Local communities around Australia are getting ready to plant around 1.3 million trees as part of the Australian Government's 20 Million Trees Programme, with many projects targeting habitat protection for native plants and animals under threat.
Under this latest round, the Australian Government’s 20 Million Trees programme will provide over $5 million in funding to help roll out 64 local projects across every state and territory around Australia.
This is the first time that local communities have been able to apply for both Green Army and 20 Million Trees projects at the same time.
It is great to see that 37 Green Army teams will work on 20 Million Trees projects.
This shows how local communities are working smarter to maximise Australian Government investment to improve their local environment.
This latest funding will help Landcare and community groups, individuals and organisations to plant native trees, shrubs and other vegetation in their local communities.
Some of the projects include:
• restoring blue gum plant communities to provide habitat for swift parrots, through the planting of blue gums in south east Tasmania;
• creating vital habitat linkages for declining woodland birds in the eastern foothills and plains of the Southern Mt Lofty Ranges;
• recreating Lowland Rainforest of Subtropical Australia and habitat for species such as the grey-headed flying fox and red goshawk;
• creating habitat and food sources for koalas, spotted-tail quolls and swift parrots in Hunter Estuary wetlands;
• expanding and joining fragmented remnant landscapes near Geelong.
The 20 Million Trees Programme is a key election commitment, providing $50 million over four years to re-establish native vegetation, providing habitat to support our threatened plants and animals, and create greener spaces to improve the liveability of our cities and towns.
This latest announcement takes the programme’s tree count to over 11 million trees in less than two years, surpassing the halfway target of planting 20 million trees by 2020.
The 20 Million Trees initiative is an important part of the Australian Government's National Landcare Programme.
More information on the programme and the successful projects is available online at:
www.nrm.gov.au/20-million-trees
(ENDS)