BIODIVERSITY FUND ROUND ONE
NT
Applicant Name
Project Title
Project Description
AUSTRALIAN
TRUST FOR
CONSERVATION
VOLUNTEERS
Connecting
corridors of green:
A united urban &
peri urban
Landcare
approach
AUSTRALIAN
WILDLIFE
CONSERVANCY
Restoring 100,000
ha of tropical
woodlands by
establishing
herbivore-free
area
AUSTRALIAN
WILDLIFE
CONSERVANCY
Fire management
in the arid zone
for biodiversity &
carbon benefits
The Darwin area has peri-urban and coastal landscapes which contain significant
biodiversity values supporting nationally threatened species. Native vegetation
communities around Darwin are under pressure from urbanisation, industrialisation,
wildfire and fire-promoting weeds. For over 15 years Landcare groups have been active
within the region, however major threats have not been managed strategically to date.
This project will create a coordinated partnership by bringing stakeholders together to
protect, extend and reinforce vegetation communities and manage threats to the regions
biodiversity by reducing the extent of invasive species, managing wildfires, re-vegetating
key sites and building capacity through training and education.
There is a well documented, continuing and catastrophic decline in the abundance of
small mammals across northern Australia due to the interaction of altered fire regimes,
feral cats and introduced large herbivores. AWC intends to reverse this decline over a
100,000 ha area of Wongalara Sanctuary by reducing the frequency and extent of late dry
season fires and by removing the impacts of large introduced herbivores. This approach
has successfully reversed the decline of small mammals at AWC's Mornington Sanctuary
(Kimberley). As Wongalara is immediately adjacent to Arnhem Land, successful
restoration of ecosystem function here will be immediately relevant to management of an
additional 9.7million ha that is continuing to suffer declines.
Without active management, fires in Australia's arid zone cover vast areas in single high
intensity events, damaging biodiversity values and reducing the above ground vegetation
biomass (thus depleting carbon stocks). This project will deliver a fire management
program across a large area in the southern Tanami Desert that will prevent extensive,
intense fires. The project will take place on Newhaven Wildlife Sanctuary. Neighbouring
pastoralists and indigenous communities will be invited to collaborate in planning and
implementation, bringing a new level of coordination to the region. The project will
introduce best-practice techniques in aerial controlled burning, and fire and biodiversity
monitoring.
Funding Length
(years)
3
Funding Total ($)
374,000
171,600
3
281,700
AUSTRALIAN
WILDLIFE
CONSERVANCY
Integrated
management of
fire & invasive
species in the Gulf
of Carpentaria
CONSOLIDATED
PASTORAL
COMPANY PTY
LIMITED
Lake Woods
wetland:
Biodiversity asset
protection
DHIMURRU
ABORIGINAL
CORPORATION
Dhimurru
Indigenous
Protected Area:
Fire management
project
DHIMURRU
ABORIGINAL
CORPORATION
Yellow crazy ant
containment
within an intact
savanna landscape
Greening Australia
(NT) Ltd
Howard Sand
Plains: On-ground
actions sustaining
biodiversity &
industry
The project will address two key threats to biodiversity on Pungalina - Seven Emu Wildlife
Sanctuary in the Gulf Savanna region. First, it aims to reduce the incidence of destructive
late dry season wildfires by implementing an early dry season burning program. Second, it
aims to substantially reduce populations of feral cattle, buffalo, donkeys, horses, and pigs
along 55 km of coastal habitats by a combination of fencing, mustering, shooting and
trapping; creating the only feral herbivore-free area on the Gulf Coast. The project will
improve the conservation of native animals and plants on the sanctuary, and should also
reduce emissions of greenhouse gases from feral herbivores and savanna burning over an
extensive area.
Lake Woods is one of the largest inland draining freshwater lakes in the NT and is
internationally important for waterbird migration, breeding and populations. The most
significant threat to the biodiversity values of this HCVAE is the WONS species Parkinsonia
aculeata. The project aims to reduce the impact of this weed primarily through onground chemical control works, augmented with support for biological control trial work.
Regular fixed site and aerial survey techniques will be used to monitor impact of works.
Biodiversity surveys will be undertaken, building on previous work undertaken on the
Lake.
The main aim of this project is to understand the role of fire in the Dhimurru IPA and to
improve biodiversity outcomes in our region. To do this we will 1) establish fire
monitoring plots across the major land units in our IPA, including flora and fauna surveys
and photopoints. This data will be analysed against satellite derived fire information
monitored throughout the fire season. 2) workshops with relevant TO's and custodians to
make a map of the 'right way' to burn in our IPA, taking into account fire sensitivity;
cultural considerations ie hunting requirements; protection of infrastructure etc. 3)
establish protocols for Dhimurru's involvement with the Yolngu community in burning
country.
Yellow crazy ant management in NE Arnhem Land is the most successful ant eradication
project in the world, so far eradicating 26 populations, and winning 3 national awards.
This species is ranked globally among the worst invasive species. This work is not a
“typical” exotic species land management operation, and is conducted by a specialised
collaboration of organisations. Required federal funding is currently in a hiatus. Here we
propose to continue our goal of containing this ant to prevent its spread throughout all of
northern Australia. This goal is now approximately half achieved. Identical concurrent
work is being funded by Rio Tinto Alcan Gove on its Gove mining leases.
The Sandsheet Heath vegetation on the Howard Sand Plains is an NT Site of Conservation
Significance, an 'at-risk' ecosystem in the Darwin coastal bioregion and is one of the 12
national priority HEVAE sites. The site is a source of sand and gravel for the construction
industry and also increasingly impinged by intensifying urban growth. Weeds, fire,
fertiliser, hydrological changes and recreational vehicles are additional threats. The
project will reduce the impact of weeds and fire at high priority conservation sites.
