local ecosystem, helping to improve the connectivity, abundance and distribution of native flora and fauna in the Namoi, whilst sequestering 120,000 – 312,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents per year. / 3 / 2,589,900