Member for New England, Barnaby Joyce, announced five organisations have been awarded more than $75,000 in combined funding under the Coalition Government’s Communities Environment Program.

“This program is all about harnessing the passion of grassroots community organisations to deliver practical local projects that directly improve our local environment,” Mr Joyce said.

Grant recipients include:

• $20,000: OzFish Unlimited – For fitting trash racks to storm water outlets.
• $5,000: Friends of Tamworth Regional Botanic Garden Incorporated – To further develop an existing endangered species garden.
• $13,707: Tamworth Regional Landcare Association – For the eradication and management of black willows on the Macdonald River.
• $20,000: Australian Trust For Conservation Volunteers - Barrington Broom Sweep protecting peatlands and threatened species project.
• $20,000: Gwydir Shire Council - to purchase a new tank, pump and filtration system for the benefit of Bingara Angler's Club.

The Coalition Government is investing more than $22 million in the Communities Environment Program to support local environmental projects in every electorate across Australia, with grants ranging from $2,500 to $20,000 per project.

A broad range of organisations were eligible to apply, including local community clubs, not-for-profit organisations, landcare groups and schools.

Mr Joyce said the Communities Environment Program was empowering local community groups to deliver practical local environmental projects that would not only raise environmental awareness but also strengthen the local community.

“I was very pleased with the high quality of applications received from our local community and environmental organisations, and their enthusiasm to undertake practical environmental projects,” Mr Joyce said.

“Community groups in Tamworth and across the New England are already delivering many fantastic environmental projects, whether it’s planting trees, cleaning up local waterways, reducing litter or protecting native species,” he said.

“This new funding will help further those outcomes and I look forward to working together to deliver these projects.”

Detailed project information:

• OzFish Unlimited: Fitting trash racks to storm water outlets to minimise litter entry to Peel River waterway. The Gross Pollutant Traps will help reduce litter, debris and sediments polluting the Peel River. The project will involve several community groups working together and will also provide education to the wider community on the importance of caring for the waterways.
• Friends of Tamworth Regional Botanic Garden Incorporated: Continue to develop an existing endangered species garden within the Tamworth Regional Botanic Garden. Reparation of damage to the existing site and new site development to extend the garden. The endangered species are native to the local area and the garden increases education opportunities for the community.
• Tamworth Regional Landcare Association: As the banks of the Macdonald River have been swamped by Black Willows and Privet in the riparian zone, the main activity of this project is to remove the invasive weeds from the river bank and plant native trees and grasses to improve habitat for the endangered Bell's Turtle, platypus and native fish.

•  Australian Trust For Conservation Volunteers - The Barrington Broom Sweep, protecting montane peatlands and threatened species from Scoth Broom invasion. This project will continue important community efforts to eradicate invasive weeds in the Barrington Tops World Heritage Area. The Barrington Tops Plateau encompasses a diverse range of habitats from sub-alpine to sub-tropical vegetation. It includes montane peatland, an endangered ecological community, and threatened species such as the Davies Treefrog and Broad-toothed Rat. Much of the area is World Heritage listed, managed for conservation, recreation and tourism by the NPWS. CVA has an ongoing partnership with NPWS to eradicate Scotch Broom in the reserve. This weed is competing with native  flora and destroying natural values.

• Gwydir Shire Council - Upgrade of the hatchery, construct a tank, pump and filtration system with appropriate fencing and cover.  The Bingara Angler's Club breeds 100,000s + native fingerlings each year to restock the Gwydir and Horton Rivers. The Club has the breeding female fish in dams at the hatchery and nearby farm dams.  With the prolonged drought there has been a great number of breeding female fish lost. With a reliable breeding system, volunteers have the skills, accreditations and time to ensure fingerlings are available to restock rivers right across our region and wider NSW.

(ENDS)