Further information sources - Restoration and Rehabiliation Program

The Trust strongly recommends that you consult with government agencies and non-government organisations that may be able to assist you with your application in terms of technical expertise or in-kind support. Catchment Management Authorities (CMAs) are a particularly useful source of information regarding natural resource management priorities within your catchment. Each CMA has staff specifically designated to assist the community and local government in obtaining funds and linking with broader regional programs. You can obtain catchment maps and contact details on the CMA website.  Greening Australia and the Australian Association of Bush Regenerators are also good sources of information.

Your local council may be able to provide you with information about relevant plans, reports and strategies as well as successful environmental projects in your district.

Are you planning a bush restoration project?

The Trust funds many projects which rehabilitate bushland. To ensure the best environmental outcome of these projects, we have agreed on some general principles in relation to assessment of grant applications.

Proposals should:

• allow sufficient time for natural regeneration from the existing seed bank where possible. Propagation and seed collecting should not be undertaken as a matter of course. If you plan to undertake revegetation, you must justify the need to plant rather than allowing natural regeneration to occur.
  
• comply with an existing regional/local plan of management, where required or relevant.
  
• incorporate follow-up work over an appropriate period (grants can run for up to three years).
  
• if undertaking bush regeneration employ suitably qualified people trained in bush regeneration and plant identification (see Section C3.1(c) of the guidelines).
  
• provide evidence of how existing environmental studies, assessments or plans are being incorporated into the project.
  
• give details of how the success/progress of projects will be monitored, measured and evaluated.
  
• give details of how the site will be maintained subsequent to the funding.

There are a number of resources that may provide you with information and guidance when preparing your grant application:

• Greening Australia’s Management Principles to Guide the Restoration and Rehabilitation of Indigenous Vegetation has been developed to guide the process of indigenous revegetation work in a context of ecosystem restoration. This document is available from Greening Australia (phone 02 9560 9144), or can be accessed on the Trust’s website.
              
• The Environmental Trust also has a DVD and video available for groups wishing to undertake restoration and rehabilitation projects. Getting Started in Bush Regeneration explains how a community group might set up a bush regeneration site and demonstrates weed control techniques. It is available in DVD or video through the Trust’s website.

Threatened species/endangered ecological communities

A number of applications focus on threatened species/endangered ecological communities issues. If your grant application is to rehabilitate or restore habitats relating to either or both issues, you will need a licence from the OEH. All projects that have a threatened species component should be discussed with the relevant threatened species staff at OEH prior to being submitted. There are four Biodiversity Conservation Sections that deal with Threatened Species matters in NSW and their contact details follow:

Note that some licence applications can take considerable time to process. You should discuss potential timeframes with the OEH officer. Confirmation of your discussions including the name of the officer you consulted with will be required in your application.

Waste related projects

The objective "to undertake resource recovery and waste avoidance projects and to prevent and/or reduce pollution" is a relatively new objective of the program, and the Trust encourages applications addressing this objective.

Projects may include innovative solutions to remove resources from the waste stream, mitigate the impacts of waste on the environment or develop creative ways to reuse or/and recycle materials.

Applicants should note that for local government particularly, the cleanup/rehabilitation of former authorised tip sites would not be eligible for funding. However the cleanup/rehabilitation of illegal dump sites may be eligible providing there is no person/s or organisation legally responsible for the clean up. Preference will be given to projects that go beyond the simple clean up by providing a broader environmental or community outcome/benefit.

If you are considering a waste related project it is strongly recommended that you research your idea/proposal prior to submitting an application, to see if your idea/proposal is already taking place within NSW or if your idea/proposal is feasible. It is worth noting that the Trust does not fund individuals, industry joint ventures or profit-distributing corporations (please refer to page 5 of the program guidelines for further information on eligibility) and therefore applicants should take this into consideration when preparing a waste related application.

You can obtain further information related to waste from the following websites:

• www.businessrecycling.com.au
• www.halvewaste.com.au