Revegetation funding available for Southern YP landholders

Natural Resources Northern and Yorke community ranger Janet Moore said the funding provides significant financial assistance to landholders interested in revegetating areas larger than two hectares.

"Revegetation usually costs around $15,000 for 10 hectares, so this is an ideal opportunity for Southern Yorke Peninsula landholders to take advantage of the funding and become involved in the project before it ends," she said.

"Landholders who qualify will be provided with financial and technical support for site planning, site preparation, revegetation, fencing, pest control and other on-ground works."

The funding is made available through the Local Communities Restoring Critical Habitat and Landscape Linkages in the Southern Yorke Peninsula project funded by the Federal Government, which is entering its final year.

The project includes large-scale conservation works to conserve high-priority sites for a range of declining woodland birds across Southern Yorke Peninsula.

Ms Moore said it is hoped the revegetation works will have a positive impact on the declining bird species that have been significantly affected by reduced corridors and disconnected patches of bushland.

"Native bushland on Southern Yorke Peninsula has considerably reduced over the years, and remaining areas are highly fragmented, restricting the movement of woodland birds.

"We’ve seen several species of birds such as the Diamond Firetail, Crested Bellbird and Scarlet Robin decline over the last decade," Ms Moore said.

"The revegetation works aim to increase the size of some of our bushland areas and revegetate bushland corridors in the hope of reversing this trend."

Warooka farmer Graeme Ball took part in the program, revegetating more than 35 hectares in 2015 and said that it was great to see the seedlings starting to grow.

"It is going to be rewarding to watch birds and other native fauna return as the vegetation matures.

"I can remember what the paddock looked like when I was a child before it was cleared for cropping, the residents of Warooka would often come and picnic here amongst the trees," he said.

"I’ve been wanting to revegetate the area for many years, and this program provided an ideal opportunity to do so."

For more information or to register interest in applying for revegetation funding, please contact Ms Moore on 0447 418 391 or email Janet.Moore@sa.gov.au.