South Australia's regional environment has been given a $4 million boost with projects including the removal of feral cats, weed control and kangaroo management receiving funding under the inaugural round of the Marshall Liberal Government's Landscape Priorities Fund.
Nine projects across the state have shared in the significant $4.2 million funding to address priority landscape management issues.
The Landscape Priorities Fund is funded from Landscape levies collected in the Adelaide metropolitan area and redistributed to South Australia's regional landscape boards to enable them to work in partnership with other groups and individuals and invest in environmental projects.
Minister for Environment and Water David Speirs said the historic program was a key part of the Marshall Liberal Government's Lanscape SA reform to deliver a more effective, decentralised, back to basics approach to natural resources management.
"Landscape SA is about building partnerships, rolling up your sleeves and working together to support our landscapes to thrive – leading to healthy and resilient communities, sustainable production, prosperous businesses and flourishing ecosystems," Minister Speirs said.
"Our historic Landscape SA reform is putting commnities back at the heart of natural resources management and the Landscape Priorities Fund is key part of this.
"The Landscape Priorities Fund is signicant change to how Landscape levies are collected and distributed and will deliver practical projects which wouldn't have been possible under the old system.
"Nine projects have shared in $4.2 million of funding in the inaugural round which will see a diverse range of environmental benefits across South Australia.
"While the projects will be delivered by South Australian regional landscape boards, importantly they will work closely with other organisations and individuals, like Aboriginal community groups, local councils, conservation groups, businesses and landowners.
"This is just another example of the Marshall Liberal Government's commitment to bettering our environment and is part of our once-in-a-generation record investment in parks across the state."
The list of fully-funded projects (and recipient landscape board) includes:
- The removal feral cats from Dudley Peninsula (Kangaroo Island - $350,000)
- Natural Resource Centres Building Capacity (Hills and Fleurieu - $318,964)
- Stopping the Spread of Feral Deer (Limestone Coast - $350,000)
- Returning Functionality to South Olary Plains (Murraylands and Riverland - $700,000)
- Optimising Kangaroo Management in SA (SA Arid Lands - $350,000)
- Camel and Buffel Grass Control (Alinytjara Wilurara - $742,512)
- Towards Eradication – 20 weeds by 2023 (Hills and Fleurieu - $600,000)
Partially funded projects include:
- Restoring Fleurieu coastal and marine habitats for wildlife conservation (Hills and Fleurieu - $250,000)
- A strategic approach to water security in a changing climate (Limestone Coast - $500,000)
Projects will commence in June 2021. For more information contact the relevant regional Landscape Board through statewide.landscape.sa.gov.au
The creation of the Landscape Priorities Fund is a significant outcome of the Marshall Liberal Government's landscape reform program.
The Fund is is supported from levies collected by Green Adelaide and is enshrined in the new Landscape South Australia Act 2019, enabling investment in large, landscape scale projects addressing regional and cross-regional priorities.
