BioDiversity Trust

 
Information Evening 06/12/2023 - Chat - Audio - Video
 
I encourage you all to watch the recording of the meeting from tonight. Especially from 7.10pm to 8.10 where Nigel and I addressed most of the concerns that have been raised.  If you have concerns such as those addressed in this email thread, please watch the meeting from tonight where we discussed these concerns.  
 
Emma introduced Nigel- NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust's Senior Landholder Support Officer. Nigel took us through the history of NSW BCT and their primary areas of interest- to create incentive programs and invest in privately owned land with the worst clearance/biodiversity damage- namely along the NSW sheep-wheat belt which includes our Woorooma site. 
 
 
 
 
From their Survey of Woorooma Site on the 19th May 2023, NSW BCT reps confirmed a worthy population of conservable grey box trees- more than they expected, and deemed DTE co-operative's Woorooma site successfully eligible for an annual conservation payment with encouragement to apply.
 
Nigel explained that the grant is paid annually "in perpetuity" and, unless the Government relinquishes conservation funding incentives, has no end date. The annual amounts are required in the application with the submission of a landcare management plan (draft prepared by Emma) that the grant funding is set to achieve. The "Tender" or our optimal funding requirements to successfully action our landcare management plan, is to be submitted by the end of July 2023 with no obligation to sign until January 2024. The Tender minimum  for our site is $7K annual flat rate -it is suggested we apply above this. Emma volunteered to assess, prepare and submit our "tender" within this deadline, as our qualified landcare professional, with the support of Directors in attendance. The outcomes for successful applicants will be announced in December 2023- Directors discussed the necessity to put this to the co-op membership at an SGM prior to this. 
 
Potential requirements of the grant also include (discussed but not limited to):
-opening of a registered Carbon Credits GreenEnergy account portal for receival of tradeable carbon credits -Malcolm
- Possible slashing of selected areas to be regenerated
- Monitoring of sites and species set out in management plan
- Control and management of pests and weeds e.g Boxthorn, Rabbits,-set out in management plan
- Complete basic reports of items in Management Action Table including regular notes and observations. Note: NO itemization of funding required for these reports.
- Immediate protection of areas to be regenerated (see yellow map) from land works, grazing, removal of vegetation or alterations of any kind during the application period.
-A long term commitment to achieve the landcare management goals set in our management plan. 
 
Potentials of the grant (some that were discussed but not limited to)
-Increased biodiversity, reduced landcare management over time
- Conservation and ongoing holistic support to maintain and improve the current biodiversity on Woorooma Site
- Opportunity to employ/support local community groups and indigenous programs
- Opportunity for annual payment to subsidize landcare-related assets e.g fencing, machinery, working bees etc
- Carbon Credits $$ that can be sold or used to offset the festival impact.
 
other notes:
Brian- established with Nigel the workability of maintaining and integrating sufficient fire safety maintenance procedures including legal fire breaks and emergency access tracks. Potential to include 10m wide mineral earth fire break to areas as required. 
Suzie- established with Nigel areas to be planted out (smaller hatched dark blue areas see blue map) don't necessarily require access for slashing. Areas not highlighted in yellow or blue map continue to be regulated at owners discretion and may be subject to grazing, landworks, vegetation removal etc.
Shardae- established with Nigel that our unique network of sustainability, alternative energy, bush-regeneration and environmental activism groups and organisations, with established relations to ConFest, DTE and Woorooma site, makes the Down To Earth Co-operative extremely desirable as a target receiver of the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust's grant funding and has a very good chance of being a successful applicant (as well as the criteria our site specifically meets as found in the May site survey).
Robin- established with Nigel the regen aims in selected areas would entail increased biodiversity of shrubs and trees indigenous to those areas, woodier vegetation in hatched blue areas indicated for planting and natural regeneration of smaller native shrubs such as Salt Bush to the highlighted plains areas.
Lance- noted the necessity to confirm the title of suspected TSR (travelling stock reserve) adjacent to the property near entry gate.
Suzie and Lance to look into relevant existing contracts for sheep agistment on the property in the case of any prior obligations- to be discussed
 
end notes for meeting
 
 

DRAFT Woorooma Conservation Management Zones_150623.pdf

DRAFT Woorooma Conservation Area_150623.pdf

RMW027 - Down to Earth Vic Coop - Final CA 7.8.2023.pdf 

For those wanting more information on a conservation covenant please check out this link below.
 
 

Motion to approve of plan

12/12/2023 SGM - Agenda item: Support for NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust Grant Application 
Following the creation of a land management plan by our landcare group and a successful survey of Woorooma property in May, NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust (BCT) confirmed a worthy population of conservable grey-box trees and other high value conservation areas, making us eligible for external funding to address feral animals, weeds and revegetation. The plan seeks to place a covenant over part of the property (outside our areas of festival impact - see maps) which will protect the threatened ecological communities which we have on our property and provide us with financial and physical support to undertake the management. This funding, between $5000 and $30,000 received annually over the next 20+ years (it is actually in perpetuity) will be available to pay contractors to address feral animal and pest plant control and will also provide direct seeding and planting of natives into designated areas. Additionally, it can also pay for local indigenous work crews to be engaged in undertaking parts of this work (such as manual weed control), can provide funding to support Rays work in creating a native nursery onsite, provide interpretive signage so to allow visitors to walk through revegetated areas and learn about the threatened communities we are protecting and assist us in managing the land for ecological enhancement. We can also create carbon credits to offset our festival impact towards becoming a carbon positive event site. Our landcare group and board of directors seek the support of our membership should the application for this grant be successful- in assurance that our obligations to the conservation land management plan in no way effect our continued land use for the purpose of hosting festivals. The motion: Membership recognises the formal conservation agreement with NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust should our application be successful, and supports the receival of external funding and obligations set out in our land management plan. 

Moved by Shardae Reed Supported by Lance Nash, Suzie Helson, Robin Macpherson

Please attend the 06/12/2023 Info Session 7:00PM - Meeting Link

Please attend the 12/12/2023 SGM 7:30PM - Meeting Link

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