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About the SEB Grants scheme

The Native Vegetation Council ‘Significant Environmental Benefit’ Grants support funding for on- ground conservation works consistent with the requirements of the Native Vegetation Act 1991.

Funding for these works is provided from payments into the Native Vegetation Fund by landowners, developers, government agencies and mining companies to achieve the significant environmental benefit (SEB) required to offset the approved clearance of native vegetation in South .

Money paid into the Fund for these purposes must, as far as practicable, be used: a) to establish or regenerate native vegetation on land that is within the same region of the State as the relevant land and that has been selected by the Native Vegetation Council for that purpose after having regard to the Regional Biodiversity Plan or Plans (if any) approved by the Minister that apply within that region; and b) to preserve and maintain that vegetation once established or reinstated.

The Native Vegetation Council manages the Native Vegetation Fund with money contributed to SEB payments to fund programs for on ground works that will be to the benefit of native vegetation conservation across the State.

What has received funding

Since its introduction in 2009, the Native Vegetation Council has supported over 55 critical projects across the eight Natural Resource Management (NRM) regions through significant environmental benefit grants. Over $11 million has been committed to conservation enhancement and landscape management works in an effort to improve biodiversity.

To date the grants scheme has seen investment in the following NRM regions:

South East NRM Region

1. 2013/14 The strategic purchase and restoration of Eaglehawk Waterhole, Bangham: $350,000 within the SE NRM region to help fund the purchase of Eaglehawk Waterhole, a 684ha property north-east of Naracoorte that is often home to the endangered red-tailed black cockatoo. It is intended that the waterhole will become a community demonstration site and bring together people interested in restoring native vegetation and show what is possible when working at a large-scale in a strategic location. The property has outstanding restoration potential, given its remarkable level of tree cover and areas of remnant native vegetation across a range of soil and habitat types. It also features significant areas of brown Stringybark woodland and SA blue gum woodland, as well as critically-endangered seasonal herbaceous wetlands.

2. 2012/13 Ex-situ collection of threatened Orchids: $21,970.00 within the SE NRM Region. This project aims to provide an update on the current status for a minimum of eighteen threatened orchid species in the South East region of . Populations will be monitored and seeds collected for a minimum of twelve of the twenty-three target species listed. Seeds will be screened for germinability and stored in cryopreservation at the Botanic Gardens of Adelaide for future research and translocation projects. The seed bank collection will also act as an insurance policy for these species, safeguarding against extinction within their natural habitat. A series of 2

species information sheets about the current status of the species in the region, a pictorial plant description including habitat information and current threats will be made available for a wide range of end users.

3. 2011/12 Habitat management and rehabilitation of Wandilo Forest: $328,000 over 5 years within the SE NRM Region to enhance remnant native vegetation through the implementation of active management activities including buffering through the establishment and management of rehabilitation and/or plantings.

Kangaroo Island NRM Region

4. 2012/13 Removal of Bridal Creeper - Grassdale Lagoon and surrounds $27,300.00 on Kangaroo Island to manage an outlier population of Bridal Creeper that was discovered in the Kelly Hill Conservation Park and Cape Bouger Wilderness Area in 2012, as well as a previously known outlier population located on private property to the north of Kelly Hill Conservation Park, which is believed to be the parent population. The project will destroy all detected bridal creeper plants, preventing this invasive weed smothering native vegetation and revegetation efforts in Kelly Hill Conservation Park. This project aims to survey land surrounding these outlier populations to ascertain whether there are any more unknown outlier populations and to remove all that area identified.

5. 2012/13 Lower Cygnet Connectivity Project: $66,314 on Kangaroo Island. This project will re- instate a total of 15 hectares of high quality habitat and directly improve the quality and connectivity of a further 29 ha of important native vegetation. A total of 28,000 seedlings comprising 70 species will be planted. The project activities will directly address the ongoing decline of biodiversity in eastern Kangaroo Island where habitat loss and fragmentation have resulted in over 80% removal of native vegetation cover. The project will deliver highly diverse habitat for plant communities associated with kangaroo Island Narrow Leaf Mallee (Eucalyptus cneorifolia). This will significantly increase the resilience and connectivity of the associated community. Furthermore, urgently needed seed orchards will be established to secure the availability of 22 native species for future seed collections. Additionally, the project will create feeding habitat for the nationally threatened sub-species of Glossy Black Cockatoo in a strategic location. Community awareness and involvement will be fostered through public planting events. The project activities directly implement key recommendations made in the Recovery Plan for 15 Nationally Threatened Plant Species on Kangaroo Island (Taylor 2008).

