For their last meeting of 2020 on Wednesday, 9th December, members of Southern New England Landcare's Save the Regent Honeyeater Group met up at Sue and Peter Metcalfe’s place on Dumaresq Dam Road to learn some native seed collection techniques. 

Here’s are delightful and encouraging report from Candice Larkin, updating us on the results of the Regent Honeyeater nest spotted near Severn River.

The Armidale Tree Group nursery is short of Acacia (wattle) seed. If you have access to fruiting wattle trees/shrubs in your yard, would you be able to collect some and drop it into the nursery?  It would greatly appreciated.

Southern New England Landcare recently engaged with the NSW Wildlife Information and Rescue Service (WIRES) to help support a Water for Wildlife project that will provide drinkers for arboreal wildlife (including Koalas) in drought and fire affected areas.

The project will provide 20 koala drinkers to private landholders willing to maintain them. 

Please contact Des Andersen or phone 02 6772 9123 if you live on a rural bushland block and are interested in the drinker program.

Do you know someone who would be interested in a horticulturist apprenticeship with a production nursery?

Armidale Tree Group is looking to fill two apprenticeship positions as soon as possible.

The General Jeffery Soil Health Award is open to any individual farmer, land manager, extension specialist or educator who is making an outstanding contribution to improving soil health in Australia.

Nominations open 5th December 2020.
Close: 31st March 2021
For more information:  General Jeffery Soil Health Award 

Commencing: March 2021
Locations: Piallaway - Manilla - Croppa Creek

Funding: up to $25,000

Closing: Friday 22 January 2021

Grants will be offered to support farmers, land managers and community groups to implement local projects for weed control and pest control, animal welfare and veterinary services in bushfire impacted areas in the Northern Tablelands. Classifications of grants available are for small scale on-farm demonstrations or on-farm projects.

For more information follow this link.

Scholarships: up to $6,000 for full-time study, or up to $3,000 for part-time study are available.

Closing: 8th February 2021

The RASF offers VET (Vocational Education and Training) Scholarships, which are available to support individuals in NSW, who demonstrate a passion for rural life and commitment for any career that will ensure the future. 

More information and applications here

Funds: $25,000

Closing: 23rd February 2021

The Strengthening Rural Communities (SRC) program aims to give the thousands of small rural, regional and remote communities across Australia an opportunity to access funding to support broad community needs. Given the events of summer 2019/20, it has also been expanded to offer funding to support recovery in bushfire-affected communities.

The NSW Government has announced the Drought Assistance Fund has been increased to $100,000. This interest-free loan has a term of seven years, with no repayments in the first two years. 

Available to primary producers for the implementation of systems & management practices that enhance the sustainability of their farm business. The loan can fund:

• NEW: Restocking purposes.
• The transport of stock, fodder and water
• Genetic banking of breeding herds
• Installation of on-farm fodder and water infrastructure
• Activities that promote profitability and resilience as a result of the on-farm investment

For more information, visit the Rural Assistance Authority here.

Private landholders who share a boundary with public land and were impacted by the Northern and Southern fires of late 2019 and early 2020 are eligible to receive up to $5,000 per kilometre to contribute to the replacement of damaged boundary fences.

Do you have native vegetation on your farm? Could you benefit from some additional income to manage this land? The newly-established Biodiversity Conservation Trust (BCT) has a new program that could be of interest. BCT are calling for expressions of interest (EOI) from people interested in earning annual payments to conserve biodiversity on their property.

Download the Conservation Tender Fact Sheet here. For more information, contact the BCT on 1300 992 688 or by email: info@bct.nsw.gov.au

DPI's Rural Recovery Support Service is working with primary producers, small landholders and communities across the Northern Tablelands to support recovery after disasters or adverse events, providing practical and personal support in managing your recovery, linking you with services and assisting with decision making and future planning - please contact a Recovery Officer in your area: 

• Armidale: Greg Mills 0417 476 884
• Walcha: Chloe Hoy 0408 993 455