www.lls.nsw.gov.au/riverina

LANDSCAPE LINKAGES

2020/21Landholders in the Riverina Local

Land Services region are invited to apply for funding across a variety of projects in 2020/21 (subject to

landholder eligibility). This funding will be rolled out under the Landscape

Linkages Project with the main goals of improving natural farm

assets, establishing paddock trees, and improving overall ecological

functioning across the Riverina region.

Studies* have shown that individual trees and small clusters of trees (up to 0.5 hectares) represent 42 to 59 percent of remaining vegetation. Scattered across our landscape, these trees and refugia areas such as waterways, rocky outcrops and remnant vegetation, provide an immense benefit to biodiversity by providing food, shelter and nesting sites for a large number of birds, bats, insects and small mammals.

Isolated paddock trees and small remnants are also an important farm asset, maintaining the productive capacity of the land through providing shade and shelter for stock, reducing the risk of salinity and improving soil properties.

Where these trees occur in agricultural landscapes they are declining due to natural senescence, clearing, dieback and the general absence of recruitment. This may result in an undesirable ecological regime shift, substantial reductions in some vegetation communities and could negatively impact on many native flora and fauna species.

Paddock trees can also be of cultural significance, providing evidence of past activities by Aboriginal communities. Referred to as modified or scarred trees, these are trees which have had bark removed by indigenous Australians for the creation of bark canoes, shelters, shields and containers, such as coolamons.

REFUGE AREASWithin an area impacted by a bushfire, there will be pockets of the landscape that have not burnt. These areas are important refuges for native plants and animals. Refuge areas provide food, shelter and a seed source to assist these species to persist post fire and colonise the landscape as it recovers.

WATERWAYSWhen appropriately managed, creeks, rivers and wetlands can help boost farm biodiversity by providing both feed sources and breeding sites for native plants and wildlife. Additionally, these waterways have numerous productive benefits such as that they can aid nutrient cycling, reduce erosion and provide a source of water for stock.

In the Riverina, our waterways and the riparian areas adjacent to them, provide habitat for unique threatened species. For example, the Adjungbilly Creek is home to the endangered Booroolong Frog and Macquarie Perch which have both declined drastically in recent times. Through this project, funding is available to landholders to help them protect and restore riparian areas including the Adjungbilly Creek.

Background

ROCKY OUTCROPSRocky outcrops provide plants and animals with shelter, protection from predators and refuge from fire or extreme weather conditions. These areas also provide animals with places to forage, lay their eggs or give birth to live young. Many rocky outcrops support rare and endangered plants and animals and are places rich in biological diversity.

Many rocky outcrops are sacred and provided Indigenous people with a wide range of resources, including water, food, medicine and stone tools.

For farming systems, rocky outcrops are important because they provide livestock with shelter, harbor species that prey on agricultural pests, and support insects which contribute to crop pollination. Large expanses of exposed rock serve as natural fire breaks and buffer the effects of intensive fires.

REMNANT VEGETATION The Riverina Local Land Services region contains a variety of remnant vegetation that provide essential habitat for a variety of threatened species including the critically endangered Swift Parrot and the vulnerable Superb Parrot as well as other fauna such as the endangered Squirrel Glider.

Within these remnants, there are usually large mature trees which may contain a number of tree hollows that provide significant nesting and breeding habitats. Vegetation preferences for these endangered fauna species include Mugga Ironbark, White Box, Grey Box and Yellow Box, as well as a variety of understorey species such as Silver Wattle, Golden Wattle, bottlebrushes and other flowering shrubs.

However, tree health and habitat quality are declining as a result of climatic stresses, clearing for agriculture and peri-urban development. Habitat fragmentation and the loss of living and dead hollow-bearing trees has contributed to the decline of many native fauna in the Riverina region.

Large gaps between trees and patches of vegetation affect the movement of species such as Squirrel Gliders across the landscape, interrupting their breeding and feeding activities and forcing them to move on the ground where they are at greater risk of predation by foxes and feral cats. Additionally, Swift Parrots migrate to certain areas on the mainland from Tasmania every year in search of winter food sources. The Riverina region is one such area where they return to feed each year.

