About the Biodiversity Fund

The Biodiversity Fund is an ongoing program which will provide $946.2 million over its first six years to support land managers to undertake projects that establish, restore, protect or manage biodiverse carbon stores.

The Biodiversity Fund creates an unprecedented opportunity to establish and manage biodiversity throughout Australia’s unique landscapes and in the process develop new market opportunities for ecosystem services.

The Biodiversity Fund will improve the resilience of Australia’s unique species to the impacts of climate change, enhance the environmental outcomes of carbon farming projects, and help land managers protect carbon and biodiversity values on their land.

The Biodiversity Fund will support projects that reduce Australia’s carbon pollution and improve the resilience of our ecosystems to the impacts of climate change. The Government will do this by investing in activities that establish, restore and manage biodiverse carbon stores throughout Australia.

What are the objectives of the Biodiversity Fund?

The objectives of the Biodiversity Fund are to:

• help maintain ecosystem function and increase ecosystem resilience to climate change
• increase and improve the management of biodiverse carbon stores across the country.

The Biodiversity Fund will do this through:

• support for revegetation, including in areas of high conservation value
• management and protection of existing biodiverse carbon stores, including publicly owned native forests and land under conservation covenants or subject to land clearing restrictions
• support for actions to prevent the spread of invasive species across connected landscapes.

Through the funding of these activities, the Biodiversity Fund will support restoration and management of areas of the landscape which can store carbon while also achieving biodiversity outcomes.

The Biodiversity Fund will promote investment so that, over time, significant and strategic national biodiversity conservation gains can be made. This will include capturing opportunities provided by the Carbon Farming Initiative to establish new biodiverse plantings in order to produce both biodiversity and carbon benefits. A primary mechanism for building resilient landscapes will be undertaking projects that restore and connect ecologically important areas including those where habitats are fragmented and habitat condition is under threat.

Who can apply?

Biodiversity Fund grants are targeted towards individual land managers, groups of land managers working in partnership or organisations working on behalf of multiple land managers.

Projects can be conducted on public or private land. For the purposes of these Guidelines, ‘public land’ means land owned by a government entity or government related entity except where such land is leasehold land (i.e. the subject of a 99 year lease or a pastoral lease).

Individuals and groups working across all geographic areas and land tenures are encouraged to apply. Applicants should read the eligibility criteria (Section 4) before applying to confirm whether they are eligible for funding.

Theme 1: Biodiverse plantings

Expanding the extent of native habitats in fragmented landscapes through biodiverse plantings will help build landscape resilience and connectivity. Revegetation will also play a role in building and securing natural stores of carbon.

Funding under this theme is intended to support projects that establish and manage regionally appropriate, mixed-species plantings at different scales. Improving the condition of native ecosystems supports the transition from degraded to healthy ecosystems. This restoration effort builds resilient and better connected landscapes.

Applications are invited for action on a wide variety of Australian landscapes and across a diverse range of vegetation types. In particular, the Government is interested in project activities including, but not limited to:

• biodiverse plantings of mixed species, including direct seeding, that establish and re-connect well functioning native ecosystems
• revegetation to improve connections between remnant native vegetation across public and private lands, particularly in the fragmented rural, coastal and peri-urban landscapes of south eastern and south western Australia and Tasmania
• establishing and restoring native wetland and waterway habitats, particularly on already cleared lands or lands predominantly occupied by non-native vegetation building capacity of individuals and organisations to expand the extent of native habitats in fragmented landscapes
• facilitating partnerships to deliver large scale biodiverse plantings or other biodiverse carbon storage projects
• developing and establishing specific enabling technologies and systems such as the creation of reliable sources of native seed and seedling stock for large scale plantings and new technologies required for broad acre biodiverse plantings and management.

The Government will be looking for applications which best represent value for public money in the context of the objectives and outcomes of the project activity/ies.

It is recognised that good planning contributes to the success of revegetation projects. Accordingly, applicants may wish to reflect this in their project proposal.

Theme 2: Protecting and enhancing existing native vegetation

Funding under this theme will be provided for activities that aim to protect, manage and enhance existing native vegetation that has high conservation value for its carbon and biodiversity benefits.

The Australian Government is seeking cost effective applications for habitat protection and enhancement activities in largely intact landscapes.

Projects on private land already under conservation covenants or subject to land clearing restrictions are eligible to apply for funding. The Government invites applications for management of existing native vegetation.