6. 2012/13 Little Stantons Revegetation Project 2013: $8,500 on Kangaroo Island Revegetation of the property “Little Stantons” commenced in 2010 when the property was approximately 52ha in size. Since this time over 8000 native seedlings of various species have been grown by the landowners and planted on the property. In 2012 the landowner further expanded the property for the sole purpose of vegetation and ecological restoration and it is now approximately 120ha. This project aims to further rehabilitate degraded areas to support healthy ecosystems and improve biodiversity.

7. 2010/11 Reinstating habitat for nationally threatened plant species in the highly fragmented landscape of Kangaroo Island: $30,000 within the KI Region to further assist in reinstating habitat for nationally threatened plant species in the highly fragmented landscape of Eastern Kangaroo Island.

8. 2010/11 Habitat restoration in the Middle River Catchment: $4,500 within the KI Region to support the reinstatement of native vegetation.

9. 2009/10 Reinstating habitat for nationally threatened plant species in the highly fragmented landscape of Kangaroo Island: $59,100 within the Kangaroo Island (KI) Region to assist in 3

reinstating habitat for nationally threatened plant species in the highly fragmented landscape of Eastern Kangaroo Island.

Eyre Peninsula NRM region

10. 2012/13 Southern Eyre Hills Priority Vegetation Management: $150,000 within the Eyre Peninsula (EP Region). The Southern Eyre Hills priority vegetation management project will use landscape assessment methods, coupled with field assessment and existing data to develop &deliver on ground actions that enhance and protect the highest priority vegetation in the region. Fragmentation, over grazing, altered fire regimes, invasive species & land use change (including mining) all pose major threats to the remnant vegetation of the Koppio Hills. Vegetation communities will be prioritised for management according to levels of threat, potential for recovery, the provision of corridors &ability to buffer the impacts of climate change. Weed control, grazing management (fencing and rabbit control), fire management & revegetation activities will be planned and delivered at the multi-property scale to ensure outcomes sufficient to bring about significant environmental benefit.

11. 2010/11 Sheoak grassy woodland restoration: $132,000 over 5 years within the Eyre Peninsula (EP) Region to manage rabbit and Kangaroo grazing pressure combined with strategic revegetation to restore the degraded areas of Lincoln National Park and the adjoining Memory Cove Wilderness Protection Area.

12. 2010/11 Sustainable Sheoak: Market Based Conservation in WildEyre: $518,900 over 10 years within the EP Region to support the establishment of a market for the conservation of threatened Sheoak grassy woodland communities in the WildEyre Region of the Eyre Peninsula.

13. 2010/11 Vegetation Management Plan – Whyalla Conservation Park: $4000 within the EP region to support the on ground management of native vegetation.

14. 2009/10 Biodiversity and habitat restoration – Charlton Gully sub catchment: $29,613 within the EP region to support habitat restoration and wildlife linkages within Charlton Gully.

15. 2008/09 Restoration of Sheoak Grassy Woodland in Coffin Bay: $51,142 within the EP Region to assist in the restoration of the vulnerable Sheoak Grassy Woodland vegetation community in the Sir Isaac area of the Coffin Bay National Park.

