Hunter Local Land Services Strategic Weeds Grant Program (The Program) was established in 2022 to implement actions of the Hunter Regional Strategic Weed Management Plan, facilitate the distribution of funds targeted at weed management, and assist in community-based projects or landscape-level projects to mitigate the impacts of priority weeds and establish best practice weed management in the Hunter Local Land Services region.

Multiple funding streams are managed under these guidelines.

The funding is an open competitive grant.

The following are the current funding streams contributing to this grants program:

• Hunter Catchment Contributions and Hunter Catchments Contributions Strategic Fund: Hunter Local Land Services allocates a budget each year from Hunter Catchment Contributions to undertake works in weed management across the catchment of the Hunter River.
• Widespread Weeds Fund: To deliver weed control programs that are guided by the Hunter Region Strategic Weed Management Plan and the Hunter Regional Weeds Committee. For development and disbursement of documents associated with best practice weed management, such as educational resources, weed management strategies and inspection or response planning documents. For progressing outcomes, objectives, and activities of the Hunter Regional Strategic Weed Management Plan.

Program periods will vary by application type.Typically project periods are by the end of the financial year the project was awarded funding, however, projects can be delivered over multiple years. All projects must be completed within five years from commencement of the funding deed. Individual contractual documents will detail the required period for a project to be delivered. All applicants are encouraged to speak with the Hunter Regional Weed Coordinator to gain advice on potential partnerships, project design, and linking edibility criteria.

All applicants are encouraged to read all program details before applying.

The objective of the HLLS – Strategic Weeds Grant Program (the Program) is to:

• Reduce the impact of weeds through the implementation of the NSW Invasive Species Plan and the NSW Biosecurity Strategy.
• Meeting actions of the Hunter Regional Strategic Weed Management Plan.
• Assist landholders to meet their General Biosecurity Duty, undertaking activities that highlight weed impacts and management options for landholders.
• Undertake control programs to bring weed infestations within landholder capacity to manage, providing for reasonably practicable weed control.

In extenuating circumstances, applications submitted after the deadline may be accepted at the sole discretion of the General Manager Hunter Local Land Services.

At the sole discretion of the General Manager Hunter Local Land Services, additional assessment rounds may occur throughout a year, all received applications received the day before the additional assessment date will be assessed.

Co-Contributions

There is no minimum requirement for co-contribution, however those applications with a higher level of co-contributions will receive additional points in the eligibility scoring. All sources of co-contribution can be considered however non-grant/non-government funds, and labour will be seen as a higher value for money.

Unspent Funds

If the situation arises where a grant recipient’s project is completed and there are unspent funds remaining from the grant allocation, the Hunter Local Land Services may require the grant recipient to return the unspent funds. If the grant recipient requests to use the funds to extend the scope of the project, the Hunter Local Land Services may assess that request if it aligns to the objectives of the grant program. The Hunter Local Land Services may require the grant recipient to provide supporting information such as revised economic or social impact data.

Eligibility Criteria

Applications are open to organisations of the Hunter Local Land Services region. This includes but not limited to:

• Community groups.
• Landcare groups or networks.
• Schools.
• Local Aboriginal Land Councils (LALCs).
• Committees/Associations.
• Not for profit organisations.
• Industry/producer groups.
• Other landholder groups and associations.
• Government organisations (Local, State, Federal),

Eligible Applicants

To be eligible for grant funding, an applicant must meet each of the following requirements:

• be one of the following:
  • a company incorporated in Australia
  • a company incorporated by guarantee
  • an incorporated association or co-operative n
  • a partnership
  • a local council
  • joint organisation of councils
  • an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation registered under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006.
• be financially viable and ability to demonstrate this if required
• hold or commit to obtaining public liability insurance of not less than $20 million per occurrence or hold equivalent or better self-insurance to the satisfaction of the Hunter Local Land Services, prior to executing a Funding Deed with the Hunter Local Land Services
• provide evidence of their organisation’s maximum co-contribution if successful
• hold all appropriate licences and permits to undertake the desired projects
• seek independent advice on any interactions of the project and other laws or legal requirements.
• Your organisation/group must not be subject to an Independent Commission Against, Corruption (ICAC). Or legal investigation by Local Land Services (LLS), Hunter Local Land Services, Department of Primary Industries (DPI), a Local Control Authority or other legal investigations.
• Able to enter a funding deed with the NSW government.