As such, ensuring a diversity of connected and protected habitat including hollow-bearing trees is crucial for the ongoing survival of many of our native wildlife.

Improving biodiversity on your farmThere are several ways you can help to improve biodiversity on your farm:

• Retain existing vegetation on your property, especially hollow-bearing trees • Revegetate areas with a mixture of native species to allow for hollow-bearing and feed trees in the future • Allow natural regeneration to occur • Retain paddock trees on your property - they act as great stepping stones between sparse vegetation • Add shrub and understory layers to existing vegetation where appropriate • Install nest boxes if you don’t have hollow-bearing trees. • Planting a mixture of species can provide a year round food supply for native birds and arboreal mammals

(see below table showing when certain species are flowering):

SPECIES SPRING SUMMER AUTUMN WINTER

Red Box (Eucalyptus polyanthemos)

Yellow Box (Eucalyptus melliodora)

Silver Wattle (Acacia dealbata)

Golden Wattle (Acacia pycnantha)

Apple Box (Eucalyptus bridgesiana)

Red Stringybark (Eucalyptus macrorhyncha)

Hickory Wattle (Acacia implexa)

River Red Gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis)

Blakelys Red Gum (Eucalyptus Blakelyi)

Black Wattle (Acacia mearnsii)

White Box (Eucalyptus albens)

Mugga Ironbark (Eucalyptus sideroxylon)

Funding is available for:

1. Establishing individual paddock treesEstablishing paddock trees on your farm can not only provide future shade and shelter for livestock but also

provide future habitat for wildlife. Funding will be provided towards the costs of materials for individual

tree guards and the purchase of new plants. A minimum of 20 and a maximum of 40 individual paddock trees will

be funded per agreement.

2. Planting native vegetationEstablishing native vegetation on your farm can help

provide future stepping stones for wildlife whilst improving the natural assets of your farm. Funding

will be provided towards the costs of standard fencing materials, site preparation and the purchase of new plants on sites. Sites need to be a minimum of one

hectare and a maximum of three hectares, and a minimum of 20 metres wide.

3. Protecting and enhancing areas of nativevegetation including rocky outcrops, riparian

zones and remnant vegetation for threatened species

Protection of areas through fencing (wildlife-friendly fencing) and/or enhancing and revegetating sites to

provide connection. Funding will be provided towards the costs of standard fencing materials, site preparation

and the purchase of new plants to allow natural regeneration. Sites must be a minimum size of one

hectares and a minimum or 20 metres wide.

Activities that may be funded

Eligibility To be eligible to apply the below criteria must be met:

• All previous works funded by Riverina Local Land Services must be completed and maintained• You must be willing to enter into a contractual agreement with Riverina Local Land Services for 10 years• You must have no outstanding debts to Local Land Services• Your property must be greater than 10 hectares and reside within the Riverina Local Land Services region (see

map on next page)• You must have public liability insurance for a minimum of $10 million to be considered for funding• Works will need to be completed within the 12 months from date of signing the agreement

What are the next steps?• Funding is limited and project proposals must be received by 31 August 2020 at 4pm• Landholders must submit an Expression Of Interest via www.lls.nsw.gov.au/riverina• Once an EOI has been submitted, a Riverina Local Land Services officer will contact you to discuss your

project proposal

Questions?Cherie White| Senior Land Services Officer (NRM) Mobile: 0427 407 126

Allie Hendy | Senior Land Services Officer (NRM) Mobile: 0427 662 811

*For further reading on the study referenced visitwww.environment.nsw.gov.au/resources/research/pt-paddock-tree-journal-article.pdf

© State of New South Wales through Local Land Services (2020). The information contained in this publication is based on knowledge and understanding at the time of writing (July 2020). However, because of advances in knowledge, users are reminded of the need toensure that the information upon which they rely is up to date and to check the currency of the information with the appropriate officer of Local Land Services or the user’s independent adviser.

This project has been assisted by funding through Catchment Action NSW and the NSW Environmental Trust.