Improved Ecological Communities
Overview
The Healthy Landscapes - Improved Ecological Communities incentive funding focuses on preserving and improving the structure and condition of threatened ecological communities throughout the Central West region.
Incentive funding is being offered to eligible landholders to undertake targeted on-ground restoration and conservation works to aid threatened ecological community recovery and threat abatement whilst also improving farm productivity.
Applications close on October 7, 2022.
Project information sheet
Priority area map
What type of activities may be funded?
The Healthy Landscapes - Improved Ecological Communities program will provide funding and technical support for the following activities, subject to site assessment and project ranking:
Activity | Description | Dollar amount |
Stock-proof fencing | Fencing to control grazing, allowing regeneration to occur and improve groundcover. These areas need to be a threatened ecological community. Boundary fencing is ineligible for funding. | $6,000/km conventional or $3,000/km electric. |
Alternative stock watering points | Available where stock access to water is removed due to project work. Limited to a maximum of one alternative watering point per paddock affected. | $1,500/trough, $3,000/trough and tank or $9,000/dam. Capped at $9,000 per project. |
Paddock tree protection | Stock-proof fencing to protect individual or clumps of trees. Sites must be a minimum of 25m x 25m or out of tree drip line. Sites must be a total minimum of 1ha. | Up to $8/m stock-proof conventional fencing capped at $2,000 per paddock tree/clump. |
Scattered paddock tree establishment | Planting and stock-proof fencing of individual or clumps of trees. Sites must be a minimum of 25m x 25m or out of tree drip line. Sites must be a total minimum of 1ha. | 5/tubestock capped |
Revegetation | Supplementary tubestock planting. | $5/tubestock capped at |
Direct seeding. | $2.50/m capped at $5,000 per project to support site preparation, and maintenance for direct seeding of native plants. | |
Combination of tubestock and direct seeding. | $2.50/m capped at $5,000 to support site preparation, and maintenance of native tubestock and direct seeding of native plants. | |
Pest animal and pest plant control | Control in the project area. | Cultural site identification prior to on-ground works will ensure project activities will not cause damage to Aboriginal cultural sites. It is also an opportunity for land managers to find out more about the heritage of the project site. |
Cultural heritage site assessment | Cultural site identification prior to on-ground works will ensure project activities will not cause damage to Aboriginal cultural sites. | Arranged by Local Land Services at no cost to the landholder. |
| Training and resources | Free information resources and workshops will be available to assist in the completion of the project and ongoing management. Reading of the Improved Ecological Communities digital resource is a requirement. | Digital resource made available to the landholder after the EOI is received. |
Eligibility
To be eligible for funding, landholders must meet the following criteria:
- The project area must be located within the Central West Local Land Services region, as per the map above.
- The project area must have a minimum width of 25 metres. Paddock tree protection must be a minimum of 25 metres x 25 metres or outside of tree drip line.
- 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 close 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
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.
For further information
Jasmine Wells, Senior Land Services Officer, NRM
M: 0417 488 496
E: jasmine.wells@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.