HABITAT AND WILDLIFE RECOVERY PROJECT

The Habitat and Wildlife Recovery Project is aimed at supporting the recovery of threatened species across the Southern Highlands and the Monaro following the devastating 2019/20 black summer bushfires.

Delivered by South East Local Land Services in partnership with the Australian Government’s Regional Fund for Wildlife and Habitat Bushfire Recovery, funding is being offered to eligible landholders for a range of on-ground works (tree planting, weed & pest animal control, fencing and erosion control works,) that address processes that threaten the habitat of threatened species.

Registrations of Interest for projects on the Southern Highlands are due no later than Friday 13 August 2021.

You can register your interest here.

Registrations of Interest for projects on the Monaro are due no later than Wednesday 8 September 2021.

You can register your interest here.

WORKS CONSIDERED INCLUDE:

TREE PLANTING AND WEED CONTROL

Weeds have proliferated on fire-grounds following favourable seasons post fire, degrading habitat for threatened wildlife. Funding is available to assist landholders with weed control and revegetation works to promote competition against invading weeds and provide habitat and refugia for threatened species such as the Glossy Black Cockatoo. Projects may also be eligible for funding for fencing to control grazing pressure.

HABITAT FOR KOALAS

The Southern Highlands is home to the most significant koala colony in southern NSW with an estimated 3,000 koalas calling the region home. Funding is available to assist landholders with weed control and revegetation works that complement ongoing koala conservation efforts and bushfire recovery. Projects may also be eligible for funding for fencing to control grazing pressure.

EROSION CONTROL

Erosion can impact upstream and downstream aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Funding is available for a range of on-ground works designed to control gully erosion and stream bed/bank erosion. Project activities may include soil conservation earthworks, streambed and bank works, and fencing of vulnerable areas. Works generally require the regeneration of existing native vegetation and this may involve fencing, revegetation and weed control.

PEST ANIMAL CONTROL

Pest animals such as feral deer, feral pigs and feral goats can significantly impact the recovery of habitat for threatened species. Local Land Services are coordinating several control programs to support the protection and rehabilitation of threatened habitat areas. Please register your interest in pest control programs if you have any of the above pest species on your property.

N.B: Projects may include a range of the above activities. Further guidelines regarding the eligibility of projects to be discussed following shortlisting of applications.

ELIGIBILITY AND FURTHER INFORMATION

Eligibility for funding will be considered based on a range of criteria, including:
- the proximity of the property to the 2019/20 bushfires.
- the proximity of the property to an area of high biodiversity value (National Park, wildlife corridor, etc).
- the landholder’s commitment to natural resource management programs and initiatives, such as previous participation in the Rural Landscape Program or Land for Wildlife
- the overall scale and cost of proposed works.
Landholders will be expected to enter into an agreement with LLS to maintain works for a period of 10 years.
Landholder co-contributions may be required in some cases if proposed works exceed funding availability.
Local Land Services is committed to the protection of Aboriginal Cultural Heritage. All project applications are assessed to determine if a known (registered) aboriginal site is located in close proximity to the project site. In the instances where this occurs, an Aboriginal Sites Officer may be engaged by LLS to ensure that the proposed activities do not impact on Aboriginal Cultural Heritage.