Ineligible Applicants

• Local Land Services Board members.
• Local Land Services staff.
• Hunter Water staff.
• Grant funds awarded cannot be used on properties held by ineligible applicants such as Local Land Services board members or Local Land Services staff.

Eligible Projects

Applications for funding can be varied and range from on-ground works, capacity building of general community or organisations or groups, management documents to help plan out the management of a weed species or weed situation long term, or to gather data to inform of weed situations of the Hunter.

Ineligible Projects

• Activities that have already been funded.
• Activities that have already been delivered.
• Activities that are of purely personal or private benefit.
• On ground outcomes that are predominantly outside of the Hunter Region.

Project Locations

Projects are to benefit the Hunter Local Land Services Region and should focus works and efforts within the Hunter Region. Appendix 1 describes the LGAs of the Hunter region. Projects that have a wider scope such as NSW wide can be considered if the benefit to the Hunter region is clearly demonstrated and links to the outcomes of Invasives Species Plan or Hunter Regional Strategic Weed Management Plan.

Geographical Restrictions apply to Hunter Catchment Contributions funds. Projects funded under this source need to occur within the Hunter Catchment Contributions collection area as detailed in Appendix 2, or projects need to clearly articulate how they are benefiting the Hunter Catchment Contributions collection area.

Please check Program Funding table above for current program funding.

Please speak to the Hunter Regional Weeds Coordinator for questions on Hunter Catchment Contributions collection area.

Eligible Project Costs

• Consultant, contractor and or staff wages and oncosts in delivering the project
• Chemical and other consumables used in the project.
• Small one-off costs to cover equipment. i.e., Knapsack sprayer or hand tools for a volunteer group. Shade houses to rear biocontrol. (Items must not exceed $5,000 total)
• Development, printing, and distribution of weed related publications.
• Development of Strategic weed management planning tools. i.e, Species management plans, new incursion, and rapid response plans.
• All cost associated with undertaking capacity building such as workshops and training events, accredited or non-accredited.
• Where organisations can show wider benefit capital items may be considered for funding, however clear links to outcomes from the capital item need to be demonstrated. Higher level of scrutiny will be placed on the ‘project provides clear public benefits’ and the ‘value for money, including ratio of co-contributions’ eligibility criteria in the assessment of applications for capital items.

Ineligible Project Costs

• Generally, no more than 15% of the total project cost for project management and administration. Strong justification and cost breakdown is required for a percentage above this value.
• Activities that have already been funded.
• Activities that are of personal or private benefit.
• Activities that do not align with the intended outcomes (skills and knowledge in land management practices and/or building community participation, skills and knowledge within organisations and communities).
• Capital assets, (asset which will have a useful life for more than one year (long-term benefit) and with a cost/value of more than $5000 (excluding GST) generally will not be funded, unless there is a strong justification (where the items directly support outcomes).
• Costs relating to maintenance or depreciation of plant and equipment beyond the life of the project.
• Non-project related staff training and development costs.

Assessment criteria are to be applied to an application to evaluate the merit of proposals and confirm application rankings. Details of how criteria are scored are contained in Appendix B.

Submitted applications are assessed by an assessment panel against the eligibility criteria as described above.

The application form must be filled out for all proposals.

There is no limit to the number of applications that can be received from an applicant.

Applications completed in a downloadable Word document can be sent via email to matt.kennedy@lls.gov.nsw.au or filled out online via online link.

Applicants may be contacted for verification of information supplied or for obtaining further information on an application. Additionally, if a project is recommended with changes the applicant will be contacted to discuss changes to the proposed project.

When an application is submitted online a notification is sent automatically to the applicant's email address. When emailing application, the Regional Weeds coordinator will acknowledge receipt of the application.

