ACT NRM Regional Delivery National Landcare Program
The Environment Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate (EPSDD) of the ACT Government, through ACTNRM and the Australian Government has contracted four community partners to deliver 2014‑18 ACT Regional Delivery National Landcare Program (NLP) targets.
Project partners work directly with local landcare groups and individuals on the ground, such as Parkcare and urban landcare groups (who volunteer to help manage urban parks and reserves), Waterwatch and Frogwatch volunteers, schools, rural landcare groups, rural landholders, and others. Community partners support Landcare stakeholders through funding, coordination and planning support, to achieve on ground outcomes, such as revegetation, weed and pest management, erosion control, environmental monitoring, volunteer events, training / capacity building. This approach is designed to enable the ACT to deliver against its agreed ACTNRM NLP targets as well as build community engagement.
National Landcare Program Strategic objectives:
- Communities are involved in caring for their environment
- Communities are protecting species and natural assets
- Farmers and fisheries are increasing their long term returns through better management of the natural resource base.
Recipient | Project Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
Ginninderra Catchment Group | Improving Ecological Resilience in the Ginninderra Catchment. | $127,778 |
Molonglo Catchment Group | Healthy and Resilient Landscapes in the Molonglo. | $127,7778 |
Southern ACT Catchment Group | Restoring Ecological Resilience in Southern ACT. | $127,778 |
Greening Australia Capital Region | Communities and Connections for conservation. | $220,461 |
ACT Rural Grants
The ACT Rural Grants program was initiated by ACT NRM in the Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate through funding provided under the National Landcare Program (2014-2018).
Under the grants program, ACT rural landholders are supported to undertake activities on their farms which:
- improve groundcover, native vegetation, soil health and/or water quality
- minimise off-site impacts of farming activities
- protect biodiversity
- improve biosecurity
- demonstrate coordinated regional or landscape-scale partnerships to address priority issues including weed and pest animals issues
- prepare for climate variability and climate change.
The ACT Rural Grants finished in June 2018. In the final year of the program, 2017-18 the following projects were supported through the grants program:
Recipient | Project Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
Symonston landholder | Construction of fencing around farm infrastructure, including heritage-listed buildings, to prevent rabbit invasion as part of a comprehensive rabbit control program to reduce rabbit numbers and rabbit harbour. | $10,316 |
Cotter landholder | Development of an Equicultural Demonstration site to show how changes to farm infrastructure, such as fencing which take account of horse behaviour can reduce erosion, improve pasture biomass and composition and reduce biosecurity risks. | $24,432 |
Tidbinbilla Valley landholder | Installation of a soil moisture probe to provide accurate soil moisture data for landholders across the ACT to enable them to model different scenarios for pasture production in Spring and Autumn, in order to improve land and stock management and groundcover. | $7,425 |
Majura Valley landholder | Riparian fencing to protect vegetation along local creeks and reduce erosion and stock access. | $2,425 |
17 farms across the ACT | Delivery of a comprehensive pasture legume and soil testing program on 34 paddocks across 17 ACT farms in partnership with the NSW Department of Primary Industries, to determine effectiveness of nitrogen fixing in pasture legumes and to help improve pasture and soil management. | $17,318 |
20 farms across Southern ACT | Support for a coordinated collaborative pig control program on southern ACT farms– through provision of pig traps to 20 landholders. | $19,845 |
16 farms across north Canberra | A collaborative rabbit control project supporting landholders to spread the latest strain of the Calicivirus – the RHDV1 K5 strain on their properties to control rabbit numbers. | $3,140 |
ACT Environment Grants
In the 2017-18 round, the ACT Environment Grants funded 9 projects to improve ecosystem health and conservation outcomes to the value of $203,000. Project activities included weed and erosion control, care and rehabilitation of native wildlife, and support for on-ground citizen science projects.
