1. pets
2. aquariums

Reef Rescue
2013–14
Applicant guidelines and how to apply
Caring for our Country Reef Rescue 2013–14
Applicant guidelines and how to apply
For further information, please visit the Caring for our Country website at
www.nrm.gov.au or call the Caring for our Country information line on 1800 552 008.
Cover photos (L–R): Agriculture of Northern Queensland (Andy Heaney), Bananas, Far North Queensland (Andy Heaney),
Marine area of Northern Queensland (Andy Heaney), Marine area of Northern Queensland (Andy Heaney).
Internal header: Marine area of Northern Queensland (Andy Heaney)
ii Reef Rescue 2013–18—Applicant guidelines and how to apply
CONTENTS
Read this important information
Before you start your application
iv
v
PART 1—Introduction...................................................................................................................... 1
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
1.5
Caring for our Country
Sustainable Environment stream
Sustainable Agriculture stream
The Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area
Reef Rescue
1
2
2
3
4
PART 2—Priorities for investment .................................................................................................. 6
2.1 Water Quality Grants and Partnerships (2013–18)
2.2 Systems Repair and Urban Grants (2013–18)
6
8
PART 3—Budget and timeframes ................................................................................................. 11
3.1 What funding is available?
3.2 What are the key dates?
11
13
PART 4—Eligibility criteria and what we will not fund .................................................................. 14
4.1 Eligibility of applicant
4.2 Eligibility of proposed project
4.3 What will not be funded
14
14
15
PART 5—Application and assessment processes ........................................................................... 17
5.1 Preparation of applications
5.2 Application process
5.3 How will applications be assessed?
17
17
17
PART 6—Assessment Criteria ........................................................................................................ 19
PART 7—Preparing your application.............................................................................................. 21
PART 8—Funding agreement requirements .................................................................................. 22
8.1
8.2
8.3
8.4
Grant conditions
Funding agreement
Monitoring and reporting
Project acquittal
22
22
23
24
PART 9—Rights and Responsibilities ............................................................................................ 25
9.1 Applicants
9.2 The Australian Government’s rights
9.3 Confidentiality and privacy 25
26
26
PART 10—Enquiries, feedback and complaints ............................................................................. 28
PART 11—Key information sources ............................................................................................... 29
iii
Read this important information
ü These Reef Rescue Guidelines are intended to
provide applicants with information to apply
for funding under the Reef Rescue program of
the Australian Government’s Caring for our
County initiative.
ü Applicants must complete all relevant
sections of the application form available at
www.nrm.gov.au.
ü Use of the online application form is preferred.
ü Applicants must submit a new application form
for each proposed project.
iv Reef Rescue 2013–18—Applicant guidelines and how to apply
×
×
The Australian Government may, at any time,
exclude an incomplete application form from
the assessment process.
Applications will not be assessed if they:
– are submitted after the closing time and
date; or
– do not meet the eligibility criteria outlined
in these guidelines.
Before you start
your application
• Make sure you provide the information we
need to establish the full merit of your project.
Here are some things to consider that may help
you prepare your application:
• • • • • • • • • Eligibility criteria and assessment criteria for
this round of funding differ from previous Reef
Rescue funding rounds.
The geographic focus of Reef Rescue
investment will continue to be the catchments
of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area
as represented by the six natural resource
management regions: Cape York, Wet Tropics,
Burdekin Dry Tropics, Mackay Whitsunday
Isaacs, Fitzroy and Burnett Mary. If you are
uncertain whether your project proposal
is within this area, you should contact the
Caring for our Country information line
on 1800 552 008.
• Items not budgeted for in your application will
not be funded. Applicants should consider all
aspects of their project and ensure they include
all relevant costs within their application.
Consider obtaining quotes to assist in your
budget preparation.
Consider whether partnerships and/or
collaborative arrangements could help achieve
your project goals.
