The Andrews Labor Government will make the biggest funding boost to biodiversity in Victoria’s history, with almost $35 million in grants for targeted on-ground action.
Member for Western Victoria, Gayle Tierney has unveiled funding for ten local biodiversity and marine environment projects to mark the start of Biodiversity Month.
These projects include (see list below):
Across Victoria, eighty-five of the projects are focused on biodiversity on-ground action, while $1.1 million has been allocated to four new marine environment projects.
This will improve the environment across hundreds of thousands of hectares, right across Victoria.
The Labor Government is supporting a broad range of rehabilitation efforts by community and volunteer groups and agencies to improve the resilience of the state’s native plants and wildlife.
The projects have been developed collaboratively by interested community members, Traditional Owners, non-government organisations and government agencies, and respond to the priorities that were determined by stakeholder led working groups.
The projects are part of the Labor Government’s $86.3 million investment over four years to implement Protecting Victoria’s Environment – Biodiversity 2037.
To view the full list of successful projects, visit: environment.vic.gov.au
Quote attributable to Member for Western Victoria, Gayle Tierney
“The Andrews Labor Government is committed to protecting Victoria’s biodiversity – these grants will support the community in their on-ground efforts to protect our threatened species and their natural habitats.”
“These projects will help stop the decline of country Victoria’s unique biodiversity at a grassroots level.”
Quotes attributable to Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio
“We’re investing more funding than ever before to protect Victoria’s native plants and wildlife.”
Conservation Ecology Centre – $486,060
Project: Expanding and Strengthening the Otway Ark
This project will maintain and expand the Otway Ark, a small mammal recovery program that incorporates best practice monitoring with ongoing fox control. Impacts will be extended through assessing pig populations within the Otways and developing a program with the aim of restricting their spread and eradicating isolated pig populations.
Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning – $420,000
Project: Glenelg Ark Project – Next Phase
The project aims to facilitate the recovery of native mammal populations at risk from predation by foxes and feral cats in far south-west Victoria by undertaking broad scale fox baiting using buried 1080 bait across an extra 17,000ha and trial several feral cat management options within the project areas (7,400ha).
Corangamite Catchment Management Authority – $461,999
Project: Connected Landscapes – Connecting Landholders to Biodiversity on the Victorian Volcanic Plain
This project will result in the protection, enhancement and restoration of over 1000 hectares of threatened native grassland, grassy woodland and related habitats across the Victorian Volcanic Plains, with a focus on private land.
Glenelg Hopkins CMA – $314,000
Project: Pine wildling control in brown stringy bark woodlands
This collaborative project supports removal of pine wildlings from brown stringy bark woodlands, a critical feeding habitat for red-tailed black cockatoos (RTBC). In addition to enhancing RTBC habitat, the activities will benefit a range of other native flora and fauna species.
Greening Australia – $260,000
Project: Increasing Critical Food Supply for the Endangered South-Eastern Red-Tailed Black-Cockatoo (SE-RTBC)
Inadequate food supply, particularly Brown and Desert Stringybark, reduces breeding success of the endangered SE-RTBC, as the female is forced to leave the nest to forage. This project will increase supply.
Nature Glenelg Trust – $195,000
Project: Permanent Restoration of Long Swamp, Discovery Bay Coastal Park
This project will result in the permanent restoration of internationally important (Ramsar convention listed) wetland habitat in Long Swamp. A re-created sand dune will replace the current restoration trial structure and permanently close the artificial outlet, securing future sustainable water management across up to 1057 hectares of public land.
Nature Glenelg Trust – $140,000
Project: VVP Landscape Wetland Restoration Program
This project will result in hydrological restoration of 100 hectares of Seasonal Herbaceous Wetlands of the Temperate Lowland Plains and other key wetland habitat for brolga, growling grass frogs, Corangamite water skink, Australasian bittern and migratory bird species such as Latham’s snipe.
Greening Australia – $160,000
Project: Increasing biodiversity benefits across the Ramsar Western District Lakes
The project will enhance at landscape scale native vegetation within the VVP Western District Ramsar Lakes, consisting of significant ecological communities and threatened flora and fauna species. Partnering with public and private landholders, coordination of weed and predator activities will be undertaken across 1000ha over 3 years.
Ballarat Environment Network Inc. – $149,500
Project: Building blocks for biodiversity in the Bannockburn region
This project will improve the condition & diversity of 500ha of endangered, diverse Natural Temperate Grasslands, Plains Grassy Woodland & Creekline Tussock Grassland in the Bannockburn region of the Victorian Volcanic Plains bioregion through transformer weed control, fox control & rabbit-proof fence installation/ extension (1ha) to protect exceptional conservation values for the long-term.
Upper Barwon Landcare Network – $135,000
Project: Enhancing and protecting biodiversity values in the Otway Plains
This project will result in the protection and promotion of biodiversity in high value areas of the Otway Plains by using best practice to remove exotic invasive weeds in partnership with local landholders and land managers.