Recipient | Project Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
Southern ACT Catchment Group | Invasive weed control in the Murrumbidgee River Corridor This project will reduce blackberry and invasive willow infestations along the Upper Murrumbidgee River Corridor. | $50,000 |
Southern ACT Catchment Group | Habitat connectivity improvements on Urambi Hills This project will restore previously cleared, grazed landscapes to rehabilitate a wildlife corridor in the Urambi Hills Reserve. | $3,635 |
Ginninderra Catchment Group | Blackberry control in the Ginninderra Catchment This project will undertake blackberry control to improve native habitat and enhance connectivity of natural temperate grasslands, Box-Gum woodlands and riparian areas in the Ginninderra Catchment. | $5,537 |
Ginninderra Catchment Group | Adult poplar removal to restore Ginninderra Creek corridor at Macgregor This project will remove invasive exotic adult poplars along the Ginninderra Creek riparian corridor to improve management of a riparian ecosystem. | $1,482 |
Ginninderra Catchment Group | Citizen science Frogphone monitoring trials This project will support citizen science to trial the use of new monitoring technology in isolated and remote locations to improve the efficacy and accuracy of collecting data on wildlife populations in the ACT | $15,000 |
ACT Wildlife | Care and rehabilitation of native wildlife This project will provide care and rehabilitation facilities and services for native wildlife through an active community volunteer engagement approach. | $34,642 |
Lend a Hand Pty Ltd | Indigenous engagement in native seed collection and propagation (Bundi Yeddung) This project will work with indigenous detainees and ex-detainees from the justice system, in native seed collection and propagation, to support revegetation work undertaken in the ACT. | $24,447 |
SEE Change | Birdscaping #CBR – bringing back birds, butterflies and bees This project will revegetate sections of urban open spaces adjacent to Sullivans Creek with understorey shrub cover to attract small insectivorous birds and butterflies to suburban areas. | $43,637 |
Kosciuszko to Coast | Citizen scientists detecting and protecting ACT’s Wildlife This project will strengthen components of Canberra Nature Map to support citizen scientists’ contributions to identifying, monitoring and recording native species in the ACT. | $24,625 |
Frogwatch
The Directorate continued to support the Frogwatch program in 2017-2018 with $22,000 provided in 2017‑18.
ACT Heritage Grants Program
The 2017-18 ACT Heritage Grants Program funded 21 projects totalling approximately $352,000. The program is the primary source of funding for individuals and community organisations involved in heritage conservation in the ACT.
Recipient | Project Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
National Trust of Australia (ACT) | Urban Polaris: A seven hour navigating and cycling event where teams of two must find their way around a series of control points spread throughout Canberra, with heritage assets as check point sites. | $5,000 |
The Uniting Church in Australia (ACT) | Stage II Roof Conservation Works: A boom operated Elevated Work Platform will access the roof of the church to determine the condition of the slate riles and battens, and undertake necessary repairs. | $10,000 |
Artists Society of Canberra | ACT Region Catchment Groups Art Exhibition: The fifth annual exhibition with paintings to focus on places or objects listed on the ACT Heritage Register. | $6,265 |
St John’s Anglican Church Reid | Lychgates Stage II: Replacement of the existing deteriorating timber roof shakes of the church’s lychgates, which traditionally provided shelter for a funeral party before the service and burial | $17,155 |
Australian Society for the Study of Labour History | Oral Histories Digitisation: Digitisation of oral histories recorded in 1997, of fourteen prominent and retired ACT Trade Union officials of that era. | $1,827 |
Institute of Foresters of Australia | Oral Histories: Recording the oral histories of some of the original and prominent ACT foresters to remember the significant contribution forestry has made to the ACT’s cultural and natural history since 1913. | $12,766 |
Woodlands and Wetlands Trust | WWI Trenches Augmentation: Further enhancement of the 2015 Heritage Grant funded heritage trail around the WWI training trenches at Jerrabomberra Wetlands, with augmented reality stations and a wheelchair accessible pathway. | $27,816 |
Girl Guides ACT & SE NSW Region | Conservation Management Plan: A Conservation Management Plan will guide the conservation of the many records – written, printed and ephemera – of the Girl Guides movement in the ACT and region since 1927. | $4,400 |
Southern ACT Catchment Group | Lanyon Canoe Tree: The protection and restoration of the ACT Heritage register nominated canoe scar tree located in the Lanyon Homestead Precinct by removal of graffiti and replacement of protective fencing around the trees. | $9,240 |
Engineers Australia | Self-guided Engineering Tour: The updating of a self-guided engineering tour, as part of the Canberra Tracks network, comprising 12-14 important engineering sites in the ACT. | $2,320 |
Giralang Primary School Parents & Citizens Association | 40th birthday celebrations: The P&C will work with architect Enrico Taglietti, to reproduce for display his original architectural drawings and photographs by Max Dupain, for display within the heritage listed school. | $3,509 |
