Brimbank City Council’s Sustainable Land Management Incentive Scheme aims to promote sustainable land management practices by financially supporting land owners in the municipality who carry out environmental works on their property.

Works include:

Pest animal control projects

Erosion management projects

Weed control projects

Revegetation projects

Protection of remnant vegetation projects

Sustainable land management means adopting practices which preserve the quality and health of your land. There are many long-term benefits of adopting sustainable land management practices on your land. These include increased productivity, increased land value and maintaining the conservation values of natural areas.

Participation in the Sustainable Land Management Incentive Scheme is not compulsory, although land owners do have a legal responsibility to control declared noxious weeds and pest animals under the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994. Council aims to support Landowners to fulfil their responsibility under this Act.

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Properties eligible for the grants scheme need to be zoned as one of the following and must be 0.2ha in size or greater;

RCZ (Rural Conservation Zone)

GW (Green Wedge)

GWA (Green Wedge A)

SUZ5 (Special Use Zone 5)

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Grant payments are calculated at $250 per hectare up to a maximum of $10,000.

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Eligible landholders will be sent an application form.

Landowners are required to complete and submit the application form to Council by the due date.

Applications will be assessed to ensure they meet the criteria and successful applicants will be contacted.

Projects need to be undertaken and completed by a property owner within the desired timeframe.  A works Reimbursement Form needs to be submitted to Council by the due date.

Council will inspect completed works. The funds are then distributed by cheque to the property owner who has successfully undertaken the works as agreed.

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Pest Animal Control Projects (rabbits)

Rabbits seriously reduce the quality and productivity of land for crops, and they are a serious environmental problem causing soil erosion and reducing the success rate of plantings.

Rabbits can be controlled using a number of different methods including:

Poisoning

Removing harbour

Warren ripping/destruction

Fencing

Fumigation

The removal of harbour and the destruction of warrens is an essential step in long-term control.  

Erosion Management Projects

Soil is one of our most precious resources. The loss of this resource, through wind and water erosion, is a serious environmental problem.

The best way to reduce erosion is by making sure the soil is covered by vegetation as much as possible. You can achieve this by revegetating areas of your land with native trees and understorey plants.

Other control methods include the laying of matting, fencing and/or the application of structures to stabilise the ground soil.

Weed Control Projects

Invasive weeds are one of the most serious threats to Brimbank’s  natural environment and agricultural industries. Weeds compete with native species, contribute to land degradation and reduce farm productivity.

Serrated Tussock, Chilean Needle Grass, Boxthorn and Artichoke Thistles are the most serious invasive weeds in the region.

These weeds can be controlled a number of ways including herbicide application using knapsacks, rigs or boom spraying, slashing, burning, manual removal and cut and paint techniques.

Revegetation

The benefits of a revegetation project on your property are countless. These include; soil stabilisation, reduction of wind erosion, decreased water run-off and weed invasion, all of which improves the condition of your land.

Important steps in planning revegetation works include the selection of suitable species. The use of indigenous species is important as they are well adapted to the local conditions and have a greater chance of survival.

For assistance with plant selection, please contact Council’s Environment Department on 9249 4000 for advice.

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For further information please contact:

Brimbank City Council

Environment Department

9249 4000

conservation@brimbank.vic.gov.au

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