There are four assessment rounds per year, March, June, August, and December. All applications received before midday on the first day of each of the assessment rounds (for 2024 these are 4 March, 3 June, 1 August and 2 December) will be assessed in that round.

Conflicts of Interest

There may be a requirement for a conflict-of-interest declaration to be submitted with all applications.

Where a conflict-of-interest detrimental to the assessment process is identified (by either an applicant or the Department), the Department will establish mitigation measures, including removing a Departmental official from participating in the application, assessment and/or delivery stage of the process.

Stage One:  How to apply

The Strategic Weeds Grant Program. will be a single stage application process.

To apply for the Hunter Local Land Services – Strategic Weeds - Grants Program visit online link to submit an application or email the application and associated documents to Matt.kennedy@lls.nsw.gov.au.

What needs to be included in an application?

All applications must include:

• a clear project scope,
• a project plan,
• a project budget based on quotes or detailed estimates, reasonable assumptions, or previous experience with similar projects,
• landowner consent if the land is not owned by the applicant, or details on the process of obtaining this,
• proof of incorporation or ABN or ACN,
• evidence of $20 million Public Liability Insurance in the name of the applicant,
• evidence of project co-contribution estimates and details on providing actuals in reporting.

Stage Two: Assessment Process

The second stage involves an eligible application being assessed by an assessment panel against the eligibility criteria. The assessment guide for panel members is provided in Appendix C for applicants to have a clear understanding of how the scoring is determined. Project assessment is made by a panel consisting of three (3) of the following:

• Local Land Services Staff.
• Regional Weeds Coordinator from another Local Land Services region.
• A Department of Primary Industries State Priority Weeds Coordinator or any person nominated by the State Priority Weeds Coordinator covering Hunter LLS region.
• Independent subject matter expert.

The Assessment panel will use an eligibility scoring tool that assesses the proposal for:

• alignment to the prioritisation of weeds in the Hunter Regional Strategic Weed Management Plan.
• clear links to either the Invasive Species Plan outcomes or Hunter Regional Strategic Weed Management Plan outcomes.
• value for money and genuine value of co-contributions listed in application. Cost of project compared to industry standards.
• reduction in biosecurity risk or impact.
• clearly identified public benefit.

Further advice may be sought by the panel from the Hunter Regional Weeds Committee, The Hunter Weeds Technical Team, relevant LLS or DPI staff, or probity advisors.

Applications are assessed and comparatively assessed against each other.

An application must score 50% or higher to be recommended for funding.

After assessing the application against the criteria, the assessment panel will provide the assed score and;

• Recommend project for funding, or
• recommend project with variations (project or financial), or
• not recommend project.

Decision making

The decision maker for the grant is the General Manager of Hunter Local Land Services.

The decision maker will review the availability of grant funds, assessment criteria score, the Assessment Panel’s recommendation before deciding which grant applications to approve. The decision maker may take other factors into account that may make an application unsuitable for funding, including issues that could cause reputational or other risks to the NSW Government.

The decision maker’s decision is final in all matters, including:

• the approval of the grant
• the grant funding amount to be awarded, and
• the terms and conditions of the grant.

There is no appeal mechanism for decisions to approve or not approve a grant.

Probity advice

Independent probity advisors maybe used to provide guidance to the Hunter Local Land Services on any issues concerning integrity, fairness and accountability that may arise throughout the application, assessment, and decision-making process. This will ensure decisions are made with integrity, fairness, and accountability, while delivering value for money for NSW.

Can Ineligible Projects be referred to a more appropriate funding program?

Yes. Projects that are more suitable for other NSW Government programs may be referred to those programs. Applications that are referred will be subject to the full Assessment Criteria of the other NSW Government program to which they are referred. Applicants may need to update their application to meet the criteria of the referred program.

Notification

• Successful applicants will be notified in writing via a Letter of Conditional Offer with Confidentiality.
• The contracting process will commence after the signed Letter of Conditional Offer with Confidentiality is returned to the Department.

