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Guidelines: Funding to protect, restore and connect priority coastal wetlands “Realise the Potential of Wetlands” program. Applications close 16 May 2014 Funds are available for on-ground activities to protect, restore and connect identified priority coastal wetlands. Funding is available for up to 3 years (till 30 June 2017). The purpose of these guidelines is to provide information to assist you in developing on ground projects that align with the investment priorities of the Realise the Potential of Wetlands program. Please contact the relevant Local Land Services Officer in your region before submitting your project application. 1. Background South East Local Land Services (LLS) was successful in attracting funding from the Australian Government to protect and restore 32 priority coastal wetland complexes in southern NSW. The project originally titled, ‘Realising the potential: Connectivity and carbon storage in NSW coastal wetlands’ aims to increase coastal wetland habitat resilience and health through targeted on-ground works as well as supporting regional communities to adaptively manage wetlands within the wider landscape. 2. Objectives South East LLS will work with partner agencies, public land managers, landholders and community organisations to protect and restore 1000ha of coastal wetlands. This includes 60ha of biodiverse plantings, 100ha of vegetation protected or enhanced and 840ha of wetland habitat managed to decrease the impact of invasive pest species. Onground works funded through the Realise the Potential of Wetlands program will: Maintain wetland function: o Strengthen wetland habitat resilience and health through establishment of vegetated buffer zones, restoring connectivity and targeting priority pest infestations. Establish, manage and enhance native vegetation: o Reconnect wetlands and create stepping stones between riparian forest, floodplain vegetation and wetlands through targeted revegetation, restoration and removal of barriers to flow. Increase carbon storage: o 1000 ha of wetland acting as a storage for blue carbon. Increase resilience to climate change: 1 o Improve wetland health and connectivity to strengthen ecosystem resilience. o Create refugia. o Support regional communities to adaptively manage wetlands and build resilience to climate change within the wider landscape. 3. What are we looking to invest in? South East LLS is looking to invest in projects that protect, restore and connect a minimum of 1000ha of priority coastal wetlands including saltmarsh, mangroves, coastal floodplain, swamps, lakes and estuarine areas. Funds can be allocated towards: Revegetation to maintain, enhance and connect vegetation buffers, address erosion or improve habitat. Fencing to control stock and damage from recreational access. Removal and control of weed species. Feral animal control including fox, rabbit, deer, goat and pig. Removal of barriers to flow such as removal or modification of floodgates and/or crossings. Support local community groups and or landholders to manage wetlands. South East LLS is contracted to deliver to the Australian Government 1000ha of coastal wetland protected, restored and or connected across 32 priority wetland complexes. As such, our priority for investment is wetland areas including saltmarsh, mangroves, coastal floodplain, swamps, lakes and estuarine areas. Riparian areas will be considered but are a low to medium priority relative to these other wetland types. (If your project is primarily focused on riparian areas then please call us to discuss funding opportunities.) 4. Priority wetlands Realise the Potential of Wetlands program builds on work undertaken in partnership with WetlandCare Australia to map, classify and prioritise wetlands, using existing spatial data, within the south east coastal region. Data relating to each wetland value and potential threats was collected and used in the prioritisation process, giving each wetland an overall Potential Threat Score and Potential Conservation Value Score. 2 These scores were used to identify 32 priority wetland complexes for protection, conservation and condition improvement. These 32 wetland complexes formed the basis of the funding application submitted by South East LLS to the Australian Government and are accordingly a priority within the framework of the Australian Governments Biodiversity Fund. Coastal wetlands within the region are important and valuable to the community for a range of reasons. Wetlands that do not appear on the priority list are important and valuable but unfortunately they are not the focus of this particular funding program. Priority wetland complexes include: Bellambi Lake Lake Illawarra Elliot Lake Minnamurra River Coomonderry Swamp Shoalhaven River Wollumboola Lake Callala Creek Currambene Creek Swan Lake Berrara Creek Conjola Lake Burrill Lake Tabourie Lake Termeil Lake Durras Lake Runnyford/Buckenbowra Clyde River Tomaga River Lower Donalds Creek/Moruya River Congo Creek Tuross Lake Potato Point Lake Brou Lake Mummuga Wallaga Lake Wapengo Lagoon Nelson Lagoon Wallagoot Lake Bega River Pambula Lake Towamba River Wonboyn Lake A CD, Healthy Wetlands for Healthy Catchments, containing maps and a decision support database was forwarded to all public land managers in region in 2010 and you may have a copy readily available. If not maps of priority wetland complexes are available on request. 