The Rural Landholder Initiative offers annual grants to assist rural landholders with materials and labour for on-ground projects to protect and enhance areas such as koala habitat, riverbanks and remnant vegetation.
Eligibility criteria includes land ownership within the Lismore LGA, no past due rate payments to Lismore City Council, and a cash or in-kind contribution to the project. Successful applicants must also agree to maintain the project site beyond the funding period.
The Farm Health Assessment Tool is a self-assessment tool for land management practices and suggested pathways for improvement.
Council also offers four booklets on land management issues for major industries and a range of property planning examples and templates.
Book 1: Healthy landscapes and waterways(PDF, 3MB)
Book 2: Beef grazing and dairying(PDF, 2MB)
Book 3: Macadamias and other orchards(PDF, 2MB)
Book 4: Floodplain cropping(PDF, 2MB)
Field days and grant funding opportunities are also available for landholders to improve their land management practices and protect the natural environment.
Lismore City Council offers free field days for rural landholders that focus on practical land management techniques, such as managing environmental weeds, restoring waterways, and protecting threatened species habitats.
The field days provide an opportunity for landholders to network, share experiences and learn from land management leaders.
Below is a series of short videos from some of our previous field days highlighting a range of interesting topics:
Video: Georgica Field Day – Rural Lifestyle and Biodiversity
Video: Whian Whian Field Day – Mixed Orchards and Biodiversity
Video: Coraki Field Day – Floodplain Cropping and Biodiversity
Video: Boatharbour Field Day – Grazing and Biodiversity in our Water Catchments
High Conservation Value (HCV) is an area of land that supports important species, populations, habitats, or communities.
The Biodiversity Management Strategy identifies criteria for determining HCV areas, such as land containing threatened species or populations, key habitats for threatened fauna and flora, endangered ecological communities, priority vertebrate assemblages, koala habitat, rainforest, old growth forest, native riparian vegetation, wetland and estuarine vegetation, and very high priority wildlife corridors.
Council's Environmental Officers can provide more details and the HCV areas can be viewed on Council's online mapping tool.
The floodplains of the Richmond River are a priority for protection and enhancement through weed management, revegetation, erosion control, and habitat improvement.
Landholders are encouraged to retain, rehabilitate, and conserve existing native floodplain vegetation on riverbanks and wetlands.
Funding for fencing for stock exclusion and off-stream watering in sensitive riparian areas and wetlands on the floodplain may be eligible for up to $10,000 over two years.
Map - Lismore Floodplain Landscapes(PDF, 1MB)