Where relevant, seek advice from:
– the Caring for our Country website:
www.nrm.gov.au
– the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries
and Forestry can provide advice about
national weeds and pests strategies:
weedsandpests@daff.gov.au
– your local Australian Government
natural resource management officer: www.nrm.gov.au/contact/officers.html
Applicants can apply for Water Quality
Grants and Partnerships (see Part 2.1 of these
Guidelines) and Systems Repair and Urban
Grants (see Part 2.2 of these Guidelines). You
must submit a new application form for each
proposed project.
Your application must address the assessment
criteria set out in Part 6 of these Guidelines.
Consider how your project could be
strengthened by incorporating relevant
planning documents that support the
Australian Government’s broader
environmental and conservation objectives,
such as, threat abatement and recovery plans
established under the Environment Protection
and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth)
(EPBC Act).
– the Caring for our Country information line
on 1800 552 008
After reading these guidelines, consider what
you want your project to achieve, your project’s
scope, scale and value for public money.
Ensure that you and your application meet the
eligibility criteria in Part 4 of these guidelines.
Ensure that all elements of your project are
eligible for funding.
Where appropriate, identify how your
project links with other relevant Australian
Government policies and programs.
– relevant experts
– relevant authorities to ensure that your
proposed project is consistent with
planning, environmental guidelines
and regulations (this includes your
regional natural resource management
organisation/s and/or other conservation
planning organisations)
• • – local Indigenous community groups
and/or organisations.
Successful applicants who wish to receive
funding must enter into a funding agreement
with the Australian Government as outlined
in Part 8. Standard terms and conditions
for funding agreements will be available at
www.nrm.gov.au. Applicants should seek
appropriate advice to ensure that they
understand the agreement.
Funding may be subject to taxation, such
as GST. To discuss business tax issues you
can contact the Australian Taxation Office on 13 28 69.
v
vi Reef Rescue 2013–18—Applicant guidelines and how to apply
PART 1—Introduction
1.1 Caring for our Country
Caring for our Country is an ongoing Australian
Government initiative that seeks to achieve an
environment that is healthier, better protected,
well managed, resilient and provides essential
ecosystem services in a changing climate.
The Australian Government will invest over
$2 billion in the second phase of Caring for
our Country 2013–18 which will support
land managers, community groups including
Indigenous groups, industry and local
environment groups.
This builds on the first phase of Caring for our Country 2008–2013, in which the Australian
Government invested over $2 billion in projects to
protect and build resilience in our environment.
Under phase two, the initiative will be focused
under two streams—a Sustainable Environment
stream and a Sustainable Agriculture stream.
Caring for our Country
Sustainable Environment stream
• Maintenanceofecosystem
services,includingecological
andculturalvalues,nowandinto
thefuture
• Protectionofour
conservationestate
• EnhancedcapacityofIndigenous
communitiestoconserveand
protectnaturalresources.
Sustainable Agriculture stream
• Sustainableproductionoffood
• InnovationinAustralian
agricultureandfisheriespractices
• Reducedimpactofweedsand
pestsonagriculture
• Improvedmanagementof
agricultureandfisheriesandthe
naturalresourcebase
• Skilledandcapable
Landcarecommunity.
1
1.2 Sustainable
Environment stream
One Land—Many Stories: Prospectus of Investment
(the Prospectus) presents the Australian
Government’s framework for its investment in
biodiversity conservation and natural resource
management through the Caring for our Country
Sustainable Environment stream and the Land
Sector Package. The Prospectus outlines how
these initiatives will deliver environmental,
social and economic benefits. It highlights the common goals of the suite of programs within
these initiatives as well as the differences in their
approaches and priorities.
biodiversity and natural resources is central
to achieving the objective of maintaining these
services. Support will be provided to mitigate the
impacts of land use on our waterways and coastal
habitats by restoring the health and resilience
of ecosystems.