Friends of the Pinnacle | Guided Aboriginal Tours: Two guided tours by a local Ngunnawal elder during the Heritage Festival to raise community awareness of the Aboriginal heritage values of the Pinnacle Nature Reserve. | $1,000 |
Canberra Lakes Pony Club | Conservation Works: Conservation works to the former Shearers’ Quarters of the Yarralumla Station Complex and the Yarralumla Woolshed, which are of significant value to the community, will assist in maintaining their structural integrity. | $36,597 |
Hall School Museum & Heritage Centre | Storage for Heritage Items: Storage facilities for the storyboards and research material generated by past exhibitions, will also provide much needed space for future exhibitions. | $7,500 |
National Trust of Australia (ACT) | Open Day: A highlight of the annual Canberra and Region Heritage Festival. | $12,000 |
The Free Serbian Orthodox Church of St George in Canberra | Conservation Works: Conservation works to repair leaks in the roof of the heritage listed church which have caused water damage to the roof and murals, which are of world-wide renown. | $10,000 |
Majura Valley Landcare Group | Majura Bush Festival: The Majura Valley Bush Festival showcases the land use, produce and heritage values of the Majura Valley to the public in a vibrant and interactive manner. | $15,736 |
Majura Valley Landcare Group | Interpretive Signage: The proposed Canberra Tracks signage includes the former Majura School, Majura House, Majura Post Office, as well as a sign about current and historic sustainable agriculture in the Valley, including traditional Aboriginal land management practices. | $14,223 |
Community Partnership Projects | $102,000 | |
Southern ACT Catchment Group | Heritage Emergency Fund | $52,624 |
Renewable Energy Innovation Fund Direct Grants Program
The Renewable Energy Innovation Fund (REIF) direct grants program provides flexible, early-stage funding to support a diversity of new and emerging technologies and ventures with the potential to support the development of the ACT as an export-oriented hub for renewable energy innovation.
In 2017-18, seven ACT renewable energy businesses were awarded REIF direct grants funding to a value of up to $1.1 million.
Recipient | Project Purpose | Amount (inc GST) |
|---|---|---|
Beast Solutions | Beast Solutions, a Canberra energy consultancy, will develop a demonstration project at Ginninderry that will capture emissions from waste to generate renewable energy. | Up to $235,000 |
IT Power | IT Power, a Canberra-based energy consultancy, will develop an open-source modelling tool that will allow energy system stakeholders to gain insights into pathways to a low carbon power system. | Up to $60,000 |
Ecospectral | Ecospectral, a Canberra company who’s BRIM System can reduce energy operating costs and emissions, will establish a pilot site with a view to global commercialisation of version two of the BRIM System. | Up to $110,000 |
ITP Thermal | ITP Thermal, a Canberra company working on solar thermal technology, will commercialise a lower cost energy storage solution for concentrated solar power plants. | Up to $95,000 |
PV Lab Australia | PV Lab Australia, an independent Canberra company based at the ANU providing quality assurance for solar panels, will develop an Australia-first test for conditions that can lead to solar panel failure. | Up to $63,070 |
Reposit Power | Reposit Power, a Canberra company whose Reposit Box technology is an intelligent and automated control system for household batteries, will develop the second generation of the Reposit Box for mass production. | Up to $250,000 |
Solcast | Solcast, a solar forecasting company based at Canberra’s Renewables Innovation Hub, will integrate ground based sky imagers with their satellite based solar forecasting technologies. | Up to $287,000 |
Community Gardens Grants
In 2017-18, $40,000 was offered to the ACT community to help establish or enhance community gardens. The maximum available for individual grants was $10,000 and was extended to include owners’ corporations of multi-unit developments in addition to not-for-profit community organisations.
Recipient | Project Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
Canberra Environment Centre | Upgrade of tools and purchase of a greenhouse to renew the Acton Community Garden. | $2,933 |
Hamilton Park Body Corporate | Installation of a water tank and expansion of plantings in existing garden. | $2,326 |
Canberra Organic Growers' Society Mitchell | Extension of the availability of water from the existing source to allow more plots to be used. | $3,200 |
Salvation Army Housing | Creation of a garden to showcase bush tucker and medicinal plants. | $9,950 |
Northside Community Services | Establishment of a garden to build community spirit and provide healthy food to clients of The Pantry, which provides low cost groceries to disadvantaged families. | $4,304 |
Manning Clark House | Redevelopment a former garden space to teach the benefits of organic techniques, waste stream management, composting and worm farming. | $3,925 |
Kingston Organic Community Garden | Replacement of old equipment with safe, robust and effective tools and equipment. | $2,064 |
O’Connor Community Inc. | Expansion and enhancement of an existing community orchard in O’Connor. | $2,500 |
Sentinel Residents Owners Corporation | Establishment of a community garden within a multi-unit development. | $4,350 |
Community Zero Emission Grants
The Community Zero Emissions Grants Program was successfully launched in 2017-18 with $150,000 available for eligible community groups and sponsored individuals to lead initiatives which support the ACT’s transition to net zero emissions by 2045.