5. Eligibility To be eligible, applications must meet the following criteria: Projects must be undertaken within an identified priority wetland complex. Projects must support delivery of the program objectives and contribute hectares of priority wetland areas protected, restored and or connected. 3 Applications must include meaningful cash or in-kind contributions. The general minimum accepted ratio is 50:50 (cash and in-kind). Project activity costs should be reasonable and reflect true cost of activity (ensure you consult with your Local Land Services Officer regarding your budget). Project outputs should be cumulatively delivered throughout the life of the project and reported on a 6 monthly basis. All projects must include a detailed monitoring and evaluation plan Mapping is required for all on-ground works using ArcGIS. Or if you use different software mapping will need to be provided as ESRI shapefile. All maps must specify project attributes as outlined in Attachment 1. 6. Other criteria There is no specific limit to the amount of funding available per project per year or across the next 3 years. However, projects need to provide value for money, align with the program budget profile (Table 1) and support South East LLS to meet its contractual arrangements with the Australian Government. There is no limit to the number of applications you can submit. Projects across multiple sites and multiple years will be considered. Projects across multiple years are required to be ‘staged’ with delivery of discrete outputs on a 6 monthly basis (aligned with reporting around May and December of each financial year) Commitment to maintaining works after the project completion date is very strongly encouraged and will significantly increase the competitiveness of your application e.g. inclusion of the site in your organisations recurrent works schedule (schedule of works). Projects should be completed at the end of each financial year. Staged projects to be completed by 30 June 2017. Where applicable projects should address the recommendations of site specific management plans, such as an Estuary Management Plan or Wetland Health Assessments and Site Action Plans developed (see Attachment 2 ). 4 Projects that work with multiple land owners and include coordination and of delivery of outcomes across public and private land are encouraged. 7. Ineligible Activities The following activities are ineligible for funding from South East LLS Activities which are considered an individuals, groups or governments responsibility for sustainable management of resources under their control. Purchase of equipment or materials that are normally part of a landholders responsibility for the management of their property. Activities required by law, Development Approval conditions of consent or other legally directed activities. 8. Available Funding There is $786,560 available to public land managers across the life of the Realise the Potential of Wetlands program. Funding available each financial year is detailed in Table 1 Table 1: Funding available to public land managers 2014-15 $380,000 2015-16 $203,280 2016-17 $203,280 Total $786,560 In developing the configuration of your project budget, especially for multiple year projects you should consider Table 1. Calls for project funding will be made each financial year until all the project funds are allocated. Funding, additional to that outlined in Table 1 is available for works on private land. Where applications from public land managers incorporate work on private lands it may be possible to access these additional funds. 9. How will the applications be assessed? Applications will be competitively assessed using the eligibility and other criteria detailed above. In making its final recommendations, the assessment panel will 5 consider the following to ensure that South East LLS can meet its contractual arrangements with the Australian Government The total number of hectares of priority wetlands protected, restored and or connected delivered each financial year and capacity to meet contractual agreements across life of the program (2017) including: o 60ha biodiverse plantings. o 100ha of wetland vegetation protected and enhanced. o 840ha of wetland habitat managed to decrease the impact of invasive pest and animal species. Note: Projects that fail to deliver project outputs on a 6 monthly basis will not be able to be supported. Total number of priority wetland complexes where work is being undertaken – all 32 priority wetland complexes must be addressed through the program. Alignment of total project costs each financial year with budget profile (Table 1). Large investments in a single project over one wetland complex is less likely to be funded unless the project focuses across numerous land tenures and works with multiple owners to deliver significant outputs. 