Reef Rescue will contribute to the following
Caring for our Country five year outcomes:
• – identify and address key threatening
processes at a range of scales
– enhance the condition, connectivity and
resilience of habitats and landscapes
by protecting or restoring ecosystem
functions, including nutrient, water and
energy flows
The Prospectus can be downloaded from
www.environment.gov.au/prospectus.
Reef Rescue will support activities that contribute
to the strategic objectives and five year outcomes of the Sustainable Environment stream of Caring
for our Country:
‘Maintenance of ecosystem services, including
the ecological and cultural values, now and
into the future.’
The protection of the Great Barrier Reef World
Heritage Area is a key investment under this
strategic objective. The State of the Environment
Report 2011 (State of the Environment Committee,
2011) identifies that climate change and ocean acidification and their interaction with other pressures is increasingly threatening Australia’s
tropical coral reefs, including the Great
Barrier Reef.
The health and resilience of the Great Barrier Reef
World Heritage Area will be improved, including
through continued focus on whole-of-ecosystem
and integrated approaches such as those
previously funded in the first phase of Reef Rescue. A wide range of ecosystem services, such as the
maintenance of water quality and flows, benefit our whole community. Wise stewardship of
2 Reef Rescue 2013–18—Applicant guidelines and how to apply
better protect and conserve nationally and
internationally significant ecosystems, species, ecological communities and landscapes,
through actions that:
– incorporate Indigenous ecological
knowledge into planning and on
ground outcomes
• – reflect a whole of landscape approach to biodiversity conservation.
build community capacity and connection with
the environment, including through activities
that re-establish urban bushland, areas of
Indigenous significance and the health of urban waterways.
1.3 Sustainable
Agriculture stream
The Sustainable Agriculture stream will
support the uptake of more sustainable
farm and fisheries practices and enhance the capacity of land managers for improved
natural resource management (Strategic
Directions 2013). This support will be available
across all forms of production, including cropping,
grazing, horticulture, agroforestry, fisheries and aquaculture.
The strategic objectives of the Sustainable
Agriculture stream of Caring for our Country over
the next five years are to:
• promote sustainable production of food
• take a strategic approach to reducing the
impact of weeds and pests on agriculture
• • • improve management of agriculture and
fisheries on the natural resource base
foster a skilled and capable
Landcare community.
As one of these investments, Reef Rescue
will support activities that contribute to the
strategic objectives and five-year outcomes of the Sustainable Agriculture stream of Caring for
our Country:
‘Improved management of agriculture and
fisheries and the natural resource base.’
Reef Rescue is a highly successful and valued
component of Caring for our Country. It is an
excellent example of a partnership between
industry groups and regional natural resource
management organisations. Key to its success is
its collaborative design and delivery. Reef Rescue
will continue to be funded in the second phase of
Caring for our Country to:
• • • promote innovation in Australian agriculture
and fisheries practices
The Australian Government will invest in
strategic activities to create partnerships that
leverage co-investment and deliver extensive and
significant outcomes that support the sustainable management of Australia’s natural resources
while also encouraging innovation.
• Reef Rescue related five year outcomes:
facilitate increased adoption of land
management practices that reduce run-off
of nutrients, pesticides and sediments from
agricultural land
increase farm profitability
improve the health of the Great Barrier
Reef lagoon.
• Increase the percentage and area of farming
entities that have adopted sustainable
land management practices to build farm
productivity and improve the quality of
ecosystem services delivered to the broader
community from their land, whilst building
their resilience to climate change.
Increase the percentage of farming and fishing entities and land managers that improve their
knowledge and skills in managing our natural
resources to deliver ecosystem services.
1.4 The Great Barrier Reef
World Heritage Area
The Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef
ecosystem on earth. At 348 000 square kilometres,
the Great Barrier Reef is one of the richest and
most diverse natural ecosystems on Earth. The
Great Barrier Reef attracts more than 1.6 million
visitors each year, contributes more than $5 billion
to the Australian economy, and generates about
63 000 jobs. The unique qualities of this property
were recognised in 1981 when it was inscribed on
the World Heritage List.