In particular, the Government is interested in project activities including, but not limited to:

• native habitat restoration projects in largely intact landscapes in northern Australia and/or the rangelands, as well as those in peri-urban and coastal catchments in any part of Australia
• enhancing the condition of native vegetation in areas adjacent to existing key assets, for example World Heritage Areas, Ramsar sites or protected areas in the National Reserve System
• building the capacity of individuals and organisations to protect and enhance native vegetation
• developing and establishing specific enabling technologies and systems to enhance management of existing native vegetation.

Projects under this theme will need to demonstrate that the proposed activities are in addition to management activities that:

• form part of the business as usual (environmental stewardship) practices of the land managers and/or land owners
• are required by law.

Public land managers will also need to identify the degree of financial and/or in kind contribution that they intend to provide.
The Government will be looking for applications which best represent value for public money in the context of the objectives and outcomes of the project activity/ies.

Theme 3: Managing threats to biodiversity

Connected landscapes enable native species to move freely between systems and improve their capacity to adapt to a changing climate. However, improving landscape connectivity can also facilitate the spread of invasive species, threatening both agricultural and environmental resources.

The Biodiversity Fund is designed to support land managers to control the spread of invasive species through connected landscapes where weeds and pests represent a significant threat to native species, habitat condition and carbon values. In particular, the Government is interested in project activities including, but not limited to:

• reducing and preventing the spread of invasive species into new habitats, including those in wildlife corridors, national parks and other areas of high biodiversity and carbon value
• reducing the impacts of invasive species across connected landscapes
• developing and establishing specific enabling technologies and systems such as novel approaches to invasive species management in connected landscapes
• building capacity of individuals and organisations to manage high impact invasive species threats to biodiversity.

Projects under this theme will need to demonstrate that the proposed activities are in addition
to invasive species management activities that:

• form part of the business as usual (environmental stewardship) practices of the land managers and/or land owners
• are required by law.

In particular, public land managers will need to indicate the scale and purpose of current invasive species management investments and their effectiveness. Public land managers will also need to identify the level of financial and/or in kind contribution they intend to provide.

As a fundamental element of environmental management, actions to control invasive species should form part of every restoration or revegetation application to the Biodiversity Fund, whether or not it is the core theme of the proposal.

The Government will be looking for applications which best represent value for public money in the context of the objectives and outcomes of the project activity/ies.

Budget and Timeframes

Closing date for Biodiversity Fund project applications 31 January 2012.

Biodiversity Fund Projects in the 2011–12 round may seek funding over a period of up to six years. There is no minimum or maximum funding allocation per project however to ensure a good range of applications it is anticipated that individual projects in excess of $500,000 per year (GST inclusive) will require strong justification. Applicants intending to submit projects in excess of this annual amount are advised to discuss the proposal with the department before lodgement.

Who is eligible to apply?

Biodiversity Fund grants are targeted towards individual land managers, groups of land managers working in partnership or organisations working on behalf of multiple land managers.
To be eligible, applicants must:

• be a legal entity, for instance:
• an individual
• an incorporated association or cooperative society
•  a body corporate (company)
• an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander corporation, council or incorporated association
• a Government-related entity.
• declare that they have, or are able to obtain, the written consent of any organisation that the applicant partners with or represents on the project, including traditional owners.

What is an eligible project?

To be eligible, a project must:

• Not include activities that:
• have been completed
• are being undertaken outside Australia or its territories
• are substantially the same as activities completely funded through other initiatives or programs.
• Involve financial and/or in-kind contribution from the public land owner if it is located on public land. For the purposes of these Guidelines, ‘public land’ means land owned by a government entity or government related entity except where such land is leasehold land (i.e. the subject of a 99 year lease or a pastoral lease).
• Involve activities that are in addition to activities that:
• form part of the business as usual (environmental stewardship) practices of the land managers and/or land owners
• are required by law.

Note that applicants participating or seeking to participate in the carbon market via the Carbon Farming Initiative will be subject to obligations and criteria as set out in the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Act 2011 (Cth) and the associated regulations.

