Updated 4.30pm: FARMERS keen to carry out conservation management on their land can now put their hand up for a slice of $37 million, with the first round of Biodiversity Conservation Trust funding launched today.
Many farmers are taking a ‘suck and see’ approach until they get more detail on how the stewardship-style projects will be rolled out.
“Whether (the Trust) is offering enough money, it’s a bit like asking how long is a piece of string,” NSW Farmers’ Mitchell Clapham said.
In exchange for conserving and managing biodiversity on their land, farmers and landholders can access $240 million over five years, and $70 million per year ongoing.
Conservation groups have said the Trust essentially subsidises land clearing, and has diverted cash away from other climate funds.
NSW Farmers Native Vegetation working group chair Mitchell Clapham said the group would be watching carefully to see how much funding would be available in each region, as well as the size and scale of the projects that get the green light.
“It’s a bit of suck and see,” he said.
“We’d think there could always be a lot more money spent – but we’re also grateful for the money that’s there.
“The important thing for us is how this is all rolled out. It needs to be as simple as possible for the those operating something on the level of a family farm.”
Initial $16m for on-farm projects
On Friday Environment Minister Gabrielle Upton announced the not-for-profit Trust had made available $37m for its first programs of 2018, including $16m for on-farm projects.
There’ll be a further $60m unlocked over the next financial year.
- Biodiversity Stewardship Agreements – A voluntary permanent agreement between the Trust and a landholder to manage an area of land to improve its biodiversity values. The resulting stewardship site generates biodiversity credits, which can be sold to a developer, the Trust or other interested parties. The landholder may receive an up-front payment and will receive annual payments in return for undertaking conservation management actions on the property.
- Conservation Agreements – A voluntary agreement between the Trust and a landholder to conserve and manage biodiversity. Eligible landholders may receive annual conservation management payments to support them in carrying out conservation management actions. Landholders may be able to access Conservation Partners Grants to assist them to manage their conservation agreement.
- Wildlife Refuge Agreements - An entry-level option for landholders who wish to protect the biodiversity on their property but do not wish to enter into a permanent agreement. The Trust promotes this as a good option for landholders who wish to explore options for becoming involved in biodiversity conservation.
“We will also invite tenders for up to $2m to protect priority koala habitat, and we have allocated $2m for fixed rate offers for conservation agreements in high priority investment areas and $2m for Conservation Partners Grants,” Trust chairman Robert Hill said.
The Trust has also committed $15m to its Revolving Fund to purchase high conservation value properties to be resold to landholders committed to NSW’s long tradition of private land conservation.
“The importance of private landholders being supported to conserve and manage biodiversity on their land is being recognised in Australia and internationally,” Ms Upton said.
The Office of Environment and Heritage has also released the Biodiversity Conservation Investment Strategy, which guides the Trust’s investment.
By 2022, according to the Investment Strategy, private land conservation agreements will protect examples of 30 NSW Landscapes that are either not represented within, or are inadequately protected in, the protected area system in 2017.
The aim is to expand that to include 90 landscapes by 2037.
Priority investment areas
In order to build trust with rural and regional communities, the Strategy it will allow the programs to adapt as landholder motivations and desires become clearer.
As flagged in the draft Strategy, a significant proportion of the Trust’s top priority investment areas are in the NSW sheep-wheat belt, from the Qld to Victorian borders.
“These areas are agricultural heartland and support most of the cereal-growing areas and much of the irrigated farmlands of NSW,” the Strategy says.
“The areas have been extensively cleared for grazing and cropping and there is a relatively low proportion of land in the protected area system. Many of these areas are also underrepresented within the protected area system.”
“Government investment can also be made available in lower ranked priority investment areas where this is supported by the investment principles.”
Veg rollout certainly not a smooth ride
The often-divisive Biodiversity and LLS reforms passed parliament just over 12 months ago and were a key coalition commitment at the 2015 election.
Satellite mapping that determines how a property is regulated and, in turn, what clearing activities are allowed and where, is still in the works. In the meantime, landholders are able to interact with LLS if there is clearing they are looking to complete.
Primary Industries Minister Niall Blair has said said government is aware of farmers concerns with the accuracy of the proposed blue-yellow regulatory maps and has “committed to delaying the activation of these maps until they have broader stakeholder support”.
Last week media reports detailed ag-environmental tensions in cabinet, with Mr Blair and Ms Upon said to have clashed over failure to approve a land-clearing code.
The Environmental Defenders Office, representing the Nature Conservation Council, says it is using this to challenging the native veg laws in the Land and Environment Court.
They’re targeting a setting designed for efficient farm management including clearing paddock trees and overgrown invasive native species.
Alex Druce
Politics and rural issues journo in Sydney. Give me a yell at adruce@fairfaxmedia.com.au
Politics and rural issues journo in Sydney. Give me a yell at adruce@fairfaxmedia.com.au
