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Farmers Conservation Assistance Project.
Shall be known as National Farmers Conservation Assistance Project.
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The WEST 2000 Plus Farmers Conservation Assistance Project is a five year program that provides an innovative yet practical method to deliver financial incentives to Western Division landholders to balance conservation and production outcomes.
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The program encourages landholders to develop innovative projects that focus on managing part or all of their property for conservation outcomes rather than for the traditional pastoral purposes.
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Rather than removing domestic stock and ‘locking up’ the country for five years, the program is based on achieving positive conservation outcomes through active and adaptive management. The successful completion of agreed conservation based management activities form the basis of landholders receiving a series of annual payments.
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Features of the project include:
  • Ten landholders located across the Western Division are participating in the program.
  • Over 65,000 ha will be managed for conservation outcomes, with project sizes ranging from 320 ha to 23,000 ha.
  • The total cost of managing this area for conservation over five years, including both the annual payments and the on-ground infrastructure costs is less than $13 per hectare
    • The range of natural resource management issues that are addressed include:
  • conservation of European and Aboriginal cultural heritage values;
  • maintenance of threatened species and their habitats;
  • improved river bank stability through the management of stock along riverine corridors; and
  • large scale management of total grazing pressure to maintain agreed levels of ground cover.
    • What is the grant for?
    The grant aims to improve the condition of the natural resource base as well as the financial viability of landholders. Financial incentives will be provided over a five year period for landholders to actively manage part or all of their property for specific conservation goals.
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    What assistance is available?
    $500,000 is available for annual payments and $266,000 is available for associated on-ground
    works. Additional funding is also available for the development of Business Enterprise Plans.
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    Annual payments will not require any matching contribution to be made by the landholder.
    Funding for the on-ground works must be matched on a dollar for dollar basis by the landholder.
    Funds will not be allocated for normal property management/maintenance expenses.
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    To be eligible for this grant, you must:
  • Be a Registered landholder whose name is on the Title.
  • Have owned or operated a share or held equity in a farm business enterprise for at least two consecutive years. A stock partnership meets this requirement;
  • Normally derive the majority of your gross income from non-irrigated agriculture or
  • pastoral industries in the Western Division;
  • Normally contribute the majority of your labour to the farm business enterprise; and
  • Satisfactorily complete the Expression of Interest form and provide all additional information requested.
  • Example of property map.
    • Assessment of grants
    There two main steps in the assessment process. The first is the assessment of the Expression of Interest and the second is the assessment of a Farmers Conservation Assistance bids.

    An independent assessment panel will assess both the Expressions of Interest and the Farmers Conservation Assistance bids. All assessment is made on a competitive and funds limited basis.
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    People's Mandate.
    People's Mandate shall accept this document to assist farmers in rural areas only;
    This document shall be a part of the Draft Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act.

    This Project shall not be financed by any Overseas country or Corporation or Person.

    National Farmers Conservation Assistance Project shall be financed as according to the;
    Draft of the Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act, Chapter Four;  Finance and Trade, Section 115.

    No change shall be made to National Farmers Conservation Assistance Project except by Referendum of the People.