This project aims to support landholders to undertake African boxthorn (Lycium ferocissimum) control to maintain and improve plains-wanderer habitat.
Key information
- Status: Closed
- Grant amount: Up to $25,000
- Application opened: 16 February 2023
- Application closed: 14 March 2023, 11:59 pm
Program objective
This project aims to recover the population of the region's critically endangered plains-wanderer (Pedionomus torquatus).
Landholders play a key role in preserving habitat for this species, as strategic grazing management is crucial to conserving their ideal habitat.
The most important thing landholders can do is to manage their habitat in ‘ideal’ conditions. Ideal habitat has roughly equal parts bare ground and plants, with most of the plants being herbs and grasses around 5cm tall plus a scattering of taller plants.
The project aims to support landholders to maintain habitat by undertaking boxthorn control.
This program is administered by Local Land Services.
This program is funded by Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development.
Eligibility
Who can apply
To be eligible for the grant, landholders must:
- have at least 100ha of mapped primary plains-wanderer habitat within the proposed project area
- have completed all previous works funded by Local Land Services (LLS)
- not have any outstanding debts to LLS
- be willing to enter into a contractual agreement with LLS and maintain the primary plains-wanderer habitat and funded works for 10 years
- complete all project works by 30 June 2023
- have public liability insurance for a minimum of $10 million
- allow project staff to access and monitor plains-wanderer habitat conditions every quarter.
Who can’t apply
- Land managers outside of the Murray LLS Region.
- Projects that don’t contain at least 100 ha of mapped plains-wanderer habitat.
What you can't apply for
Activities that are not eligible for funding include:
- retrospective works
- works that are already required to be undertaken under an existing project or project maintenance clause, or funded through other funding sources or any on-title agreement (such as set-asides or Biodiversity Conservation Trust)
- works that do not control African Boxthorn within plains-wanderer primary habitat in the Murray LLS region.
Types of projects funded under this grant
Eligible projects include:
- control of African Boxthorn within plains-wanderer habitat areas
- control of African Boxthorn within 200m of plains-wanderer habitat areas.
What your application needs to include
Contact the Project Officer to discuss your project and complete an expression of interest.
Start the application
Applications for this grant are now closed.
After the application is submitted
A Murray LLS assessment panel will decide successful applications.
The applications will be assessed, and both successful and unsuccessful applicants will be notified.
Support and contact
Shanna Rogers, Senior Land Services Officer
Phone: 02 6051 2241
Email: shanna.rogers@lls.nsw.gov.au
Website: Bringing Plains-wanderers back from the brink - Local Land Services (nsw.gov.au)
Program evaluation
The Bringing plains-wanderers back from the brink – boxthorn control project was delivered in the 2022-2023 financial year in the Edward River and Federation Local Government Areas.
The project funded 3 landholders to protect plains-wanderer habitat by removing African Boxthorn. The total value of the grants was $39,515.50 (approved by: Murray Local Land Services, Acting Manager – Land Services).
Boxthorn was removed using mechanical and chemical methods from across 1036ha of grassland primary plains-wanderer habitat to maintain the grassland structure in a condition suitable for plains-wanderer habitation.
The names of grant recipients have been removed for privacy purposes.
Why these recipients’ details are kept private
By keeping recipients’ personally identifying information private, we meet legal requirements set out in the NSW Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998.
This is because published information could be used in combination with other details to identify an individual. For example, in a location with a small population, a single recipient may be able to be identified based on their name, their location and the amount of funding received.