Environment Minister Tony Burke has announced funding 66 projects under the  Caring for our Country program.

 

 “The funding will help volunteers, land managers, environmental groups and Indigenous communities to protect Australia’s native habitats, coastal environments, Ramsar wetlands and our World Heritage Areas,” he said.

 

Some of the projects include:

  • In New South Wales the Great Lakes Council will undertake on-ground works to reduce the impact of pollution flows into a Ramsar listed wetland on the Myall River floodplain and the Hunter-Central Rivers Catchment Management Authority will work with coastal communities to remove harmful marine debris from their local area.
  • In Queensland Eco Barge Seas will work to remove marine debris in the Whitsundays and South East Queensland Catchments will help landholders in the Upper Duck and Kerry Creeks area to protect the Gondwana World Heritage Area.
  • In South Australia the South Australian Murray-Darling Basin Natural Resource Management Board will work to restore critical habitat of threatened species in the Eastern Mount Lofty Ranges and the Kangaroo Island Natural Resource Management Board will work to protect 1580 hectares of native vegetation in the Pelican Lagoon Basin from land degradation, introduced weeds and pests.
  • In Tasmania the Southern Regional Natural Resource Management Association will work to improve the ecological values of the Apsley Marshes RAMSAR site through weed control, stock access control and the development of a long-term management plan and the Cradle Coast Authority work with land managers and volunteers to manage grasslands in the Surrey Hills area, which provides important habitat for threatened species and endangered ecological communities.
  • In Victoria the Glenelg-Hopkins Catchment Management Authority will work with the community to protect the Lower Glenelg and Discovery Bay High Ecological Value Aquatic Ecosystems site by managing weeds and pests including feral pigs and the Merri Creek Management Committee will work with local and Indigenous communities to remove weeds in three remnant vegetation sites along stretches of the Merri Creek north of Melbourne.
  • In Western Australia the Central Desert Native Title Services will increase Indigenous participation and integrate Traditional Knowledge to restore pastoral land near Wiluna in the Murchison bioregion and the Western Australian Department of Environment and Conservation will work to control rabbits and regenerate threatened flora in the Central Wheatbelt.

 

As part of this year’s Budget the Gillard Government announced it will continue its commitment to Labor's flagship Caring for our Country program for another five years, providing $2.2 billion from 2013-14 to 2017-18.

 

For a list of funded projects, visit www.nrm.gov.au .