Deadline: 21-Feb-23
The Native Vegetation Council is inviting applications for the Environmental Benefit Grant.
The purpose of this grant is for the offset of the approved clearance of scattered trees and woodland vegetation in target areas of the Hills and Fleurieu Landscape region.
Funding Information
- There is a total of $1,350,000 allocated to this grant round and it may be awarded to one or more applicants.
- Funding is available for projects that will restore woodland vegetation communities through revegetation and other restoration techniques.
Eligibility Criteria
- The lead applicant must be an incorporated group or organisation, or have a sponsor who is. If you are not part of an incorporated group, you can approach an incorporated body to sponsor the project. The sponsoring organisation will receive the funding and take complete responsibility for the financial and legal accountability of the proposed project (to be outlined in the conditions of approval). A letter from the sponsor agreeing to these terms must accompany your application.
- If the lead applicant or sponsor is registered for GST, you must indicate this on the application.
- The lead applicant or sponsor must possess an Australian Business Number. The lead applicant or sponsor must have no overdue reports or acquittals from prior NVC grant funding.
- The lead applicant or sponsor must have confidence it can obtain all necessary planning, regulatory and other approvals. Where approvals are required, written evidence will be required.
- The lead applicant must submit the application on or before the closing date.
- Project Activities and Scale
- The proposal must actively improve the extent and / or condition of one or more remnant woodland vegetation communities, example communities may include the following dominant species: Red Gum, Blue Gum, Pink Gum, Candlebark Gum, Rough-barked Manna Gum, Grey Box, Peppermint Box and Sheoaks.
- The proposal must include revegetation.
- The proposal must seek to achieve a woodland vegetation community with appropriate density and diversity across all stratum (i.e. to mimic the original preEuropean vegetation community at maturity unless otherwise justified).
- The proposal must restore or improve vegetation condition over an area greater than 10 hectares (i.e. the combined area of revegetation plus any patches of remnant vegetation is >10 ha). If the proposal includes multiple properties or patches, each patch must be greater than 10 hectares.
- All sites must be at least 30 m wide for at least 90% of their length.
- Location: Applications must occur with the eastern and southern flanks of the Mount Lofty Ranges within the Mount Lofty Ranges and Fleurieu IBRA Subregions
- Land Tenure and Protection:
- The applicant (or site owner) must be able to enter into a new Heritage Agreement over the land to protect the site in perpetuity.
- The land must be held under fee simple, or dedicated Crown Land under the care and control of a Council.
- The land must not be already protected or covered by a conservation covenant e.g. not a National Park, Heritage Agreement, SEB Area or not already dedicated to the purpose of conservation if Crown land.
- Crown land applicants may need to seek advice from the Crown Lands Branch of DEW prior to applying.
- Timing: The project (including monitoring of outcomes) is to be delivered between five and ten years (depending on scale of project) and commence on award of the grant.
Ineligible
- Funding is not available for the following ineligible criteria:
- Activities for which individuals or bodies have a statutory obligation i.e. plant or animal control that would normally be expected to undertaken under any relevant legislation i.e. Landscape South Australia Act 2019
- Activities that have potential to have negative impacts on natural resources
- The purchase of assets and equipment unless appropriate justification can be provided
- Activities within areas that could be subject to future disturbance e.g. easements
- Activities within protected areas e.g. National Parks, Heritage Agreements, SEB Areas
For more information, visit https://cdn.environment.sa.gov.au/environment/docs/NVC-HF-Reveg-Guide-for-Applicants.pdf