Northern and Yorke NRM Region

16. 2011/12 Restoring the Southern Flinders’ Grey Box Grassy Woodlands: $475,410 over 10 years within the Northern and Yorke NRM Region. The primary aim of this project is to restore the condition of the EPBC listed nationally threatened Grey Box (Eucalyptus microcarpa) Grassy Woodlands (GBGW) in the Southern Flinders Ranges by offering long term stewardship payments to landholders to implement changes in land management practices through a competitive, market-based, tender process. Payments will be offered to landholders who are willing to adopt property management plans as part of a 10 year stewardship program and which offer the best conservation “value for money” proposition. “Value for money” will be determined using an evaluation metric which takes into account the biodiversity value of a site as well as the tendered price (as in the Southern Flinders Ranges Biodiversity Hotspots program (delivered by Greening Australia), Bushbids, Woodland Bushbids and the Wild Eyre Sustainable Grazing of Sheoak Grassy Woodlands program). In support of this component, and to increase the understanding of GBGW in the region, several support activities will also be undertaken including:

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 Workshops to address community awareness about EPBC-listed GBGW and increase the adoption of  best practice grazing management, covering topics such as what GBGW are, implications for grazing  GBGW in regards to the Commonwealth EPBC Act 1999 and the SA Native Vegetation Act 1991, and  What is best practice grazing in these systems?  Mapping of the distribution and condition of the GBGW in the project area.

17. 2011/12 Taheny Para Wurlie Basin Rehabilitation Project: $52,923 within the N&Y NRM Region to find a successful method of direct seeding into saline soils that is transferable across many sites in the Southern Yorke Peninsula, where the project will be used as a demonstration site for other landholders interested in revegetating saline areas.

18. 2011/12 Upper Wakefield Catchment Biodiversity Improvement: $40,070 within the N&Y NRM Region to rehabilitate and link remnant vegetation and riparian habitats in the Upper Wakefield River catchment.

South Australian Murray Darling Basin NRM Region

19. 2011/12 Achieving Significant Environmental Benefit in the Murray Mallee: $187,550 within the SAMDB NRM Region. This project will restore native vegetation in the Murray Mallee to prevent further loss of biodiversity by improving landscape function. The project is an extension of the previously funded project ' Achieving Significant Environmental Benefit for the Woorinen System in the Northern Murray Mallee'. Landscape assessment applied across Murray Mallee IBRA Sub- region has identified landscape components (essentially, vegetation types) whose current function within the landscape is stable, declining and/or extinct. The landscape components prioritised for restoration in the Murray Mallee IBRA Sub-region are summarised as deep sand in the northern Murray Mallee and soils supporting open woodland vegetation in the southern Murray Mallee. These soil types are the focus of our restoration efforts. This project will build on the on-ground work undertaken by the Murray Mallee Landscape Restoration Group (MMLRG) from 2008-2012 as well as ongoing work by landholders over many years. The MMLRG will continue working with established landholder and community groups and individual landholders (e.g. the Mantung/Maggea Land Management Group and the Murray Mallee Local Action Planning Association) to identify and restore vegetation in priority areas.

20. 2011/12 Bushbids (Blanchetown – Waikerie): $479,277 within the SAMDB NRM Region improve the condition of vegetation by 10% on 2,150 ha through establishment of management contacts for cost effective management at priority sites (highest biodiversity gains for lowest cost) in an area with high vegetation cover.

21. 2011/12 Restoration of semi-arid woodlands –Stage 2: $269,587 over 5 years within the SA MDB NRM Region to continue with the restoration of 3000 ha of semi-arid woodlands on Calperum Station, through selective planting and enhancement of natural regeneration. Through this action promote conservation and sustainable development through community involvement, local capacity building and innovative approaches to land management.

22. 2011/12 Regeneration and expansion of native habitat at Monarto: $61,400 within the SAMDB NRM Region to expand remnant habitat through revegetation to build connectivity and increase biodiversity, and restore remnant habitat to improve ecosystem function and resilience.

23. 2011/12 Gerard Willow Removal and revegetation project: $266,900 over 2 years within the SAMDB NRM Region, this project aims to remove all willows on the Gerard river frontage, regenerate the area with native flora so that native fauna can re-establish in the area and to provide a biological corridor to downstream environments from the Murray River national park to downstream environments. 5

24. 2010/11 Prospect Hill Conservation Cluster: $191,150 over 3 years with the South Australian Murray Darling Basin (SAMDB) Region to support the long term conservation and management of a large area of contiguous remnant vegetation, known as the Prospect Hill Conservation Cluster.

25. 2010/11 Conserving threatened flora in the Murray Darling Basin: $46,452 within the SA MDB to assist in the provision of an update of the current status for a suite of 20 native plant species considered threatened in the South Australian Murray Darling Basin.