Climate change is a significant threat to the Great Barrier Reef. Increasing sea water temperature,
sea level rise, ocean acidification and other effects of climate change are already impacting on the
Great Barrier Reef. The poor quality of water
running into the Great Barrier Reef from adjacent
catchments is also a major threat to the ecosystem.
Significant amounts of nutrients, sediments and pesticides are entering the Great Barrier Reef,
primarily from broadscale agricultural land use.
This is affecting the health of the Great Barrier
Reef, particularly inshore coral reef habitats,
which is in turn decreasing the ability of the
ecosystem to withstand and recover from other
unrelated impacts, such as coral bleaching events
and increased storm intensity associated with
climate change. These significant direct and indirect impacts make improving catchment water
quality a high priority.
3
At its 36th meeting in June 2012, the World
Heritage Committee considered the state of
conservation of the Great Barrier Reef World
Heritage Area and noted a report from a
monitoring mission that visited Australia earlier
that year. The report recognised that Australia’s
management of the Great Barrier Reef World
Heritage Area is in many respects international
best practice. The Committee handed down
a decision on Australia’s management of the
Great Barrier Reef with recommendations to
further manage and protect the reef, including
to continue the Australian Government’s Reef
Rescue program, undertake a comprehensive
strategic assessment of the World Heritage Area
and, develop a long-term plan for sustainable
development that will protect the outstanding
universal value of the property.
1.5 Reef Rescue
In the first phase of the Caring for our Country Reef Rescue program, the Australian Government
committed $200 million over five years (2008–09 to 2012–13) to improve the quality
of water entering the Great Barrier Reef lagoon.
Reef Rescue is the single largest commitment ever
made to address the threats of declining water
quality and climate change to the Great Barrier
Reef World Heritage Area.
The Reef Water Quality Protection Plan (Reef
Plan) is a joint agreement between the Australian
and Queensland governments to halt and reverse
the decline in water quality entering the Great
Barrier Reef from agricultural landholdings in
the catchment. The Australian Government is
committed to addressing water quality impacts
on the Great Barrier Reef and is working with
the Queensland Government on reviewing and
updating the Reef Plan. The Reef Rescue program
is the Australian Government’s contribution to
delivering on the Reef Plan.
4 Reef Rescue 2013–18—Applicant guidelines and how to apply
Through the Water Quality Grants and
Partnerships of the first phase of Reef Rescue, over 2000 farmers from the sugarcane, horticulture
and grain agriculture sectors have adopted
land management practices that will improve
the quality of water reaching the reef lagoon.
Additionally, over 900 pastoralists managing over
1.4 million hectares have implemented improved
grazing management practices that have increased
groundcover and reduced the amount of sediment
reaching the Great Barrier Reef.
The second phase of Reef Rescue (2013–18) builds
on the success of the first phase of the program. It will continue to support activities to improve the
quality of water entering the Great Barrier Reef
by helping agricultural land managers across the
reef catchment adopt improved land management
practices that will reduce the discharge of
nutrients, sediments and pesticides into the reef
lagoon. The next phase of Reef Rescue will support
a broad range of managers and researchers across
the Great Barrier Reef catchment, including in
urban areas, to address the threats of declining
water quality and climate change to the reef.
Reef Rescue (2013–18) will focus on six integrated
components; the first two of which are covered by these guidelines:
1. Water Quality Grants and Partnerships to
increase the voluntary uptake of improved land
management practices by landholders that will
reduce the discharge of nutrients, sediments
and chemicals into the Great Barrier Reef.
2. Systems Repair and Urban Grants. The
Biodiversity Fund will support Reef Rescue by
investing $40 million over the next five years to increase the Great Barrier Reef’s resilience
to climate change. Funding will be available for
wetland, riparian and mangrove protection,
and restoration projects. A further $10 million
of Caring for our Country funding will support
planning and on-ground projects to improve
the quality of water entering the Great Barrier
Reef from highly developed areas of the
reef catchment.