10. Conditions of receiving Realise the Potential of Wetlands funding Successful applicants will need to enter into a management agreement with South East LLS outlining the commitment of both parties with regards to: timeframes for delivery; payment schedules; project milestones; insurance; publicity; monitoring; and reporting. Successful applicants will be required to provide progress reports and a final report. This information will be compiled by the Southern East LLS and reported to Australian Government. Reporting will be simple and will be a description, measure and map of the work undertaken. Reports will be submitted to South East LLS around May and December of each financial year. Applicants will need to ensure cumulative delivery of outputs to align with these reporting requirements. Applicants who fail to deliver agreed project milestones will be required to return project funds to South East LLS. 6 11. Preparing your application To apply for funding applicants will need to complete the Realise the Potential of Wetlands Application Form, available from the Local Land Services Officers. All applicants are strongly encouraged to discuss the details of your project with the relevant Local Land Services Officer in your region, before submitting your application. Local Land Services Officer Narelle Jones Local Area Contact Illawarra, Shoalhaven Sonia Bazzacco Eurobodalla, Bega Kirsti Sampson All areas 02) 4429 4455 [email protected] (Available Tuesday, Wednesday Thursday) (02) 4475 1006 [email protected] (Available Tuesday, Wednesday Thursday) (02) 4475 1004 [email protected] APPLICATIONS CLOSE 12pm Friday 16 May 2014 Email your application to: [email protected] 7 Attachment 1: Attributes to be recorded and mapped Note this table contains the attributes related to the most common project outputs. Depending on your project activities other attributes may be required. Please contact your relevant Local Land Services Officer if you are planning to deliver outputs/undertake activities that are not detailed in the table. Output Measure Activities that contribute to output Attributes to be recorded/data collected Area of wetland native vegetation enhanced/rehabilitat ed/protected Hectares Fencing Weed control Pest control Reveg to assist rehabilitation Wetland/vegetation type Length of fencing and area protected Fence type Threatened species present EECs or TEC present Area of bidiverse planting (revegetation) Hectares Site preparation Planting native species Direct seeding Stock exclusion and fencing Wetland/vegetation type Species list Number of tube stock Kilos/ha of direct seeding Streambank length if revegetation is along water course Area of pest plant control Hectares Spraying Mechanical removal Weed species treated and significance Method of removal Output Area of pest animal control Area of erosion control Measure Hectares Activities that contribute to output Attributes to be recorded/data collected Cut and paint Shooting Trapping Poison Primary or secondary treatment Length of streambank (if applicable) Pest animals species treated Control method Initial or follow up Area of influence (specific to pest control method) Control engineering works Stabilisation engineering works Exclusion fencing Area treated Area protected Length treated Erosion type Work or structure type Type of pipe Diameter of pipe Water storage and supply Purpose of implementation Area protected from stock Number of artificial barriers removed Length (km) of instream habitat established Area of wetlands with connectivity reinstated Alternative water supply Removal of barriers to flow Removal /modification of barriers to flow eg floodgate removal 9 Attachment 2 Wetland Health Assessments and Action Plans Management plans may exist for your project site such as Estuary Management Plans or other site specific plans. In addition to these plans, WetlandCare Australia has undertaken a number of Wetland Health Assessments and developed high level Action Plans for some of the priority wetland complexes. These Health Assessments and Action Plans should be used in conjunction with other relevant plans and can provide guidance for your project and should be referred to in developing your project. Wetland Health Assessments and Action Plans are currently available for the following wetland complexes: Bellambi Lake Coomonderry Swamp Lake Illawarra Minamurra Shoalhaven River Estuary Bega River Mummaga Lake Potato Point Wapengo Lake Contact South East LLS for more information and a copy of any relevant plans