Protecting endangered ecological communities in the Murrumbidgee Catchment

The Murrumbidgee EcoTender II project assists land managers to set up an environmental conservation enterprise on their property through an environmental tender process. Since 2009 the program has assisted land managers to boost their income while enhancing the biodiversity values of their properties. This is an example of a market-based competitive tender program that has identified the importance of achieving the public goal of biodiversity conservation through working with private land managers.

Similar to other competitive conservation tender programs, the Murrumbidgee EcoTender II program runs in a competitive market environment where biodiversity values are the market commodity, the Murrumbidgee Catchment Management Authority (Murrumbidgee CMA) the buyer, and regional land managers are the sellers.

The need to act

Altered through land use change and invasion of plant and animal pest species, the following native vegetation communities have been identified by the Murrumbidgee CMA as priorities for improved management and conservation. They include legislative listings from the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 and the NSW Fisheries Management Act 1994:

• Buloke Woodlands of Riverina and Murray-Darling Depression bioregions
• Inland Grey Box Woodland
• Montane Peatlands and Swamps/Alpine Sphagnum Bogs and Associated Fens
• Myall Woodlands in the Cobar Peneplain, Murray-Darling Depression, Riverina and NSW South Western Slopes bioregions/Weeping Myall Woodlands
• Natural Temperate Grassland of the Southern Tablelands
• Riparian and wetland areas of the aquatic ecological community in the Natural Drainage System of the Lower Murray River catchment
• Upland Wetlands of the Monaro Plateau (South Eastern Highlands bioregion)
• White Box Yellow Box Blakely’s Red Gum Woodland.

The Murrumbidgee CMA offered land managers in the Murrumbidgee EcoTender II project area funding for up to 15 years for the opportunity to conserve and enhance threatened and endangered native vegetation communities on their properties.

How the Murrumbidgee EcoTender II program works

Similar to other conservation tender programs, interested and eligible land managers submit conservation bids to the Murrumbidgee CMA. Bid prices are based on the significance of the ecological community on a property and the proposed management activities to enhance and protect the biodiversity values. The Murrumbidgee Eco Tender II program allows land managers to determine the value of protecting and managing the ecological values of their property, reflecting the market nature of the conservation tender program.

Individual bids are evaluated and scored based on ecological significance, proposed land management activities and the duration of the conservation contract. An Ecosystem Benefit Index is the metric used to score bids based on the cost-per-unit benefit of the bid and the true value for money of each bid. This outlines the competitive and cost-effective nature of the tender program compared to fixed grant schemes.



Map 1. Murrumbidgee EcoTender II project area

Outcomes

Through the EcoTender II project, the Murrumbidgee CMA has achieved multiple biodiversity benefits in privately owned lands in the region, including:

• protecting and actively managing conservation and regeneration of existing endangered ecological communities in the Murrumbidgee
• improved management to ensure long-term protection of identified endangered ecological communities and reduce threats to those communities
• protecting and actively managing conservation of wetlands and aquatic habitat in the project area
• implementing current best practices for sustainable grazing to improve groundcover and natural temperate grassland habitat
• partnering with, and increasing the capacity of, land managers and other stakeholders in the project area to:
  • actively manage natural resources for conservation
  • protect areas of Aboriginal cultural heritage significance
  • get involved in innovative market-based conservation projects.

The Murrumbidgee CMA received more than 30 expressions of interest from land managers in the project area. After initial site assessment and consultation with their local Murrumbidgee CMA case officer, a total of 16 full applications were made. Following assessment by an expert panel, in association with a computer-aided assessment model, applicants from 10 properties were successful in obtaining incentive funding through the Murrumbidgee EcoTender II project.

