Riparian Restoration

Overview

The Healthy Landscapes - Riparian Restoration incentive funding aims to rehabilitate and enhance riparian habitat along the Lachlan River, Goobang and Mandagery Creeks within the Central West Local Land Services region.

Riparian habitat includes land alongside creeks, streams, gullies, rivers and wetlands. Riparian areas are vulnerable and can be easily degraded. Damage such as erosion can be caused by uncontrolled stock access, clearing riparian vegetation for agriculture, pest animals and invasive weed species.

Incentive funding is being offered to eligible landholders to undertake targeted on-ground enhancement and conservation works to support riparian ecosystems and related flora and fauna species.

Applications close on October 7, 2022. 

Project information sheet

• Riparian Restoration information sheet (PDF)

Priority area map

What type of activities may be funded?

The Healthy Landscapes - Riparian Restoration program will provide funding and technical support for the following activities, subject to site assessment and project ranking:

Eligibility

To be eligible for funding, landholders must meet the following criteria:

• The project area must be adjacent to the Lachlan River, Goobang Creek and Mandagery Creek and located within the Central West Local Land Services targeted priority area, see map above.
• The project area must be a minimum of 3 hectares or 500m of streambank protected.
• The applicant must comply with the project standards relevant to their activities determined at the site assessment (see following pages).
• The applicant must have $10 million public liability insurance.
• Non-payment of rates and other Local Land Services fees and accounts will result in application ineligibility.
• Applicants must successfully participate in the online training program prior to on ground works commencing.
• All project infrastructure works must be completed by 31 May 2023.

How to apply

Applications closed October 7, 2022 and will be assessed in the order they are received. To apply, complete an Expression of Interest form and submit:

• In person: hand deliver to any Central West Local Land Services office.
• Via email: submit as a PDF attachment to: incentives.centralwest@lls.nsw.gov.au

Assessment process

• Once all details have been completed, and the application form returned, a Central West Local Land Services officer will contact you to discuss your project and organise a site visit. Any incomplete applications will be returned to the landholder.
• Funding availability is limited and offered based on a Central West Local Land Services team review of the environmental services ratio scores and cost per hectare of all proposals.
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.

Contact

Dominic Nowlan, Senior Land Services Officer, NRM
M: 0409 915 695
E: dominic.nowlan@lls.nsw.gov.au

Disclaimer: Funding is limited, which may mean some incentive projects will not be funded. Central West Local Land Services reserves the right to refuse funding for incentive projects or components which provide insufficient environmental benefit for their cost. Assessment of environmental benefit is at the sole discretion of the Central West Local Land Services. Funding amounts listed are GST exclusive. Funding amounts, activities and project standards are subject to change without notice.

Project standards (terms and conditions)

• Project implementation timeframe. All project infrastructure works must be completed by 31 May 2023. Duration of agreement is 10 years after the completion of on-ground works.
• Stock-proof fencing - New fences must be constructed with new materials and be maintained in a stock proof condition for the duration of agreement. Conventional fencing must be a minimum of 6 wires, electric fencing a minimum of 3 wires. No apron or barb wire to be used in the construction of the fence to ensure safe passage of native wildlife. Plain wire to be used for fencing of streams where there is a potential for flooding. Boundary fencing is ineligible for funding.
• Project site width - Projects must provide an average minimum width of 25m
• Alternate stock water supply. Available only where stock access to water will be lost because of project work (e.g. project fencing has removed access to a creek or dam). Funding is limited to a maximum of one alternative watering point where access to a watering point has been removed as a direct result of project activities. Troughs must at a minimum be concrete with a fully enclosed valve chamber and must be maintained in operational condition for the life of the project. Any polythene pipeline must be buried to prevent damage by fire or UV light. It is recommended that new water pipes and fittings are a minimum of 2 inch/50 mm internal diameter. Water infrastructure must be maintained for the duration of the agreement.
• Grazing Management Regime. To protect the health of your waterway, complete stock exclusion is the preferred course of action. A grazing management regime for the site area will be negotiated during a site assessment for the duration of the agreement. Sites can be strategically grazed up to twice annually, with a maximum graze duration of up to three days. The grazing strategy employed should maximise groundcover, according to land capability. Strategic grazing to manage fire hazards or weeds is permitted if required.  If supplementary planting, stock are to be excluded from the project area for three years after the completion of supplementary planting on-ground works. Grazing is not to be undertaken during flowering and seed set during Spring and Summer.
• Management of project area for ground cover. The grazing strategy employed should maximise groundcover according to land capability. Project areas must be managed to increase perennial plant density and diversity. Groundcover is to be maintained at an average minimum level of 70% across the whole project area for the duration of the agreement. The grazing strategy employed should aim for 100% groundcover.
• Minimise ground disturbance. The site should be managed to minimise ground disturbance that could lead to soil erosion for the duration of the agreement.
• Supplementary Planting. Plant/seed establishment activities will be coordinated by Central West Local Land Services, including purchase of seed and/or seedlings. A supplementary planting plan will be established for all projects covering the position, width and length of the planting arrangement and species to be revegetated. The supplementary planting plan is developed in consultation with the project applicant. Landholders will be required to organise for their own site preparation, planting of seedlings and ongoing maintenance as per planting plan and advice from Central West Local Land Services. Project areas containing supplementary plantings are to have stock excluded for a minimum of three years to enable successful plant establishment.
• Cultural heritage survey. Cultural heritage sites identified within the project area will be maintained and protected. Project activities and ongoing site management must not cause damage to any known cultural heritage sites. Cultural heritage sites discovered within the project area will be recorded in the Aboriginal Heritage Information Management System.
• Pest plant and pest animal control. All pest animals and pest plants must be controlled on the site for the duration of the agreement. Chemical control must only be with a registered herbicide/pesticide and in accordance with the directions on the label. If spraying along riparian areas, only chemicals registered for use around waterways are permitted. All weeds including woody weeds such as Willows, Osage Orange and Boxthorn must be controlled.
• Legislative Requirements. Applicants must comply with all legislative responsibilities imposed by any other relevant Act in developing and implementing the project.
• Native Vegetation. Under the Local Land Services Act 2013, any land within this project area cannot be used as a set aside for the duration of the agreement term. The project area may be eligible to undertake Environmental Protection Works in accordance with the Local Land Services Act 2013 and will require an approved project variation.
• Monitoring and evaluation. Applicants are required to adhere to and maintain monitoring records for the duration of the agreement, as per the Central West Local Land Services monitoring program. Staff will establish monitoring sites and methods appropriate to your project.
• Field day activities and access to the project site.  The project site is to be made available for Central West Local Land Services to conduct educational field day activity and provide information for case studies if requested and allow access to Local Land Services staff and any associated contractors for the purposes of on-ground scientific monitoring for the duration of the project.