Funding worth $3.98 million has been provided across Victoria for natural environment preservation projects.
The grants fund on-ground and educational projects which focus on biodiversity protection.
Successful Goulburn Valley projects include transforming a Shepparton wasteland into a wetland, building 100 nesting boxes and increasing the knowledge and skills of landholders to create healthy soils in Hughes Creek.
The Sunday Creek Dry Creek Landcare Group has received $17,000 from the scheme to continue its work in removing blackberry infestations along Sunday Creek.
President Jacqui Fulton said although the project was in its eighth year, the extra funding would see it build upon past successes with spraying.
“With $10,000 we received two years ago, we were to able spray far, far more land than we initially thought, but only about 50 per cent of the area was sprayed because the rest was physically out of reach,” Mrs Fulton said.
“Now we can use a bobcat to drive over the dead canes and reach the blackberries that we couldn’t get to before.
“To one day see the river free of blackberries will be beyond words. So there’s no point in getting only half the job done.”
Support grants of $500 have also been allocated to 23 groups in the catchment to assist with administration and running costs.
The Victorian Landcare Grants are part of Biodiversity 2037, the state government’s long-term plan to protect Victoria’s environment.
A full list of this year’s Victorian Landcare Grant recipients can be found at: https://www.environment.vic.gov.au/grants/victorian-landcare-grants
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