09/12/2005
- Communities in drought-affected areas in Queensland are
being helped to rebuild their land and their lives with
nearly $7 million from the Australian Government’s Envirofund.
Details of successful applications for the 2005 Drought
Recovery Envirofund were announced today by the Australian
Government Ministers for the Environment and Heritage, Senator
Ian Campbell, and Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation,
Senator Ian Macdonald.
"Rain may have brought relief, but the corrosive effect
of the drought still remains for many Queenslanders,"
Senator Macdonald said.
"This funding for 325 community-based projects in the
State will help people recover from the drought and manage
their land to reduce the impacts of future dry spells.
"We received an unprecedented demand for grants from
across the country and in response, doubled the funding
originally set aside from $10 million to $20 million. This
means that we have been able to approve 1,145 applications
nationally."
Senator Macdonald said the effects of the Envirofund projects
extended beyond their immediate location. "One project
which will build fences to keep stock away from a creek
on a property near Rockhampton will help protect the Great
Barrier Reef Marine Park from the impact of drought, by
improving the environment of the stream and its surrounds,"
he said.
"Other work which will be carried out with the help
of Envirofund grants includes eradicating invasive woody
weeds like acacia and parkinsonia, controlling feral animals,
establishing temporary feedlots and watering areas to spell
paddocks and planting native seedlings to control erosion"
Envirofund is the community-focused component of the Australian
Government’s $3 billion Natural Heritage Trust.
The next standard Envirofund round will open in February
2006. Round 7 Australian Government
Envirofund
Queensland project examples
Additional Watering Points and Fencing to Allow Controlled
Grazing on Belcong Station $45,000
This project on Belcong near Capella north of Emerald
in Central Queensland will construct 22km of stock exclusion
fencing and install off stream stock watering points using
erosion control gully plug methods, to protect the Belcong
and Tipperary Creek systems as well as sensitive soil
types and remnant vegetation.
Establishing and Sustaining Vegetation on the Myall Creek
Floodplain Dalby $43,986
This project will construct 12.5km of stock exclusion
fencing and install off stream stock watering points with
stock shelters to protect Myall Creek near Dalby in the
Darling Downs. It will remove 130ha of invasive vegetation,
convert a degraded area currently under cultivation to
grassland and plant 500 native seedlings for erosion control.
Repairing Degraded Riparian and Remnant Ecosystems on
Hillview Station $43,909
The impact of drought and grazing on the Great Barrier
Reef Marine Park, will be reduced as a result of this
project at Hillview near Rockhampton which is only 20km
from the Park. It will protect 3,140ha of remnant vegetation,
riparian corridors and productive grazing lands, by constructing
40km of stock exclusion fencing and installing off stream
stock watering points along the Herbert and Paddock Creeks
and around remnant vegetation and degraded areas. These
activities will help protect the Reef from on-shore pollutants
such as agricultural run-off.
Sustainable Grazing and Water Resource Management $4,537
Grazing pressure around a dam and associated riparian
area at Eldorado near Hughenden will be reduced by this
project which will provide two alternate watering sites,
allowing heavily grazed areas to revegetate. This project
will eradicate woody weeds such as acacia and parkinsonia,
which are present around the creek and dam. It also involves
measures to control feral animals such as foxes and cats.
Soil Conservation Activities and Riparian Management $15,165
This project will involve constructing 3km of stock exclusion
fencing, installing off stream stock watering points and
constructing 3km of contour banks on a dairy farm, near
Cambooya in the Darling Downs. This will improve and protect
the water quality of a tributary of the Condamine River.
Relocation of Water Points Away from Eroded Gully Area
on Hillgrove Station $15,630
This project will fence a length of Eurella Creek on Hillgrove
to prevent stock access and install offstream stock watering
points and will also construct 3km of fencing to enable
paddocks to be spelled. |
