These grants support eligible landholders in priority areas of the Local Land Services Hunter region to implement on ground projects that improve riparian vegetation and associated land management practices.
Key information
- Status: Closed
- Grant amount: From $5,000 to $100,000
- Application opened: 23 April 2024
- Application closed: 3 June 2024
Program objective
Land Management Incentives Program funding is available in priority areas of the Local Land Services (LLS) Hunter region.
Funding is provided to assist landholders to implement onground works and management practice change to improve the extent and condition of riparian vegetation, in order to improve the health and resilience of rivers, estuaries and aquatic ecosystems.
Funding is aimed at assisting with projects that revegetate riverbanks, fence riverbanks, control stock access to riparian areas, provide offstream stock water and control riparian weeds.
The program seeks to support rural landholders along priority rivers in the Hunter LLS Region to implement improved riparian management practices that:
- improve the extent and condition of riverbank vegetation and improve water quality in the short to medium term
- improve long term river resilience to flooding and drought impacts in the long term.
Land Management Incentives Program
This program is funded and administered by Local Land Services.
Eligibility
Who can apply
To be eligible to apply you must
- be a landowner or an occupier with signed landowner permission to undertake the project on the land or if the landowner or responsible entity is a company or organisation, an application signed by an authorised representative of the entity
- hold or commit to obtaining public liability insurance of not less than $10 million per occurrence or hold equivalent or better self-insurance to the satisfaction of LLS, prior to executing a Funding Deed or Agreement with LLS.
Landholders interested in applying need to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) to Hunter LLS, which is assessed by Hunter LLS before eligible applicants are provided with detailed program guidelines and invited to apply.
The EOI form and further information is available at Land Management Incentives Program
Who can’t apply
- Landowners, occupiers or organisations not listed above.
Types of projects funded under this grant
- Projects delivering on ground works and practices that improve riparian vegetation.
Eligible projects must be located in a priority area for Riparian Incentives identified on the Interactive Priority Incentives Map
What can’t you apply for
- solely production-oriented activities
- major farm water supplies including irrigation
- solely weed control to meet a landholder’s general biosecurity duty
- purchase of machinery and computer hardware and software, where there is no demonstrated land use change
- activities more appropriately funded by other bodies
- activities that the land managers can reasonably be expected to undertake to ensure sustainable management of areas under their control
- work that is undertaken before the project agreement for the proposal is signed or after the project agreement ends
- construction or modification of instream works
- projects intended to beautify or improve amenity
- replacement or maintenance of property boundary fencing that is the landholder’s normal responsibility
- capital works, for example construction of buildings or viewing platforms to improve amenity
- expert advice that could alternatively be provided by the LLS or other government agency
- research
- any works for mostly private benefit
- activities that may be required due to legal responsibilities, compliance with development consents and/or reasonable duty of care
- activities that do not directly deliver on the specified program outcomes
- maintenance of previously LLS/CMA funded works
- works that are existing obligations to the landholders, such as on title conservation agreements or Land Management code agreements
- works that are already funded by other sources
Example projects
- fencing of riverbanks for stock exclusion
- off-stream stock watering points
- revegetation of riverbanks, estuaries, wetlands
- develop and implement property riparian plans
- control of weed threats to riparian areas
Most recent recipients
What your application needs to include
You can download the Expression of Interest (EOI) form:
File
Land Management Incentives Program EOI form (DOCX 83.57KB)Please include
- a completed application form
- budget
- map of project area provided by LLS staff on a standard template
- photo baseline monitoring
- Public Liability insurance.
Prepare your application with this checklist
Before submitting your application, you will need to
- check that your project is in an identified priority area Interactive Priority Location Map
complete and submit an Expression of Interest form:
File
Land Management Incentives Program EOI form (DOCX 83.57KB)- discuss your proposal with LLS staff
- ensure your project has an eligible on ground activity
- seek budgets/estimate costs and actions
- obtain map of the project area from LLS
- prepare your application form, and ensure you allow sufficient time to obtain assistance from LLS staff.
Address the eligibility criteria
The applicant has submitted an Expression of Interest, and is invited to complete an application form by Hunter LLS.
- The project is located within the Hunter LLS region in an identified priority area for this program.
- The applicant contributes a minimum of 1:1 (Landholder contribution $1: Hunter LLS funding $1) co-investment through cash and/or in-kind (e.g. labour, equipment and materials) from the landholder.
- The applicant has completed all works, monitoring and reporting for any previously funded project/s prior to submitting a new application.
- The applicant is able to complete proposed works within a 12-24 months (or otherwise agreed) timeframe.
- The application must meet Hunter LLS minimum standards for on-ground works, as detailed in these guidelines.
- The applicant/business not having previously received LLS or Catchment Management Authority (CMA) funding for the proposed works, on 2 or more previous occasions for similar works elsewhere on the same property.
- The proposed activities are consistent with local, NSW and Australian government regulations and legislation.
- The applicant has paid all current Hunter LLS financial obligations e.g. rates, Long Term Grazing Permits.
Must not be double funded by other sources (such as other grants) for the same work, or be obligated to undertake the work to meet a legislative compliance requirement or through on title or other certificates that are the responsibility of the landholder (such as Biodiversity Conservation Trust or Land Management Code certificates).
Address the assessment criteria
- Assessment is made by a Team Leader, staff independent of the application process and independent Business Team representatives using a Benefit Cost Tool that identifies environmental benefits, value for money and risk. The panel may also consist of external panellists, such as representatives from program specific investment organisations.
- Applications are assessed against the priorities and alignment of the Land Management Incentives programs, the advice or project development with LLS staff and feasibility/level of complexity, combined with the Benefit Cost Tool.
- Applications are assessed on their own merit, and alignment to program priorities, and are comparatively assessed based on investment source.
- Projects are either recommended for funding through the panel, recommended with variations (project or financial), or not recommended.
- Applicants may be contacted during this step to clarify information provided in their application. LLS will notify applicants if additional information and supporting material is required and the timeframes in which it is required.
- The assessment panel may recommend a lesser amount of funding for an application or defer a recommendation pending further information.
- Advice may also be sought from other NSW Government agencies or other sources (such as probity advisors).
After the application is submitted
Successful applications will be decided by: Local Land Services, Hunter region Healthy Landscapes Manager
The applications will be assessed by a panel and both successful and unsuccessful applicants will be notified.
All successful applications will be published online to the NSW Grants and Funding page.
Support and contact
Email: incentives.program@lls.nsw.gov.au Call: 1300 795 299
or visit or call:
Paterson Office: 816 Tocal Road, Paterson NSW 2421, 02 4938 4900
Scone Office: 2 Flemington Drive, Scone NSW 2337, 02 6540 2400
Taree Office: 26 Muldoon Street, Taree NSW 2430, 02 5594 7200
Please contact your local Hunter LLS Project Officer for assistance in preparing your application.