Program achievements:

• Two land managers entered into Property Vegetation Plans in perpetuity.
• More than 1000 hectares (ha) of endangered ecological communities were protected through biodiversity stewardship.
• More than 600 ha of Weeds of National Significance (including serrated tussock and blackberry) will be controlled.
• Rabbit populations that threaten endangered ecological communities will be managed on approximately 620 ha of land to enable regeneration of native plants.
• More than 350 ha of wetlands and riparian areas will be managed for conservation outcomes for at least 10 years through negotiated property vegetation plans.
• Water quality will be improved through better management of 23 km of riverbank along the Murrumbidgee River and its tributaries.
• 19 land managers across 10 properties successfully obtained funding, with many more participating in the process and learning valuable knowledge and skills in the management of endangered ecological communities.

Evaluation

The successful EcoTender II program saw land managers enter into property vegetation plan agreements with the Murrumbidgee CMA for either 10 or 15 years and in perpetuity. This demonstrates how Murrumbidgee CMA achieved the public goal of biodiversity conservation by internalising the social benefit into private benefit.

Land managers are required to undertake Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting and Improvement plans (MERI plans) as a part of the property vegetation plan management actions for the duration of the agreement. This includes updating a land manager log annually and keeping relevant documentation relating to the project in a land manager project file provided as part of the negotiation process.

During the site assessment stage, Murrumbidgee CMA staff recorded biometric data that was used in the ranking process and will enable follow up future biometric assessment.

The project plan to deliver the Murrumbidgee EcoTender II project was developed by the Murrumbidgee CMA. This includes a MERI plan implemented through the course of the project. A staff debriefing identified lessons learnt and provided feedback on the positive aspects of the project and opportunities for improvement.

Find out more by visiting Murrumbidgee EcoTender II.

Sources:

Murrumbidgee EcoTender II, Murrumbidgee CMA
www.murrumbidgee.cma.nsw.gov.au/services/biodiversity/murrumbidgeeecotender_2.aspx

Class Ruling, Income tax: treatment of payments received under the Murrumbidgee Catchment Management Authority Lower Murrumbidgee EcoTender program, Australian Taxation Office.
http://law.ato.gov.au/atolaw/view.htm?locid=clr/cr20101/nat/ato

Protecting endangered ecological communities in the Murrumbidgee Catchment

The Murrumbidgee EcoTender II project assists land managers to set up an environmental conservation enterprise on their property through an environmental tender process. Since 2009 the program has assisted land managers to boost their income while enhancing the biodiversity values of their properties. This is an example of a market-based competitive tender program that has identified the importance of achieving the public goal of biodiversity conservation through working with private land managers.

Similar to other competitive conservation tender programs, the Murrumbidgee EcoTender II program runs in a competitive market environment where biodiversity values are the market commodity, the Murrumbidgee Catchment Management Authority (Murrumbidgee CMA) the buyer, and regional land managers are the sellers.

The need to act

Altered through land use change and invasion of plant and animal pest species, the following native vegetation communities have been identified by the Murrumbidgee CMA as priorities for improved management and conservation. They include legislative listings from the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 and the NSW Fisheries Management Act 1994:

• Buloke Woodlands of Riverina and Murray-Darling Depression bioregions
• Inland Grey Box Woodland
• Montane Peatlands and Swamps/Alpine Sphagnum Bogs and Associated Fens
• Myall Woodlands in the Cobar Peneplain, Murray-Darling Depression, Riverina and NSW South Western Slopes bioregions/Weeping Myall Woodlands
• Natural Temperate Grassland of the Southern Tablelands
• Riparian and wetland areas of the aquatic ecological community in the Natural Drainage System of the Lower Murray River catchment
• Upland Wetlands of the Monaro Plateau (South Eastern Highlands bioregion)
• White Box Yellow Box Blakely’s Red Gum Woodland.

The Murrumbidgee CMA offered land managers in the Murrumbidgee EcoTender II project area funding for up to 15 years for the opportunity to conserve and enhance threatened and endangered native vegetation communities on their properties.