26. 2009/10 Restoring the natural and cultural heritage of the Riverland Ramsar Wetlands: $95,715 within the SA MDB Region to assist in the restoration, revegetation and threat management for approximately 8,100ha of the Riverland Ramsar site.

27. 2009/10 Worlds End Biodiversity Protection and Restoration Project: $99,750 within the SA MDB Region to support the protection of the site’s environmental values by restricting vehicle access, removing woody weeds, controlling feral animals, stabilising areas of bank erosion, revegetation with local native species and the provision of interpretive material for visitors to the area. Situated between the Flinders-Olary and River Murray Coorong Naturelinks biodiversity corridors, this area also forms an important habitat corridor between two of the largest sections of remnant vegetation in the Burra District.

28. 2009/10 Continuing recovery of Fleurieu Peninsula Swamps and Mount Lofty Ranges Southern Emu Wren: $91,941 within the SA MDB Region to support the protection of 9 sites encompassing 95ha of Fleurieu Peninsula Swamps.

29. 2008/09 Achieving Significant Environmental Benefit for the Woorinen System in the Northern Murray Mallee: $767,100 over 2 years within the SA MDB Region to assist in the restoration of habitat, the buffering and extension of remnants and improve the condition in the priority vegetation types of the Northern Murray Mallee (Lowan Mallee Sands and Woorinen Mallee Sands).

30. 2008/09 Northern Arid Woodlands Biodiversity Stewardship: $780,764 over 3 years within the SA MDB Region to support the establishment of contracts with private landholders for the management, improvement and protection of native vegetation in the Northern Arid Woodlands by extending the successful use of a conservation tender approach (Market based instrument) being used in the Bushbids project.

31. 2008/09 Acquisition of conservation land of significant grasslands: $44,975 within the SA MDB region to assist in the purchase of property that supports natural Temperate Grasslands within the key section of the habitat range of the Pygmy Bluetongue Lizard.

32. 2008/09 Restoration of semi-arid woodlands-connecting the mallee to the floodplain: $149,148 over 3 years within the SA MDB Region to support the restoration of 2915ha of semi-arid woodlands on Calperum Station, through selective planting and natural regeneration.

Adelaide Mount Lofty NRM Region

33. 2010/11 Morialta to Coralinga Biolink: $459,300 over 5 years within the Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges (AMLR) Region to support a coordinated landscape project covering 266 ha of native vegetation on 20 adjoining properties in the Upper Morialta Region.

34. 2010/11 Restoration of Grey Box Woodland - Waite Conservation Reserve: $102,378 over 3 years within the AMLR Region to support the substantial conservation and restoration work already undertaken in the 18 years since the Reserve was declared. 6

35. 2010/11 Threatened flora recovery in the Mt. Barker area: $29,760 within the AMLR Region to investigate the current distribution, abundance, status and reproduction of threatened flora species in the Mount Barker Council area.

36. 2010/11 Building private landholder capacity to restore fragmented landscapes: $533,148 over 5 years within the AMLR Region to support the addition of 30 new surveys to measure landscape condition throughout the Mount Lofty Ranges where restoration works will be undertaken and to improve landscape function of remnant vegetation in fragmented parts of the Mount Lofty Ranges by recreating 65 hectares of habitat as buffers around existing patches of remnant vegetation by growing and planting 50,000 seedlings and improving the condition of 500 hectares of existing patches of remnant vegetation through best practice bush care.

37. 2010/11 Improving biodiversity on properties including the Porter Scrub Conservation Park and Cromer Conservation Park: $347,017 over 3 years within the AMLR Region to support the improvement, rehabilitation, restoration and protection of native remnant vegetation on private holdings adjacent to Cromer and Porter Scrub Conservation Parks.

38. 2010/11 Protecting Fleurieu Peninsula Swamps with exclusion fencing: $47,242 within the AMLR Region to support the protection of over 35 hectares of the EPBC listed Threatened Ecological Community, Fleurieu Peninsula Swamp, over two sites.

39. 2010/11 Reeves Plain Biodiversity Conservation Breakthrough: In principle support of $662,000 over 3 years within the AMLR Region has been given to support the protection of remnant vegetation and the restoration of at least 24ha of threatened interdunal vegetation.