The grants will be delivered through annual targeted rounds with $550,000 of funding available over four years. Round one of the Program targeted innovative projects across the energy, transport, building, land use and waste sectors that focus on improved sustainability and environmental outcomes, along with effective engagement with the community.
Recipient | Project Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
The Neighbourhood Effect | Development of a free, interactive smartphone app and website to encourage the use of sustainable lifestyle habits, products and initiatives. | $25,000 |
Canberra Environment Centre | Purchase of a solar powered composter to service the Acton community’s composting needs. | $24,200 |
Woden Community Service | Training of young people to fix and build bicycles which will then be donated to disadvantaged members of the community. | $23,000 |
SEE Change | Engagement of project home builders and developers to build more sustainably and promote living with a smaller environmental footprint. | $22,160 |
Australian Dance Party | Funding of a dance, short film and community awareness campaign aimed at changing perceptions and behaviours. | $21,550 |
Oz Harvest Ltd | Purchase of equipment for redistributing salvaged food, reducing waste to landfill and supporting vulnerable members of the community. | $25,000 |
H2OK Demonstration Sites Grants Program 2017-18
Recipient | Project Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
Uriarra, NSW | Restoration of eroding streambanks, including removal of weeds, fencing, encouragement of regeneration, new plantings and construction of new water sources to remove grazing pressure on the stream. | 6,000 |
Curtin, ACT | As part of redevelopment of the existing block to build two compact units, flo-cell units will be installed to support lawns fed by below ground water storage beneath the turf. The new gardens will be designed to reflect water and catchment friendly principles. | 3,000 |
Hackett, ACT | Enhancement of an establishing water and catchment sensitive garden by additional rainwater capture and improved swale designs. | 2,200 |
Burra, NSW | Install improved stormwater management treatments on a predominantly natural bush rural residential block. The treatments will address overland flows and rainwater storage using swales, an infiltration raingarden and an additional rainwater tank. | 7,500 |
Hoskingstown, NSW | Restoration of an erosion gully by construction of three rock groins, complemented by a range of other fencing, off stream watering points and other elements to reduce erosion on the property. | 7,500 |
Flynn, ACT | This project will enhance the water holding and infiltration of a common use area to the front of a complex of townhouses, using swales and terracing. A new planting scheme will be installed that complements the restructured bank. The nature strip will also be rehabilitated and planted to remove bare ground. | $1,750 |
Chisholm, ACT | Refurbishment of an established garden to reflect better management of water, including rehabilitation of an artificial creek, conversion of an existing nature strip to a more water friendly treatment and an upgrade of the existing irrigation system to better connect to new and existing rainwater storage. | 3,000 |
Watson, ACT | Disconnection of downpipes, improved rainwater storage capacity and construction of swales are proposed to improve the water and catchment friendly characteristics of this property. | 2,950 |
Carwoola, NSW | Undertake erosion control and overland flow management on a newly established rural residential block which has also been recently affected by bushfires | 6,623 |
Wamboin, NSW | Continuing the conversion of an established rural residential block to be more water and catchment sensitive, using additional swales, a rainwater tank and keyline infiltration systems. | 7,500 |
Charnwood, ACT | Install additional swales, water storage capacity, a rain garden, an enhanced composting system and wicked garden beds to transform an older suburban garden into a more productive water effective and catchment friendly garden. | 3,000 |
Flynn, ACT | Continuing conversion of an older urban garden to be water and catchment friendly as well as supporting sustainable living. Treatments include use of swales, raingardens, pervious paving and nature strip rejuvenation. | 2,935 |
Watson, ACT | Conversion of an established older urban garden to be water and catchment friendly, as well as supporting sustainable living. Treatments include the use of swales, dry creeks, enhanced rainwater storage and permeable paving. | 3,000 |
Coombs, ACT | Constructing a water and catchment sensitive nature strip at a newly established residence, incorporating raingardens and pervious paving elements. | 3,000 |
Waramanga, ACT | Continue to improve the capacity of an older urban residential block to manage stormwater by installation of extra rainwater storage, swales and a wicking garden bed. Composting of organic matter from the site will be enhanced by a compost tumbler and pervious paving will enhance water infiltration. | 3,000 |