Funding on offer for sustainable agriculture and natural resource management, says Joyce

FEDERAL Member for New England, Barnaby Joyce has welcomed the invitation of the Northern Tablelands Local Land Services offering innovative landholders, community members and groups to take advantage of a new round of funding on offer for projects that invest in the long term sustainability of agriculture and improve the management of natural resources.

Mr Joyce said Small Community Grants and On-ground Partnership Grants are available through the Northern Tablelands Local Land Services ‘Trees on Farms’, ‘Healthy Rivers’, ‘Sustainable Agriculture’ and ‘Resilient People’ programs, with funding from the National Landcare Programme and NSW Catchment Action.

Small Community Grants of up to $5,000 are available to support training events, field days and workshops, to increase knowledge, leadership, and community participation in improved natural resource management and sustainable agriculture. Up to $10,000 is available for Aboriginal cultural heritage protection and knowledge sharing projects.

Expressions of Interest for On-ground Partnership Grants are also being sought for projects that:  protect rivers and creeks,
provide alternative water sources to reduce stock damage to environmentally sensitive areas,
plant native vegetation for shade and shelter,
bring back paddock trees,
manage and restore threatened species habitat,
protect bushland, and
restore river health.

Projects that extend across more than one property are encouraged and receive a higher weighting when being assessed compared to standalone projects. The more landholders, (either neighbouring or sharing a common locality or issue) the greater the weighting.

Applications for Small Community Grants, and Expressions of Interest for On-ground Partnership Grants are now open and will close on Friday 14 August 2015.

Northern Tablelands Local Land Services can provide advice to help individuals or groups to develop their project ideas and can assist in preparing Expressions of Interest for On-ground Partnership Grants and applications for Small Community Grants.

Details are available on the Northern Tablelands Local Land Services website at: www.northerntablelands.lls.nsw.gov.au. For more information contact Northern Tablelands Local Land Services in Inverell on: 02 6720 8300.