Liberal Senator for Victoria, Sarah Henderson, today announced that the Blampied-Kooroocheang Landcare Group had been awarded $15,000 under the Morrison Liberal Government’s Communities Environment Program.
“This program is all about harnessing the passion of grassroots community organisations to deliver practical local projects that directly improve our local environment,” Senator Henderson said.
“This project will involve the removal of invasive weed species and the planting of 2200 threatened native, local tree, shrub and grassland species across eleven sites. This will enhance remnant vegetation and habitat and create wildlife corridors within the local ecosystem”.
Another seven projects were also funded in the Ballarat electorate. These are:
- Field Naturalists Club of Ballarat Incorporated $6,700
- This project will purchase environmental monitoring equipment, educate members in the use of the equipment and then undertake field surveys. This will improve the ability to collect and store data and improve the management of the environment within the club and to be shared with the wider community.
- Friends of Cornish Hill Inc. $12,500
- This project will remove weeds, replant indigenous species and conduct a one-day workshop on local ecosystem management. This will reduce threats to native species, improve biodiversity and increase citizen involvement with the environment and the community.
- Hepburn Shire Council $14,500
- This project will provide logistical support, equipment and community training to improve monitoring and control of feral predators. This will protect and reduce threats to natural wildlife and increase community knowledge and participation within the Creswick and Daylesford region.
- Moorabool Landcare Network $3,800
- This project will protect and improve our local environment delivering two seed collection community workshops to establish a nursery for the propagation of indigenous flora. This will help to conserve rare and threatened native plant species and increase supply for future revegetation and gardening projects within the local community.
- Napoleons Enfield Landcare Group Inc. $5,424
- This project will remove weeds, erect a cattle proof fence, monitor local fauna and plant 1500 indigenous species. This will restore biodiversity and connect wildlife corridors within the area and create improvements along the Yarrowee River.
- Trentham Golf Club $15,000
- This project will reintroduce native species into an area which was formerly a pine plantation, restoring the environment as a habitat for native fauna. This will revitalise the 300 year old native eucalypts within the Stony Creek catchment area.
- Yarrowee Leigh Catchment Group Inc. $18,000
- This project will preserve sections of the Yarrowee River through revegetation and volunteer workshops. This will enhance the current landscape and support native plants and animals within the river environment.
The Morrison Government is investing more than $22 million in the Communities Environment Program to support local environmental projects in every electorate across Australia, with grants ranging from $2,500 to $20,000 per project.
A broad range of organisations were eligible to apply, including local community clubs, not-for-profit organisations, landcare groups and schools.
Senator Henderson said that the Communities Environment Program was empowering local community groups to deliver practical local environmental projects that would not only raise environmental awareness but also strengthen the local community.
“I was very pleased with the high quality of applications received from our local community and environmental organisations, and their enthusiasm to undertake practical environmental projects.
“Community groups in the Ballarat region are already delivering many fantastic environmental projects, whether it’s planting trees, cleaning up local waterways, reducing litter or protecting native species,” she said.
“This new funding will help to make the region cleaner and greener for future generations, and I look forward to working together to deliver this project next year.”