Another 20 projects will receive funding under the Coalition Government’s Enhancing Remnant Vegetation Pilot, which is providing money for projects to protect and enhance native vegetation.
More than $4 million will go to these 20 new farm projects. This latest tranche of funding follows the announcement of 54 successful projects under the first batch of successful pilot projects last month.
Minister for Agriculture and Northern Australia, David Littleproud, said the pilot was an opportunity to reward farmers for their stewardship of the land.
“Farmers have been managing biodiversity on their farms for decades and it’s time they were paid for it,” Minister Littleproud said.
“It’s a step towards a market-based solution that pays farmers for their environmental stewardship of the land.
“Each successful application will receive a biodiversity payment offer in return for undertaking specified management activities to protect and enhance the remnant native vegetation,” Minister Littleproud said.
“This is a chance for farmers to get paid in a way that helps to drought-proof their businesses.”
“The Coalition Government understand country communities and has a long-term economic plan that enables us to invest in rural programs to support the farmers that feed us. In contrast, Labor doesn’t understand the regions and has no economic plan for our future.”
All the funded projects will enhance the biodiversity value of each area, and all weed and pest control will not target or adversely affect species that are native to the local area.
Activities include installing fencing to restrict grazing, managing pests such as deer, foxes, pigs, and rabbits through measures like trapping and ripping, and tackling weeds such as paddy melons, cape weed, scotch thistle and Bathurst burr.
The first round of the Enhancing Remnant Vegetation pilot is being trialled in six Natural Resource Management (NRM) regions: Burnett-Mary in Queensland; Central West in New South Wales; North Central in Victoria; NRM North in Tasmania; Eyre Peninsula in South Australia; and South-West in Western Australia.
The Pilot will trial elements of the recently announced national voluntary Agriculture Biodiversity Stewardship Market legislation. This legislation would underpin a national agriculture biodiversity stewardship market scheme to recognise and financially reward farmers for their efforts to enhance or protect native vegetation. This would build on success of the Agriculture Biodiversity Stewardship Package.
Only the Coalition Government will continue to deliver a better future for Australia as part of our plan to build a strong economy and a stronger future.
For more information, visit: https://www.awe.gov.au/agriculture-land/farm-food-drought/natural-resources/landcare/sustaining-future-australian-farming/enhancing-remnant-vegetation-pilot
Fast Facts:
- The Pilot is a key component of the Coalition Government’s $91.6 million Agriculture Biodiversity Stewardship Package to help farmers improve on-farm biodiversity practices.
- So far, a total of 74 projects have been selected to receive funding under the Enhancing Remnant Vegetation (ERV) Pilot.
- Applications were considered by an assessment panel, chaired by a senior officer of the department, two departmental employees, and two specialist advisors from the ANU. An independent probity advisor supported the panel.