3. Water Quality Monitoring and Reporting
and Research and Development (R&D). The
water quality monitoring and reporting aims
to track the progress of investment against the
broader program objectives while monitoring
the health of the Great Barrier Reef. The R&D
will continue to improve the understanding of
the link between agricultural and industrial
impacts and health of the Great Barrier Reef.
This will supplement the research being
undertaken through the Great Barrier Reef
Foundation and National Environmental
Research Program.
4. Crown of Thorns Starfish (COTS) Control
which aims to decrease the impact of COTS by
supporting tourism operators to continue to
defend high value tourism sites. The program
will also fund research on new control methods.
Implementation arrangements for the Water
Quality Monitoring and Reporting and R&D, COTS
control, Land and Sea Country Partnerships and
the GBRMPA components will be considered
separately by the Australian Government.
The Sustainable Environment stream will
contribute to all six components of the Reef
Rescue program. The Sustainable Agriculture
stream will contribute to the overall outcomes but
primarily through the Water Quality Grants and
Partnerships and the Water Quality Monitoring
and Reporting and R&D components of the Reef
Rescue program.
5. Land and Sea Country Partnerships which
will continue to strengthen communications
between local communities, Great Barrier Reef
managers and stakeholders and build a better
understanding of Traditional Owner use of the
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.
6. Critical operational support for the Great
Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
(GBRMPA) as the cornerstone institution
for community, business, monitoring and
government management of the Great Barrier
Reef. This operational support will allow
GBRMPA to enhance the conservation of the
Great Barrier Reef, and maintain and develop
their reef management systems and reef
resilience programs.
5
PART 2—Priorities for investment
The geographic focus of Reef Rescue will continue to be the Great Barrier Reef catchments
as represented by the six natural resource management regions: Cape York, Wet Tropics,
Burdekin, Mackay Whitsunday Isaacs, Fitzroy and Burnett Mary.
2.1 Water Quality Grants and
Partnerships (2013–18)
The Australian Government has worked in
collaboration with the Queensland Government
and other stakeholders to identify the priority
locations and activities considered most likely
to deliver the largest and most cost effective
reductions in sediments, nutrients and pesticides
entering the Great Barrier Reef over the next five years. The $98 million Reef Rescue Water Quality
Grants and Partnerships will be divided into
two components:
2.2.1 Water Quality Grants
The Australian Government invites applications
in 2013–14 from organisations for the first three years of funding through the Water Quality Grants
component to deliver an integrated regional based
program for the second phase of Reef Rescue
that includes planning and training, ‘recipient
run’ grants and extension for landholders that
participate in relevant planning and training.
A further funding round will be run for the
last two years of funding for the Water Quality
Grants component.
The Water Quality Grants component will provide
funds to agricultural land managers through
a ‘recipient run’ grants process to implement
improved land management practices to reduce
the sediments, nutrients and pesticides leaving
their farms and impacting on Great Barrier Reef
water quality. Funding for on-ground works
would only be available to landholders who have
participated in relevant planning and training.
6 Reef Rescue 2013–18—Applicant guidelines and how to apply
Participating landholders may need to receive
a high degree of one-on-one industry technical
expert support to develop prioritised risk
assessments regarding their land management
practices in order to be eligible for Water Quality
Grants funding.
Applicants for this component will need to
demonstrate their capacity to deliver a targeted
‘recipient run’ grant program to land managers for
on-ground activities within one of the geographic
areas for investment. Applicants must also show
a high level of capacity for program reporting and
project management. The Australian Government
will favour proposals that use collaborative
partnerships to cost effectively achieve enhanced
delivery of outcomes (refer to the assessment
criteria set out in Part 6).
