The Australian Government has announced successful grant recipients under the second round of the $20 million Murray-Darling Healthy Rivers Program, empowering local communities with practical support to care for their own patch of river.
Minister for Resources and Water, Keith Pitt, said the millions of people who live, work and rely on the Basin every day are the big winners.
"I am pleased to award 72 grants to fund practical, on-ground projects led by Basin communities to improve the health of our waterways and wetlands," Minister Pitt said.
"It doesn't get much more practical than funding grantees to plant 210,000 native plants, install 160 kilometres of fencing to protect over 1,200 hectares of riparian areas, and to undertake approximately 25,000 hectares of weed control.
"These grants will deliver over $11.5 million to communities from Charleville to Murray Bridge on top of the $2.9 million in small grants awarded in 2021. I'll also be announcing more grants in the coming weeks.
"It's exciting to see farmers getting on with the job of improving their local environment by fencing off riverbanks from livestock, planting natives to reduce erosion and controlling the weeds and pest animals that threaten riparian habitat.
"The grants will also fund community groups to undertake a range of activities including re-snagging rivers to provide habitat for native fish, installing pipes and removing floodbanks to improve water flows to wetlands.
"For example, a grant awarded for a project near Renmark will support locals to restore habitat in the internationally-recognised Riverland Ramsar wetland. By reinforcing streambanks, replacing old access roads that impede water flow, re-snagging rivers and revegetation. Importantly, this project will inject over $1.4 million into the local economy, with goods and services being sourced from local businesses.
"Another project in north-east Victoria will get landholders and volunteers involved in enhancing the Ovens and Kiewa River catchments. It aims to treat 50 hectares of riverfront for weeds, install 10 kilometres of grazing exclusion fencing and plant over 8,000 native plants. The project will spend over $900,000 in local communities and protect threatened species including the Regent Honeyeater and the Spot-tailed Quoll.
"Not only are these grants great for the environment, but they will also provide on-ground jobs in Basin communities and support our regional economies that are still recovering from drought and COVID-19.
"These projects bring together a cross-section of our community, from local and state governments, to landcare groups, community organisations, farmers and landholders all working together to improve the lives and livelihoods of those who call the Basin home, and benefit the environment.
"The Healthy Rivers Program forms a key part of the Australian Government's Murray-Darling Communities Investment Package, which is putting communities back at the heart of the Basin Plan."