40. 2009/10 Threatened ecosystem and species recovery in protected areas of the Southern Lofty District: $196,273 over 3 years within the AMLR region to support the survival of high priority threatened species and to improve the condition of threatened ecological communities in the Southern Lofty District.

41. 2009/10 Protecting biodiversity assets through roadside environmental weed management: $70,000 within the AMLR Region to protect biodiversity assets through roadside environmental weed management.

42. 2008/09 Grassy Woodland restoration in the Adelaide landscape: $69,250 within the AMLR Region to support the restoration efforts at five major targeted project sites – Craigburn Farm, Para Woodland, Onkaparinga National Park, Gawler Buffer East and Gawler Buffer West.

43. 2008/09 Restoring Grey Box Woodland to Glenthorne Farm: $30,000 within the AMLR Region to support the Woodland Recovery Initiative based at Glenthorne, to deliver region-wide biodiversity outcomes for the State.

44. 2008/09 Woodcutters Road Environment Protection Association Inc. – Community Conservation across a landscape 2009-2011: $200,000 within the AMLR region to support the active management of key threats and significant species and restore and improve the ecological integrity of a large area of important and contiguous remnant vegetation in the Mount Lofty ranges.

45. 2008/09 Threatened ecosystem and species recovery in protected areas of the Southern Lofty District: $35,640 within the AMLR region to support the survival of high priority threatened species and to improve the condition of threatened ecological communities in the Southern Lofty District.

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South Australian Arid Lands NRM Region

46. 2011/12 Addressing priority threats to native vegetation on Bon Bon Reserve: $177,300 within the SAAL NRM Region to effectively manage the threats to the biological assets and key conservation targets of Bon Bon, which will contribute to the overall health and resilience of the Gawler and Stony Plains Bioregions.

47. 2010/11 Boolcoomatta rabbit control fencing: $70,000 within the South Australian Arid Land (SAAL) Region to support the improvement of ecological outcomes by further rabbit control actions.

48. 2010/11 Native habitat improvement by landholders, volunteers and indigenous youth: $301,170 over 3 years within the SAAL Region to support the engagement of landholders, volunteers and indigenous youth to protect native vegetation.

49. 2008/09 threatened species and community conservation management: $269,700 over 3 years within the SAAL Region to support restoration and conservation of a 63,000ha former sheep station which borders on the newly established Bimbowrie National Park.

Alinytjara Wilurara NRM Region

50. 2011/12 Improving Far West and North West SA landscapes through the development of a fire management plan that draws on and utilises both Aboriginal traditional and contemporary ecological knowledge: $634,500 over 2 years within the Alinytjara Wilurara (AW) Region to support the development and implementation of a landscape-scale fire management plan for the AW region.

Across several NRM Regions

51. 2011/12 Targeting threats to biodiversity in the Far West of the East meets West Nature Links corridor: $148,890 within the AW and EP NRM Region to undertake targeted management actions across the reserves and Aboriginal Lands of the Far West to address some of the priority threats to biodiversity and maintain ecological health.

52. 2010/11 Bush Action Teams (2010 – 2012); sustaining community on-ground bush care: $247,216 within AMLR, N&Y and SAMDB NRM Regions to facilitate community action through training, ongoing support and structured volunteering in bush regeneration, and to improve biodiversity and sustainability in remnant vegetation through the use of minimal disturbance bush regeneration.

53. 2009/10 Bush for Life Program: Bush Action Teams 2009-2010: $97,986 within the AMLR, Northern and Yorke (NY), and Eyre Peninsula (EP) Regions to support the Bush for Life’s annual program of supervised group working bees known as Bush Action Teams (BATS).

54. 2008/09 Bush for Life Program: Bush Action Teams 2008-2009: $66,311 within the AMLR, Northern and Yorke (NY), and Eyre Peninsula (EP) Regions to support the Bush for Life’s annual program of supervised group working bees known as Bush Action Teams (BATS).

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Further information

Native Vegetation Incentives Program Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources Email: [email protected] Phone: (08) 8303 9777 GPO Box 1047, Adelaide SA 5001 www.environment.sa.gov.au

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