Applicants seeking funding for activities under the
Water Quality Grants component must directly
support agricultural land managers in the Great
Barrier Reef catchment to adopt land management
practices which will improve the quality of water
leaving their properties and entering the reef
lagoon. These may include but are not limited to:
• • development and/or implementation of
property plans or farm management systems
practices that reduce sediment loss from
agricultural land, including reduced tillage,
retention of crop residues, minimisation of
the effects of machinery through controlled
traffic farming, maintaining good levels of ground cover between permanent planting and
managing pastures to maintain adequate levels
of ground cover
• • • • • • • practices that reduce fertiliser loss and
improve its efficiency on farm land practices that use less pesticide and/or use
pesticides more efficiently and reduce losses to waterways
voluntary land management agreements or
similar instruments to improve and maintain
the condition of grazing land
undertaking strategic fencing activities and
providing off-stream watering points to
improve livestock grazing management and
pasture/stock monitoring
improving the management and water use
efficiency of irrigation water
other actions identified in industry best management practice programs as ‘B’ (best)
class practices
the adoption of innovative approaches to
reduce nutrient sediment and pesticide
loads delivered to streams draining into the
Great Barrier Reef lagoon where they have
quantifiable water quality benefits. Funding through ‘recipient run’ grant programs for
landholder projects focused on adopting
innovative practices will be assessed by
an Australian Government officer prior to approval by the delivery partner. Innovative
activities will need to demonstrate that any
risks associated with the innovation will be
appropriately managed.
The Australian Government investment
prioritisation process is intended to identify
investment priorities at a regional level according
to their relative risk to water quality and the
potential for efficient, economically sound reduction in pollutant run-off. A summary of
the outcomes from this process is available at
www.nrm.gov.au/funding/reef-rescue. Applicants
are advised to consider this information in
preparing their applications. This information will
be used to assess proposals and ensure that the
program is well targeted and achieves the best
outcome for the Great Barrier Reef. The Australian
Government reserves the right to run additional
funding rounds in the event that gaps remain in
the program.
There is no minimum grant for on-ground
activities per landholder through a ‘recipient
run’ grants process. However, proposals allowing
grant funding for individual landholder projects
over $40 000 will require strong justification to the Australian Government by the delivery
partner. Water Quality Grants funding must be
matched by the land manager, at least dollar for
dollar. Matching contributions can be in cash, or
in kind or both. Investments where the matching
contribution is more than the minimum required
may be more competitive on a value for money
basis during the assessment.
Contributions can be from the following or other
appropriate sources:
• • • • • • • • • cash from the community, local or
state government
local industry sponsorship (there must be
strong community support for the project)
group and landholder volunteer time for
project activities
group and landholder equipment and
machinery use
office and specialist computer support essential to the project
salaries of staff involved directly in the project,
where more than 20% of their time is allocated
to the project
administration or legal costs other than those
directly related to the delivery of the project
insurance costs
day-to-day operating costs related to the
delivery of the project.
Labour rates, equipment hire and other in
kind costs will vary depending on the type of
skills provided, equipment used etc. In kind
contributions should be costed at local market
rates and justification provided for these rates. It is the responsibility of the delivery partner/
proponents to ensure that the costs are reasonable
given the requirements of the project.
7
2.1.2 Water Quality Partnerships
Water Quality Partnerships will build on
existing programs and networks to support
the implementation of on-farm actions and
coordination activities funded through the Water
Quality Grants component through:
• • • • • innovative extension services to assist
land managers with the development and
implementation of on-farm sustainability and
water quality programs
on-site risk assessments such as farm
management systems including best
management practices, environmental
management programs or farm productivity
assessment programs that assess existing
land management activities for sustainability
and water quality impact, and propose
changes aimed at water quality improvement,
agricultural productivity and broader
environmental benefits
industry and community wide environmental
management and awareness programs which
are linked to improved water quality in the
Great Barrier Reef catchments
benchmarking of industry-wide land
management practices against the relevant
industry frameworks
whole of program coordination and integration
of key stakeholders and other Reef Rescue
delivery partners.
Applicants for this component will need to
demonstrate their capacity to build and maintain
partnerships with other Reef Rescue delivery
partners and land managers (refer to the
assessment criteria set out in Part 6).