Revegetation treatment trials post-mining will inform best practice guidelines.
Community education and landholder involvement will be facilitated to achieve success.
2
3
480,700
6
1,030,000
5
255,900
3
1,120,700
4
451,000
KATHERINE
COUNTRY CLUB
INC
Revegetation of
Katherine
floodplain
landscape
corridors
KATHERINE
LANDCARE GROUP
INCORPORATED
Daly River Basin:
Protect & improve
vegetation, water
quality &
biodiversity
MILINGIMBI &
OUTSTATIONS
PROGRESS
RESOURCE ASSN
INC
A community
approach to
managing invasive
weeds in the
Crocodile Islands
The Katherine River Flood Plain has been degraded over many years due to human
impacts weed infestations, land clearing and poor land management techniques.
The proposed project includes the restoration and reconnection of the fragmented ecosystems between the river corridor, the unique habitat of karst sink holes, the floodplains
and the savannah woodland. The replanting of the corridors, along with storm water
harvesting will create new connections between each of these locations which will
support animal, plant and birdlife to move freely along new corridors. This will enhance
and support the bio-diversity of the area, create a substantial carbon store and build in
resilience to climate change and the impacts of change.
This project will assist landholders in the upper sub catchments of the Daly River Basin to
protect and improve the condition of riparian vegetation, water quality and biodiversity.
The Katherine River's biodiversity is at risk of urban sprawl, mining and industry expansion
within the catchments. The project will address invasive weed management; water quality
monitoring; river and stream bank stabilization works incorporating revegetation; river
condition monitoring and evaluation and relationship development and management of
key stakeholders and community.
The Crocodile Islands is a site of international conservation significance (NRETAS 2009),
providing important refuges from invasive species. Due to the unique area (over 20
islands), the most effective way to control the threat of invasive weeds is community
action.
5
1,329,000
3
363,000
3
93,000
6
1,010,000
This project goes beyond rangers simply removing weeds - it aims to engage the whole
community in understanding, taking ownership, reporting and removing weeds
themselves.
NORTHERN
TERRITORY OF
AUSTRALIA
Protection &
restoration of
ecosystem
function & values
in the Daly
catchment
The Rangers will educate, inspire, empower & coordinate the community, inc. the
Schools, to identify, report & remove 4 nominated invasive weeds. If successful, this trial
project will be expanded to include additional weed species, & areas of our mainland &
the model can be used for other ranger groups.
This project will enhance further development and implementation of a landscape scale
program to reduce the current impact of, and prevent any further spread and
establishment of the invasive species bellyache bush in the Daly River catchment thereby
reducing the threat to biodiversity, ecosystem resilience to climate change, ecosystem
ability to function as a biodiverse carbon store & also agricultural productivity. This will
occur through expanding the strategic connectivity of all current on-ground management
programs, the creation of clean buffer zones, and building the capacity and effectiveness
of all individuals by further developing enabling management technologies.
3
NORTHERN
TERRITORY OF
AUSTRALIA
Protect & improve
biodiversity for
Australia’s red
centre national
landscape
R.M. WILLIAMS
AGRICULTURAL
HOLDINGS PTY
LTD
Finniss Reynolds
catchment Group:
Management of
invasive species
TERRITORY
NATURAL
RESOURCE
MANAGEMENT
INCORPORATED
Protecting &
enhancing existing
native vegetation
in the Northern
Territory
Warddeken Land
Management
Limited
On ground
management of
degraded & at risk
monsoon
rainforest patches
The Red Centre has huge expanses of Aboriginal Land Trust lands managed by Aboriginal
people, in partnership with Commonwealth and Northern Territory Governments and
Indigenous Land Councils.
The project aims to incorporate strategic weed, fire and feral animal management to
improve biodiversity outcomes that form a crucial part of landscape scale management
including traditional lands adjacent to the many Parks estate. It will incorporate Owen
Springs, Watarka and Finke Gorge National Parks, the many other smaller reserve areas
and Aboriginal Land Trusts that adjoin the park boundaries .
FRCG land manager members including Traditional Owners, National Parks and
pastoralists, will work collaboratively to physically control the threat posed by feral pigs
and WoNS Mimosa pigra at a catchment scale on sites of high biodiversity value; the
Finniss River and Anson Bay catchments. The project will identify and map the scale of the
infestation; produce a catchment management plan; physically remove large scale
infestations; control feral animals; and employ a Weeds Officer to manage and coordinate
activities. The outcome will be an increase in native vegetation, capacity building of land
managers, employment and improved land productivity.
Territory Conservation Agreements will promote protection and enhancement of native
vegetation (and control of invasive species) as integral to good property management in
the Territory. Landholders (individually or as adjacent properties) enter into 10 year
conservation agreements based upon expert reviewed integrated site management plans.
Priority is given to sites of international and national significance for biodiversity values
and those adjoining areas under conservation management. Site management actions
may include integrated fencing, fire management, reducing spread of invasive species,
erosion control and monitoring of bio-indicators.
Research shows a decline in isolated rainforest patches across the Arnhem Plateau.
Dominated by Allosyncarpia ternata trees these endemic, carbon rich, biologically and
culturally important monsoon rainforest isolates are being degraded by fire. Frequent, hot
‘late dry season’ fires and an absence of traditional, small scale burning around the
rainforest patches has caused the decline. The 13,000 km2 Warddeken IPA, which
contains 60% of all Allosyncarpia, currently protects patches with broad scale aerial
burning to reduce landscape fires, but lacks a site specific Allosyncarpia plan. This project
will establish a plan and crew of rangers to manage individual sites, involving accessing
sites via helicopter and new track construction.
4
6
1,163,000
6
1,880,200
6
1,052,900
6
561,000