Expert Assistance

We are skilled at assisting clients put together and win government grants. For the biodiversity fund we can assist you to demonstrate:

• the extent to which the project will have long term benefits beyond the life of the project funding, in light of changing environmental conditions.
• how they intend to manage the area following completion of the project. Favourable consideration will be given to applicants that
• a commitment to management of the site for a period of ten years from the completion date of the project.
• the extent to which a project achieves value for money in light of the overall project cost, contribution of funds from the applicant, third parties or consortium members and amount of Commonwealth funding sought for the proposal.
• whether budget items are consistent with the activities and or sites identified in the project description
• potential for additional revenue has been factored into the project budget

Call us on 03 9005 6789 to discuss how we can make your bid competitive.

The Australian Government is calling for applications for funding to support eligible stormwater harvesting and reuse projects under the National Urban Water and Desalination Plan: stormwater harvesting and reuse grants round. Projects are sought that capture, treat and use stormwater to ease the pressure on drinking water supplies and deliver improved water quality to our urban waterways.

Objectives

The objective of the stormwater harvesting and reuse grant is to provide support for urban stormwater harvesting and reuse projects, in cities and towns that contribute to:

• improving the security of water supplies in Australia, without adding to greenhouse gas emissions
• reducing the demand for potable water supplies
• helping to reduce the impact of urban runoff on the ecological condition of receiving waters by protecting or improving water quality and the hydrological regime (e.g. protecting low flows and reducing the impact of high flows).

Funding available for individual project

Stormwater harvesting and reuse grant project funding is capped at 50 per cent of eligible capital costs, with a minimum project size of $2 million (eligible for funding of $1 million). While there is no maximum project size, funding from the Australian Government is capped at $20 million (GST exclusive) per project.

Stormwater harvesting and reuse grant project work must be completed by 30 June 2016.

This is a competitive grants round and meeting eligibility criteria does not guarantee funding.

Who is eligible to apply?

State, territory and local government, public water utilities and private companies are eligible to apply for the stormwater harvesting and reuse grant.

What projects are eligible for funding?

The government grant will support stormwater harvesting and reuse projects, including managed aquifer recharge and recovery1, that use urban stormwater to reduce demand on potable water supplies.

Urban stormwater is defined as ‘rainwater that runs off urban impervious surfaces such as roofs, pavements, car parks and roads. Common uses of harvested urban stormwater include the irrigation of parks and gardens, ovals and golf courses. Roof water harvested from non-residential buildings is increasingly being used for the watering of gardens, toilet flushing, car washing and other municipal, commercial and some industrial purposes.

As conventionally drained urban stormwater runoff can impact on streams and rivers in Australia’s cities, activities that could be incorporated into the types of projects described above include:

• reducing the volume of stormwater runoff reaching receiving waters during medium and high flow events, or attenuating (delaying) flows over a longer period of time to reduce flow intensity
• protecting and improving low and dry weather flows of good quality to receiving streams and rivers
• reducing pollutants from, and improving the quality of, stormwater flowing into receiving waters.

Projects under this round must include harvesting and reuse. However projects that have multiple benefits which may include a component to assist in the management of localised flooding will be highly regarded.

Ineligible activities

Activities that are not eligible for stormwater harvesting and reuse grant funding under this call include:

• stormwater management that does not include a significant reuse (e.g. projects must be primarily for water quality purposes)
• domestic rainwater tanks
• combined effluent and stormwater reuse schemes harvesting stormwater from predominantly non-urban catchments (e.g. rural or forested)
• irrigation schemes using aquifers, streams or river water from largely non-urban catchments development requirements that are being implemented to meet legislative, regulatory or policy requirements of local, state or territory governments or the Australian Government. For example, stormwater infrastructure required to meet development conditions such as local government development controls or the Building and Sustainability Index (BASIX New South Wales)
• construction of dams or raising of dam walls (except for stormwater retention basins and wetlands)
• roadworks (including raising of roadways and construction or widening of bridges)
• placement of fill on floodplains or excavation of floodplains
• raising of buildings
• acquisition/purchase of land or properties
• other activities deemed by the department to be unsuitable for Australian Government investment upon review of an application.

Timing

Stormwater harvesting and reuse grant applications are due by Wednesday, 7 December 2011 (5pm AEDT). Late applications may not be considered.

We know water technology and we know grants

We are experts at obtaining government funding. Last year we assisted organisations obtain $150 million in grants. In the last 3 months we assist a Stormwater treatment technology company progress through to the next round of the Market Validation Program. Contacts us to see how we can assist with getting your project over the line.

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