Farm biodiversity agreements fill a void in rural conservation

For Greg and Lyn Rummery, Brooksdale, entering the agreement to preserve 210 hectares of older forest along the Namoi River was a sensible move on many sides - for conservation for unique flora and fauna, and as cashflow in the lean years.

At $100 a hectare yearly conservation payment, it provided $21,000 for the Rummerys last year when they couldn't grow a crop. Mr Rummery's responsibilities for the set aside land is to keep the fencing required for the agreement up to standard, and to control weeds.

Mr Rummery said such a financial incentive was essential if conservation values were to be preserved on private land in perpetuity. He said many farmers were already aware of the special or unique habitats on their properties.

As he watches one of his best season in years get away with wheat, canola, barley, chickpeas and faba beans planted, he has no regrets having set aside a fair chunk (25 per cent) of his property for conservation.

"It's a high conservation area with 400- to 500-year-old river red gums and a number of unique species of flora with interesting features such as staghorns high up," he said. "Traditionally we've seen grazing through that area, and that hasn't really been beneficial. Compared to grazing the area, it was actually more beneficial to extract a payment from the BCT, and so it became an incentive as a legitimate form of land use. The benefit is I get to retain a valuable piece of vegtataion and I get paid for setting it aside. My responsibility is to keep it fenced and weed free."

He was surprised when the BCT came out to inspect the area. An officer put out some taped owl calls, and "within minutes" three different species of owl emerged from the forest. In the past koalas have been known to live in the area near Walgett on a river island. The area is a marsupial mice habitat.

Last week the BCT announced new agreements for the Northern Inland Floodplain area, that opened on August 17 and will be open until September 11.

"Successful bidders (bids are based on best value for money) will receive annual, ongoing payments for implementing an agreed management plan under a conservation agreement which is registered on the property title," the BCT said.

"The tender area includes predominantly floodplain vegetation such as river red gum forest, coolabah and river cooba woodland, lignum swamps, natural grasslands and chenopod shrublands. Much of the remnant native vegetation in the tender area is a threatened ecological community (TEC), or a vegetation type that is extensively cleared."

The other two tenders to follow include the regions of Murray-Riverina (to protect the critically endangered plains-wanderer bird), and the South East (focusing on snow gum grassy woodlands and grasslands).

Tenders for the Central-West Rivers (north Macquarie River) area have just been completed. There were nine successful tednders for the Central West Rivers area covering 3900ha. Its aim is to protect woodlands and wetlands.

"Through these tenders, we are rewarding the conservation work many landholders are opting to do to protect habitat for native and threatened species," said NSW Environment Minister Matt Kean.

He said so far 190 landholders have signed or plan to sign a conservation agreement with the BCT.

"These agreements cover more than 41,400ha, underpinned by a total investment from NSW Government that now exceeds $112 million."

The BCT says landholders can still arrange to control vegtetation on the preserved land in consultation with the NSW Rural Fire Service.

"In cases where proposed fire management activities are consistent with the purpose and terms of a private land conservation agreement then these activities can be implemented as part of the agreement," it said.

"Landholders, RFS and the BCT can also work together before an agreement is put in place to identify whether parts of the property should be excluded from the private land conservation agreement area."