2.2 Systems Repair and
Urban Grants (2013–18)
To date, Reef Rescue has focused on improving
water quality by assisting land managers to
adjust their agricultural practices. While further
improvements in land management practices will
continue to increase the health and resilience of
8 Reef Rescue 2013–18—Applicant guidelines and how to apply
the Great Barrier Reef, over the next five years Reef Rescue will also invest in a range of
complementary, strategic systems repair activities
that improve the quality of water run-off from
agricultural, urban and industrial lands into the
Great Barrier Reef.
This $50 million component will be for system
repair and urban water quality projects that will
help improve the resilience of the Great Barrier
Reef. Funding under this Systems Repair and
Urban Grants component will be available for
planning and/or on-ground projects. Applicants
may include both a water quality planning
component and on-ground systems repair
component in the one project.
Up to $40 million from the Biodiversity Fund will
support Reef Rescue systems repair projects, for
example wetland restoration works and mangrove
repair. While the Biodiversity Fund and the Reef
Rescue programs have distinct objectives, there
are natural synergies between the two in terms
of maintaining ecosystem resilience to climate
change through measures that reduce adverse
impacts upon biodiversity. Both programs
recognise the importance of investing in a more
resilient environment.
A further $10 million will support urban water
projects with a focus on planning in the initial
year of the program. Future funding rounds will
be run to respond to the outcomes of the strategic
assessments of the Great Barrier Reef region
currently being undertaken by the Australian
and Queensland Governments and build on
the planning undertaken through this round
of funding.
Groups that receive funding under the Reef
Rescue program will also be able to apply
separately under other Caring for our Country
and Biodiversity Fund competitive rounds and
vice versa. Applicants should be aware that the
Australian Government will not fund activities
the same as those already being funded through
any other Australian Government programs, state
government or third parties.
2.2.1 Systems repair and urban water quality
planning grants (2013–14)
2.2.2 Systems repair and urban water quality
on-ground grants (2013–14 to 2017–18)
Through the application of the National Water
Quality Management Strategy (NWQMS) the
Australian Government is working in collaboration
with states and territories to develop Water
Quality Improvement Plans (WQIP) to reduce
pollution being released into the Australian marine
environment, including the Great Barrier Reef.
Through these guidelines the on-ground
component will be aimed at funding activities that
improve the quality of water entering the Great
Barrier Reef lagoon from urban and industrial
areas and through improving the condition and
extent of biodiverse native habitats in the Great
Barrier Reef catchments.
In the first year of the second phase of Reef Rescue, investment will be directed towards developing,
updating and integrating WQIPs that help to
improve the water quality entering the Great
Barrier Reef.
Applicants for this component will need to
demonstrate their need and capacity to develop,
revise and update existing WQIPs. Applicants
willing to work in partnerships to achieve
enhanced delivery of outcomes will be looked
upon favourably (refer to the assessment criteria
set out in Part 6).
Objectives of this component include, but are not
limited to:
• identifying the environmental values of water
• development of environmental flow objectives and environmental water provisions
• • • • • • determining water quality objectives and load
targets for pollutants of concern
identifying catchment based management
actions, including control of point and diffuse
sources, market-based instruments and
adaptive management
applying predictive models and ambient
monitoring programs
engaging state, local government, natural
resource management groups
resolving impediments to water quality
planning and management through a
catchment management based approach
identifying the key priority threats to water
quality and environmental flows, and establishing methods to continuously improve
management knowledge and systems.
The Australian Government invites applications
for multi-year funding for projects to be delivered
over a period of up to five years from 2013–14. Projects must be completed by 2017–18.
Applicants for this component will need to
demonstrate their capacity to deliver projects
within the Great Barrier Reef catchments.
Applicants must also show a high level of capacity
for program reporting and project management.
Applicants willing to work in partnerships to
achieve enhanced delivery of outcomes will also be
looked upon favourably.
