Endangered and threatened species in the Goulburn Broken Catchment including the Regent Honeyeater, Warby Swamp Gum, Superb Parrot and Euroa Guinea Flower will be protected thanks to funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Programme.
Projects funded include:
• Superb Parrot Project - $30,000 to the project group for revegetation and fencing of private land to provide habitat for the threatened parrot species in the catchment’s north, and activities including forums, monitoring and bird counts.
• Warby Ranges Swamp Gum Project- $20,000 for the Broken Boosey Conservation Management Network to work with community groups on private land in the Warby Ranges to protect the springs and soaks associated with the threatened gum.
• Regent Honeyeater Project - $50,000 for co-ordination of project activities and landholder incentives through a project that is progressively restoring remnant Box-Ironbark forests around the Lurg hills to provide habitat for a number of threatened bird and animal species.
• Euroa Guinea Flower & Rare Flora Project - $30,000 for the Euroa Arboretum’s seed production program that is focused on rare plants, including the Euroa Guinea Flower and other Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act listed flora from across the catchment.
The Regent Honeyeater Project received an additional $100,000 of Australian Government funding for landholder incentives. Landholders will be able to apply for incentives of up to $15, 000, depending on size of the site, to carry out fencing and revegetation to protect and enhance habitat for the Regent Honeyeater.
Goulburn Broken CMA Land Health and Biodiversity Manager Steve Wilson said the funding would help the groups that co-ordinated the projects continue to protect and improve habitat, support landholders and build community awareness of the importance of preserving these unique species.
“These projects have already achieved significant results thanks to the dedication of a committed group of mainly volunteers who carry out the works and the co-operation of landowners who recognise the importance and benefits of protecting remnant vegetation on their properties,” Mr Wilson said.
Another $60,000 of Australian Government National Landcare Programme funding for projects that aim to increase the natural resource management capacity of Goulburn Broken Catchment communities will be shared between:
• Goulburn Broken Indigenous Seedbank - $20,000 for GV Community Energy to collect native plant seed and train indigenous people in native seed collection and propagation techniques.
• Local Government Biodiversity Reference Group - $20,000 for Moira Shire to co-ordinate activities that build capacity of local government, agencies and other land managers in order to better understand and manage processes and practices to protect and restore the region’s biodiversity.
• Floodplain Ecology Course - $10,000 for Goulburn Murray Landcare Network to continue to run the popular annual course, held at Barmah, that brings specialists in the field together to share information on a range of topics such as geology, geomorphology, hydrology, soils, floodplain flora and fauna, cultural perspectives and the impact of humans on floodplains.
• Box Ironbark Ecology Course - $10,000 for Euroa Arboretum to continue to co-ordinate the annual course that covers vegetation structure, soils, invertebrate and vertebrate fauna, flora and indicators of woodland health. Participants include agency and local government staff and landholders who either already have a woodlands on their property or are considering protecting one.
Mr Wilson said the initiatives built on well-established community networks and knowledge.
“Sharing information and insights that increases understanding of the importance of healthy soils, plant and animal biodiversity, controlling pests and preserving environmental and cultural values is the key to vibrant, resilient and productive communities,” Mr Wilson said.