19/10/2005 - The Australian Government has awarded almost $20.5 million over the next three years to 28 large-scale environmental projects across Australia that will help significantly improve the sustainable management of our natural resources.
Funding from the Regional Competitive Component of the Australian Government’s $3 billion Natural Heritage Trust was announced today by Australian Government Ministers for the Environment and Heritage, Senator Ian Campbell; Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry, Peter McGauran; and Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation, Senator Ian Macdonald.

Senator Campbell said the aim of the program was to support major multi-regional or cross-border projects that achieve on-ground results.
"The reality is, natural resource management challenges don’t stop at regional or state borders. We need to take a cross-jurisdictional approach to projects that otherwise may not be identified as a high priority by individual regions," Senator Campbell said.

"The projects represent carefully-targeted investments, such as the $1.707 million cross-regional recovery plan for South East Queensland’s rainforest.

"Around 60 per cent of south-east Queensland rainforest has been lost through extensive clearing. This project will take a landscape approach to recovery, allowing regional bodies to work together to implement on-ground actions across the entire bioregion," he said.
The plan encompasses 21 threatened rainforest ecosystems, and will address threats to 67 threatened flora species and 40 threatened fauna species.

Senator Campbell said some projects funded under the Regional Competitive Component support efforts to protect threatened species, such as the recovery plan for the Red-tailed Black Cockatoo and the protection and enhancement of one of its primary food sources, the endangered Buloke Ecological Communities. The project has been awarded $1.3 million funding.
"This is a highly-integrated project throughout western Victoria and south-east South Australia, which takes a holistic approach to the protection of a threatened species," he said.

Mr McGauran said a number of projects focus on feral pests, which contribute to land degradation and impact on the long-term survival of many precious native species.

"Fox predation is one of the most significant threats to biodiversity in Australia. A NSW project that will see private land managers becoming involved in established fox control programs at 29 priority sites has been awarded $832,950 in funding."

The Regional Competitive Component also supports activities that protect coastal zones and the marine environment. Australia’s coastal catchments are often underlain by soils that contain iron sulphide minerals and organic matter. While these materials are benign when they are maintained below the water table, they can degrade when exposed to air through drainage or excavation, generating water pollution and affecting the health of aquatic organisms.

"Disturbance in coastal soils is an emerging issue in the South West and South Coast of Western Australia. This $770,000 project will provide a better understanding of these processes and improve management capacity through the development of training and decision support tools," Mr McGauran said.

Senator Macdonald highlighted a $1.575 million project that will decrease the impact of bitou bush on threatened coastal plan communities at 25 key sites along the NSW coastline.
"Bitou bush is listed as a Weed of National Significance and is one of the greatest threats to coastal ecosystems, infesting approximately 80 per cent of the NSW coastal zone.
"This invasive scourge has put 150 plant species, two plant populations and nine endangered ecological communities at risk of extinction," Senator Macdonald said.

A $600,000 project in South Australia will see regional ecologists working with Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal Landcare officers and relevant landholders to bring together cutting edge environment science with Aboriginal knowledge and skills.

"Working closely with Traditional Owners, regional ecologists will develop and implement programs for the conservation, management and restoration of ecological systems across Aboriginal Lands in South Australia," Senator Macdonald said.

Under the Regional Competitive Component, regional natural resource management bodies around Australia submitted proposals for assessment by Joint Commonwealth-State Steering Committees in each State and Territory. The projects were then prioritised by the Natural Heritage Trust Advisory Committee, which brings together some of Australia's most respected scientific and natural resource management experts.

The Ministers also announced an extra $10 million funding under the National Competitive Component for 16 innovative environmental projects that will significantly improve the sustainable management of our land, water and wildlife. A full list of Regional Competitive Component projects for Round 3 is available below.