The Northern Agricultural Region Management Unit and the Wheatbelt Natural Resource Management have landed more than $10 million to deliver on-ground environment and sustainable agricultural projects.
In an announcement from the Federal Government, the organisations were named alongside 45 others to recieve funding under the Regional Land Partnerships component of the National Landcare Program’s second phase.
“These successful tenderers have demonstrated that they have the knowledge, capability and experience to deliver the services as needed by the community, at a price that provides the best value for money for the Government,” said Melissa Price, assistant Minister for the Environment.
She said the Government looks forward to working with successful service providers and the community to deliver projects that will benefit not only our environment, but also our economy and our towns and cities.
“Our Government is proud to continue its long-standing commitment to natural resource management by investing $450 million over the next five years in local and regional-scale projects that will help deliver national priorities,” Assistant Minister Price said.
Assistant Minister Price welcomed the announcement as great news for the people of her electorate of Durack with three successful management units - the Rangelands Region; Northern Agricultural Region; and the Avon River Basin receiving the funding.
“I wish to congratulate the Rangelands NRM Coordinating Group; the Northern Agricultural Catchments Council; and the Wheatbelt Natural Resource Management Inc as successful tenderers chosen to help the Government deliver its natural resource management priorities in the region,” Ms Price said.
Rangelands NRM have received funding of $4,374,960 and will be focusing on protecting West Kimberley Ramsar sites, the Ningaloo Coast Heritage area, reducing the risk to the bilby and malleefowl habitats, and creating a climate change ready community across the WA rangelands.
The Northern Agricultural Region Management Unit (NAR) received $7,425,839 and will also support communities to save the malleefowl, a priority species under the Threatened Species Strategy, and supporting ‘smarter farms’ improving land use in the NAR.
The Wheatbelt Natural Resource Management received $3,805,573 to improve the condition of the nationally threatened Wheatbelt woodlands ecological community and adopt land management practices to improve soils, vegetation, biodiversity and optimise mixed farming systems in the Avon River Basin.
“It is worth pointing out that community engagement is a major component of the service delivery, with at least 20 per cent of the project budget dedicated to supporting small, on-ground projects that are delivered by, or directly engage with, the local landcare community,” said Ms Price.