Local Land Services is required to publish information about grants awarded on the NSW Government Grants and Funding Finder at nsw.gov.au/grants-and-funding. Announcements should not be made regarding grants awarded before successful applicants have been informed.

Funding Deed

Successful Applicants will be required to enter into a funding deed with the NSW Government.

Successful Applicants will be required to provide all supporting documentation and approvals before the Hunter Local Land Services can enter into a funding deed. This includes $20 million Public Liability Insurance, register as a supplier to DRNSW, any requested documents that may have been mentioned in the application.

The NSW Government makes no binding funding commitment to an Applicant unless and until both parties sign a funding deed.

Successful Applicants must not make financial commitments for funded activities until funding deeds have been executed by both parties.

Grants will be paid via milestone payments set out in the funding deed. Timing and requirements will vary at NSW Government’s discretion and project parameters

Acquittal of Contracts

The final milestone payment will occur following the completion of project activities and acceptance by LLS of the Final Project Acquittal Report which confirms the expenditure of the grant funds and satisfactory completion of the project outcomes.

Annual reports on maintenance and monitoring will be required for the remaining duration of the agreement. LLS may inspect the project during the maintenance and monitoring period. Evidence of completion, including reports submitted to LLS and inspection reports by LLS, will be recorded in the LLS corporate filing system. These records will be used to inform LLS internal program progress and final reporting using LLS financial and project management systems.

The funding deed may include additional requirements based on project types, funding source or as required by Hunter Local Land Services.

Important Terms and Conditions of the Grants Program

Confidentiality

Applicants must keep Funding decisions and assessment outcomes confidential until announced by the NSW Government or the Applicant is advised that announcement can proceed. Successful applicants will be required to provide a confidentiality undertaking. This means they must keep the outcome of the application process confidential until the NSW Government makes a public announcement.

Upon entering into a funding deed, details about the Funding Deed may be made publicly available (subject to information which the Department/Agency deems to be commercial in confidence)

The applicant agrees not to disclose any confidential information pertaining to the grant program application or funding deed without prior written consent of the Department.

Applicants should note the following:

• Requests for variations or changes to the project will only be considered in limited circumstances.
• All awarded grants will be GST exclusive. If a successful applicant is registered for GST, this will be applied on top of the agreed grant value when payment is made.
• Grants are assessable income for taxation purposes, unless exempted by taxation law. It is recommended applicants seek independent professional advice about taxation obligations or seek assistance from the Australian Taxation Office. The NSW Government does not provide advice on individual taxation circumstances.
• Successful applicants will be required to pay back unspent funds or those funds which have not been spent in accordance with the Funding Deed.
• Successful applicants will be required to participate in a program evaluation to determine the extent to which their projects have contributed to the objective of the fund. The evaluation will require applicants to provide evidence of how projects have resulted in a measurable outcomes and benefits that are consistent with the objective of the Fund.
• Any information submitted by an applicant may be used for promotional material prepared by the NSW Government, if the applicant is successful.
• The NSW Government may choose to publicly announce funding for individual applications. It may also use non-identifying information provided in the funding deed to develop case studies.
• All recipients of NSW Government funding must acknowledge this financial support as per the Funding Acknowledgement Guidelines for Recipients of NSW Government Grants available at nsw.gov.au/branding/sponsorship-and-funding-acknowledgment-guidelines.
• Local Land Services reserves the right to undertake an audit of grant funding within a period seven (7) years from the signing of the Funding Deed.
• Applicants must advise the Local Land Services of any changes to their legal status or of changes or delays to their project.

Unsuccessful applicants will be notified in writing of the outcome of their application and will be offered a feedback information session.

Getting Support

To help applicants prepare their application, additional information and resources for our grants and incentives programs will be available on the Hunter Local Land Services website.

The Hunter Local Land Services can assist applicants to develop strong applications. Please contact matt.kennedy@lls.nsw.gov.au or call 1300 795 299

Please check with the Hunter Local Land Services prior to submitting if you are unclear about any part of the application. Applicants should seek advice from their legal, business, and financial advisers to determine the suitability of the funding before applying.

Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009

Applicants should be aware that information submitted in applications and all related correspondence, attachments and other documents may be made publicly available under the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 (NSW). Information that is deemed to be commercially sensitive will be withheld.

The Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 (NSW) makes government information accessible to the public by:

• requiring government agencies to make certain sorts of information freely available
• encouraging government agencies to release as much other information as possible
• giving the public an enforceable right to make access applications for government information
• restricting access to information only when there is an overriding public interest against disclosure.

Complaints

Any concerns about the Fund or individual applications should be submitted in writing to admin.hunter@lls.nsw.gov.au. If you do not agree with the way the Hunter Local Land Services handled the issue, you may wish to contact the NSW Ombudsman via ombo.nsw.gov.au.

Ethical Conduct

Applicants must not participate in any anti-competitive conduct.

It is a condition of the grant program application process that no gifts, benefits, or hospitality are to be made to any Hunter Local Land Services employee at any time. Any inducement in contravention of this condition may result in an applicant’s proposal not being considered.

Hunter Local Land Services rights

The Hunter Local Land Services may, in its absolute discretion, and without limiting any other right which the Hunter Local Land Services may have, do all or any of the following at any time without giving notice or reasons:

• require additional information from an applicant
• change any of the requirements of these Guidelines
• alter or vary any process, procedure or timing related to the grant opportunity, including any process, procedure or timing regarding the consideration or the evaluation of any proposal or all applications
• suspend or terminate the grant opportunity
• negotiate with one or more preferred applicants without prior notice to any other applicant
• terminate any negotiations being conducted with any applicant
• readvertise for new applicants
• consider any non-conforming application
• terminate further participation in the grant opportunity by any applicant for any reason (including if the Hunter Local Land Services reasonably considers an application to contain any false or misleading claims or statements)
• not proceed with any funding deed, or
• proceed with a funding deed in ways not contemplated in these Guidelines.

Intellectual property

All intellectual property rights in these Guidelines remain the property of the Hunter Local Land Services. Applicants are permitted to use these Guidelines for the purpose of preparing an application only. Applicants must not use these Guidelines, or any information contained in these Guidelines for any other purpose.

Applications submitted in response to these Guidelines remain the property of the applicant, unless otherwise agreed between the applicant and the Hunter Local Land Services. The applicant agrees that the Hunter Local Land Services may make copies and reproduce applications for any purpose related to the grant opportunity. In addition, the Hunter Local Land Services will retain (electronic and hard) copies of all applications.

No offer

These Guidelines are not an offer, recommendation, or invitation by the Hunter Local Land Services in respect of any contract or commitment and, subject to a funding deed being fully executed by the parties to it, nothing in these Guidelines will form the basis of any contract or commitment.

Addenda

The Hunter Local Land Services may, in its absolute discretion, issue an addendum to these Guidelines. In each case, an addendum becomes part of these Guidelines.

Disclaimer

The Hunter Local Land Services does not guarantee or warrant and accepts no legal liability whatsoever arising from or connected to, the accuracy, reliability, currency, or completeness of any material contained in this publication. Information in this publication is provided as general information only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from a qualified professional.

The Hunter Local Land Services recommends that users exercise care and use their own skill and judgment in using information from this publication and that users carefully evaluate the accuracy, currency, completeness, and relevance of such information. Users should take steps to independently verify the information in this publication and, where appropriate, seek professional advice.

These Guidelines are subject to change at any time at the sole discretion of the Hunter Local Land Services.

Appendix A

Eligible LGAs

The Hunter Local Land Services Region extends across the local government areas of:

• Upper Hunter Shire Council
• Muswellbrook Shire Council
• Singleton Council
• Cessnock City Council
• Dungog Shire Council
• MidCoast Council
• Maitland City Council
• Lake Macquarie City Council
• City of Newcastle
• Port Stephens Council

Appendix B

Hunter Catchment Contributions Collection Area

Further information available at https://www.lls.nsw.gov.au/regions/hunter/projects-and-programs/hunter-catchment-contributions

Appendix C

Assessment criteria and scoring method.