Funding Yarra Woodlands

Funding for Yarra River Catchment Woodlands

Funding support to landowners is available from Yarra4Life to protect and enhance existing woodland vegetation communities on private land. Funding is also available for the revegetation of woodlands.

Woodlands can be described as “ecosystems that contain widely spaced trees with their crowns not touching” (Hobbs, R. from Lindermayer, Crane and Michael 2005). Woodlands that may be eligible for funding will need to be Ecological Vegetation Communities as defined by the Department of Sustainability and Environment with “woodlands” in their title.

What are the eligibility criteria?

Projects must:

  • Be located in the Yarra4Life area (See general map or more detailed map of property boundaries)
  • Contain woodlands; AND
  • Be able to protect new or existing woodlands from stock with fencing; OR
  • Be likely to have contained woodlands prior to European settlement; AND the owner is willing to revegetate all or part of the site with a suitable woodlands vegetation community; OR
  • Be willing to have the existing woodlands improved through better weed management and/or revegetation AND
  • Enter into a management agreement:

    - for a minimum tenure of 4 years that identifies management actions and responsibilities AND 
    - to retain and maintain woodlands and protective fencing for a minimum of 5 years

 

What are the priorities?

In south eastern Australia woodlands have been cleared to support the development of intensive agricultural production. The Yarra River Catchment area now supports many rural communities and produces a significant proportion of Australia’s food and fibre. Farmers and other landowners are managing some of the valuable remnants of these woodlands on private land. Some remnants, with appropriate planning and management to improve their condition and secure their protection, could make a more significant contribution to landscape scale conservation of biodiversity at the district or sub-catchment scale.

This funding is to enable landowners, and especially groups of landowners working together close to reserves, to contribute to biodiversity conservation and the provision of associated ecosystem services in a way that complements the National Reserve System.

Priority will be given to proposals that bring together groups of landowners to improve the protection of woodlands on private land.

Priority for allocating this funding will be given to proposals that protect and/or improve the largest areas of woodland.

Proposals are particularly invited from landowners to protect woodlands that are adjacent (or in close proximity) to existing wildlife reserves (Yellingbo NCR, Kurth Kiln Regional Park, Warramate NCR, Dandenong Ranges and Yarra Ranges National Parks).

Investment scope

Proposals are invited from landowners to carry out biodiversity conservation management of woodlands in the Yarra4Life area shown on this map.The covenanting of woodlands for long term protection is encouraged and eligible for funding, however this is not a requirement to receive funding.

Activities eligible for support will include the fencing of woodlands, weed management and infill revegetation within woodlands. Revegetation to form biolinks around and between woodlands is also eligible.

Cost sharing arrangements on a 70/30 basis will be considered.

Interested in applying?

Expression of interest form for both funding sources