Midlands Native Grasslands Receive $75k Landcare Grant

Landcare Australia has announced the recipients of its inaugural Biodiversity in Action Grants, with a project in Tasmania securing a grant of up to $75,000 over three years.

The funding will be used to protect critically endangered native grasslands in the state’s Midlands region, which is home to some of the most threatened ecosystems in the world – temperate grasslands and grassy woodlands

The Tasmanian project is one of eleven successful initiatives chosen from over 60 applications nationwide. These grants, part of a national program led by Landcare Agriculture, are designed to help Australian producers understand, measure and manage on-farm biodiversity.

The Landcare Australia Biodiversity in Action Grant is funded from the Australian Government through the Natural Heritage Trust with nearly $1million being distributed across Australia for 11 projects.

Dr Shane Norrish, CEO of Landcare Australia, highlighted the importance of these grants, stating they will “strengthen producer capacity” by connecting landcare groups with scientists and experts. The data collected from these projects will provide producers with the confidence to adopt practices that offer both environmental and economic benefits. .

The Tasmanian project will focus on on-ground activities and trials to improve farm biodiversity management, specifically targeting the unique and threatened Midlands native grasslands.

This initiative reflects a growing demand for practical, research-backed methods to integrate biodiversity into agricultural land management. The Tasmanian project will contribute valuable findings to this national effort, showcasing how targeted conservation can be successfully integrated into farming practices.

John and Isabelle Atkinson at Maitland with Matt Appleby, Bush Heritage Australia Ecologist.

John and Isabelle Atkinson are farmers in the Midlands. Their farm is located in a nationally recognised biodiversity hotspot, and roughly two-thirds of their land is comprised of native vegetation. They actively manage their property for conservation, believing that sustainability is a key part of their successful commercial business. The property was previously managed by John’s parents who initiated early conservation efforts, a strategy John and Isabelle have continued. Their conservation efforts include controlling environmental weeds like Gorse and carefully grazing their land to allow for a recovery period.

They have a stewardship agreement with the Midlands Conservation Fund, which is run by Tasmanian Land Conservancy and Bush Heritage Australia. They believe that native vegetation needs to be actively managed rather than simply locked up to prevent issues like weed invasion.

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