The Coalition Government celebrated Threatened Species Day last week by announcing 19 new grants, worth more than $3 million to help community groups fight extinction.Delivered through the National Landcare Program, three of these projects will be undertaking activities in the electorate of Barker:

  • $249,780 for community action across South Australia to secure the future of the silver daisy bush.
  • $225,322 for returning a priority bird species under the Threatened Species Strategy to South Australia – the mallee emu-wren (Stipiturus mallee) to Ngarkat Conservation Park.
  • $49,500 for Kids helping Cockies Helping Cockies, whereby schools grow seedlings and engage farmers in revegetating private land for the south-eastern red-tailed black-cockatoo.

The Federal Member for Barker, Tony Pasin MP, welcomed the investment and said many in the Barker community hold a strong attachment to our unique native species.

“I am delighted to announce that Trees for Life, Kowree Farm Tree Group and the South Australian Murray-Darling Basin NRM will be receiving funding under the Threatened Species Recovery Fund which will support activities in Barker,” Mr Pasin said.

“This Government investment will help these fantastic organisations to deliver outcomes that will help secure the future of threatened native species in our community.

“I look forward to seeing the benefits this project will bring to our native species and our environment as a whole – for our community to enjoy,” Mr Pasin said.

Since the appointment of the Threatened Species Commissioner in 2014, the Coalition Government has invested more than $228 million into more than 1,000 projects that are supporting the recovery of our native threatened species.

Kids helping Cockies Helping Cockies – Kowree Farm Tree Group

Science indicates that increasing & improving the condition of feeding habitat is critical to the recovery of the nationally threatened south-eastern red-tailed black-cockatoo. Building on previously successful programs, school communities and land owners will be recruited to grow seedlings and be involved in revegetation projects on private land; delivering on-ground benefits including improving habitat and creating safe havens for this iconic species.

Based on existing strong partnerships between NRM organisations, local governments, landcare and community groups, this project will also grow community awareness and support for threatened species recovery.

Returning the mallee emu-wren to Ngarkat Conservation Park – South Australian Murray-Darling Basin NRM

The endangered mallee emu-wren has recently become extinct in South Australia, and has significantly declined in Victoria, due to large wildfires further exacerbated by drought. They now persist in three Victorian populations only, which are at high risk of extinction due to wildfire.

Re-establishing populations via re-introductions is essential to reduce extinction risk and improve their overall population trajectory. Using an adaptive management framework, this project aims to transfer 60-80 birds to Ngarkat Conservation Park (South Australia) to establish a new population and refine the release strategy necessary for this establishment.

The translocation will draw upon a large team of national experts from the Threatened Mallee Birds Steering Committee, with support from scientists, local community, and critical logistics from regional Rotary groups.

Silver daisy bush – Trees for Life

Currently found in Mediterranean habitats, increasing aridity & shifting rainfall patterns are placing many populations at risk of extinction, particularly those in the north of its range.

This project will secure the species’ ongoing future by undertaking translocations to:

  • establish new populations in areas of suitable future habitat, to reduce the probability of total extinction, introduce genetic material from northern populations into those of the south, and;
  • increase local population size, to mitigate against extinction from stochastic catastrophes.

The project will cover the entire range of the species & will use innovative techniques to target on-ground conservation actions in priority locations.

 

For more information on all the projects funded, please visit: http://nrm.gov.au/national/threatened-species-recovery-fund

 

CONTACT: Charlotte Edmunds 8531 2466