Regional and Local Communities in Grey Receive
$34m for Environmental Projects
Federal Member for Grey Rowan Ramsey said the delivery of $34m to projects in Grey will enable natural resource management groups to deliver projects to harness local knowledge and expertise and deliver real outcomes in their communities.
“Five environmental organisations across Grey have received a very significant boost under the Government’s $450 million Regional Land Partnerships program,” he said.
“These projects will focus on recovering vulnerable ecological communities, protecting threatened species addressing soil issues.
“In Grey bodies like the Eyre Peninsula Natural Resource Board will receive more than $6m for a number of projects addressing soil and native vegetation and saltbush treatment”, Mr Ramsey said. “Northern Yorke Natural Resource Management Board will receive funding of almost $7m to tackle soil erosion and the sustainability of the brush-tailed Betton.”
“Alinytjara Wilurara the NRM responsible the remote indigenous lands, have won more than $8m also to tackle erosion, the threatened mallee fowl and yellow-footed rock wallaby. Importantly the grants will also support the Indigenous Rangers Program.
“The Southern Australian Arid Lands NRM will receive more than $10m to tackle soil erosion and support the vulnerable yellow-footed rock wallaby populations”, he said. “It is vitally important to continue to address issues at a local level which threaten native species and to improve soil quality and assist farmers adapt to climate change. Seventy million of the fund will go into sustainable agriculture projects.”
“While the Regional Land Partnerships Program is contestable it is makes up a very important part of the ongoing Federal funding supporting our NRM groups.”
The Regional Land Partnerships is a core component of the Government’s $1 billion investment under Phase 2 of its National Landcare Program.
Minister for the Environment, Melissa Price, said the 195 projects had been targeted to achieve the best value for money, allowing natural resource management groups to protect their local environment.
“We believe working in partnership with local communities delivers the best results, and this funding allows individual organisations to deliver projects tailored to the specific needs of those communities,” Minister Price said.
“Of the investment under this program, $170 million will help protect and recover Australia’s threatened species and ecological communities.
“It has been encouraging to see our delivery partners actively leading the way by focusing their efforts on regional and local projects that align with our national priorities, such as improving the prospects of plants and animals listed under our Threatened Species Strategy.”
December 3, 2018
Media Contact: Leonie Lloyd-Smith 08 8633 1744