How the Murrumbidgee EcoTender II program works

Similar to other conservation tender programs, interested and eligible land managers submit conservation bids to the Murrumbidgee CMA. Bid prices are based on the significance of the ecological community on a property and the proposed management activities to enhance and protect the biodiversity values. The Murrumbidgee Eco Tender II program allows land managers to determine the value of protecting and managing the ecological values of their property, reflecting the market nature of the conservation tender program.

Individual bids are evaluated and scored based on ecological significance, proposed land management activities and the duration of the conservation contract. An Ecosystem Benefit Index is the metric used to score bids based on the cost-per-unit benefit of the bid and the true value for money of each bid. This outlines the competitive and cost-effective nature of the tender program compared to fixed grant schemes.



Map 1. Murrumbidgee EcoTender II project area

Outcomes

Through the EcoTender II project, the Murrumbidgee CMA has achieved multiple biodiversity benefits in privately owned lands in the region, including:

• protecting and actively managing conservation and regeneration of existing endangered ecological communities in the Murrumbidgee
• improved management to ensure long-term protection of identified endangered ecological communities and reduce threats to those communities
• protecting and actively managing conservation of wetlands and aquatic habitat in the project area
• implementing current best practices for sustainable grazing to improve groundcover and natural temperate grassland habitat
• partnering with, and increasing the capacity of, land managers and other stakeholders in the project area to:
  • actively manage natural resources for conservation
  • protect areas of Aboriginal cultural heritage significance
  • get involved in innovative market-based conservation projects.

The Murrumbidgee CMA received more than 30 expressions of interest from land managers in the project area. After initial site assessment and consultation with their local Murrumbidgee CMA case officer, a total of 16 full applications were made. Following assessment by an expert panel, in association with a computer-aided assessment model, applicants from 10 properties were successful in obtaining incentive funding through the Murrumbidgee EcoTender II project.

Program achievements:

• Two land managers entered into Property Vegetation Plans in perpetuity.
• More than 1000 hectares (ha) of endangered ecological communities were protected through biodiversity stewardship.
• More than 600 ha of Weeds of National Significance (including serrated tussock and blackberry) will be controlled.
• Rabbit populations that threaten endangered ecological communities will be managed on approximately 620 ha of land to enable regeneration of native plants.
• More than 350 ha of wetlands and riparian areas will be managed for conservation outcomes for at least 10 years through negotiated property vegetation plans.
• Water quality will be improved through better management of 23 km of riverbank along the Murrumbidgee River and its tributaries.
• 19 land managers across 10 properties successfully obtained funding, with many more participating in the process and learning valuable knowledge and skills in the management of endangered ecological communities.

Evaluation

The successful EcoTender II program saw land managers enter into property vegetation plan agreements with the Murrumbidgee CMA for either 10 or 15 years and in perpetuity. This demonstrates how Murrumbidgee CMA achieved the public goal of biodiversity conservation by internalising the social benefit into private benefit.

Land managers are required to undertake Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting and Improvement plans (MERI plans) as a part of the property vegetation plan management actions for the duration of the agreement. This includes updating a land manager log annually and keeping relevant documentation relating to the project in a land manager project file provided as part of the negotiation process.

During the site assessment stage, Murrumbidgee CMA staff recorded biometric data that was used in the ranking process and will enable follow up future biometric assessment.

The project plan to deliver the Murrumbidgee EcoTender II project was developed by the Murrumbidgee CMA. This includes a MERI plan implemented through the course of the project. A staff debriefing identified lessons learnt and provided feedback on the positive aspects of the project and opportunities for improvement.

Find out more by visiting Murrumbidgee EcoTender II.

Sources:

Murrumbidgee EcoTender II, Murrumbidgee CMA
www.murrumbidgee.cma.nsw.gov.au/services/biodiversity/murrumbidgeeecotender_2.aspx

Class Ruling, Income tax: treatment of payments received under the Murrumbidgee Catchment Management Authority Lower Murrumbidgee EcoTender program, Australian Taxation Office.
http://law.ato.gov.au/atolaw/view.htm?locid=clr/cr20101/nat/ato