Photo caption: Minister for Resources and Water Keith Pitt and Federal Member for Parkes Mark Coulton today announced almost $1.3 million in funding for Landcare Australia to support five farms to improve river health in the Namoi catchment area.
Minister for Resources and Water, Keith Pitt, and Member for Parkes, Mark Coulton today announced a grant to install fencing, plant trees and remove weeds long the Namoi catchment area through the $20 million Murray–Darling Healthy Rivers Program.
Minister Pitt said the grants were designed to help communities deliver on-ground projects to improve the health of local rivers and wetlands.
“I am pleased to announce the Parkes electorate will receive almost $1.3 million in grants in this last tranche of Healthy Rivers funding,” Minister Pitt said.
“The Healthy Rivers program is collectively funding activities to plant about 300,000 native plants, install 230km of fencing to protect 2000 hectares of riparian areas and undertake approximately 30,000 hectares of weed control.
“That’s making a real difference to river health and regional economies.”
Mr Coulton welcomed the additional funding which he said allows local people to use their local knowledge to care for their local environment.
“These grants put money into local businesses, providing employment and strengthening recreational amenities and tourism offerings,” Mr Coulton said.
“This grant will help Landcare Australia to support five farms to install fencing, carry out weed control and plant trees to improve river health in the Namoi catchment area.
“The work will give threatened species like the koala, Murray cod, and large-eared pied bat a fighting chance in the region, while the local economy will benefit from over $1.1 million being spent locally on goods and wages.
“Healthy Rivers projects like this one bring people and organisations together to work on practical, on-ground projects that protect the Murray–Darling Basin’s vital waterways.
“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.”
For more information on the successful projects, visit the department’s website.
Fast Facts:
- 160 Healthy Rivers grants have received funding through the Murray–Darling Healthy Rivers Program.
- Projects across the Parkes electorate aim to plant 48,000 native plants, undertake pest animal species control over 170 hectares and protect riverbanks with 19 kilometres of grazing-exclusion fencing.
- Under all rounds of the program $2.58 million in funding has gone to the Parkes electorate.
List of projects:
| Recipient | Project location | Short project description | Funding amount (GST exclusive) |
| Landcare Australia Limited | Namoi River catchment | Natural asset farming within the Namoi catchment | $1,296,501.00 |
| Total | $1,296,501.00 | ||
Note: Project locations are based on applicant provided mapping of activities funded under the program, which may be different to the location of the applicant. Projects may have activities in more than one electorate. Payments to applicants are subject to signing of a funding agreement.