Proposals should be developed in the context of
long term planning for management of sites or
assets, which addresses the full suite of threats
and challenges to the relevant sites or ecosystems,
across private and public land, including:
• • • Water Quality Improvement Plans
regional natural resource management plans
elements of relevant species recovery or threat
abatement plans.
In 2013–14 the Australian Government will
employ a single-step application process for
systems repair and urban water quality grants.
Projects should have a total grant budget over
$50 000 and up to $2 million (GST exclusive).
Projects proposed on public land will require a
contribution from the public land manager.
Applicants may consider the Great Barrier Reef
Marine Park Authority (GRBMPA) Informing the
Outlook for Great Barrier Reef coastal ecosystems
2012 when developing their application.
9
The Queensland Government Wetlands Program
provides a significant amount of information for the public on the wide variety of wetland systems
and types in the Great Barrier Reef catchments.
Applicants may consider the resources available
at wetlandinfo.derm.qld.gov.au/wetlands/ in
developing their application, and planning,
delivering and monitoring their project.
Proposals for projects that will improve the
condition and extent of biodiverse native habitats
in the Great Barrier Reef catchments must address
the Reef Rescue objective of improving the quality
of water entering the Great Barrier Reef lagoon
and the Biodiversity Fund investment themes.
These projects may be located in regional, urban
or industrial areas within the Great Barrier Reef
catchments. The Biodiversity Fund themes include:
Biodiverse plantings
Improving the extent of native ecosystems builds
more resilient and better functioning landscapes.
Funding under this theme will support projects
that establish and manage mixed native species
plantings to extend the area of land supporting
biodiverse native vegetation.
The Australian Government is interested in
project activities in and around the Great Barrier
Reef catchment that include: establishing and
restoring native wetland and waterway habitats
as aquatic corridors, particularly on riparian
cleared lands or lands predominantly occupied by
non-native vegetation.
Improving the condition of native habitats
supports the transition from degraded to healthy
reef ecosystems, which helps to build resilient and
better-connected landscapes.
The Australian Government is especially
interested in project activities that:
• • integrate native vegetation restoration
projects across wetland and riparian habitats
in connected landscapes
build the capacity of individuals and
organisations to support ongoing ecological
management beyond project completion.
Managing invasive species in a
connected landscape
Funding under this theme will support activities
that control the spread of exotic invasive species
across wetlands, riparian buffers and mangrove
landscapes. Managing these threats to biodiversity
will help protect and enhance habitat condition
and improve Great Barrier Reef water quality.
Preference will be given to managing invasive
species that significantly diminish the ecological value of connected areas or areas proposed to
be connected in and around the Great Barrier
Reef catchment.
The Australian Government is especially
interested in projects that:
• reduce and prevent the spread of exotic
invasive species into new habitats,
including wetland and riparian habitats in
connected landscapes
Species should be selected on the basis that they
are likely to be suitable to the region over the
longer term, taking account of changing climatic
conditions. In doing so, it is also important to avoid
creating potential invasive species problems.
• Funding under this theme will be provided for
activities that protect, manage and strengthen the
condition of existing native habitat in and around
the Great Barrier Reef catchment to secure its
water quality protection and biodiversity benefits. Projects funded under this theme need
to demonstrate that their activities are in
addition to those required by law, or existing
business-as-usual activities.
Protecting and enhancing existing
native vegetation
10 Reef Rescue 2013–18—Applicant guidelines and how to apply
reduce the impact of exotic invasive species
across connected landscapes.
As a fundamental element of environmental
management, actions to control invasive
species should form part of every restoration or
revegetation application, whether or not it is the
core theme of the proposal.
PART 3—Budget and timeframes
3.1 What funding is available?
The Australian Government is providing more
than $2 billion for the second phase of Caring
for our Country. The $200 million, five year Reef Rescue program is one component of Caring for
our Country. Of this $200 million, notional funding
of $148 million has been allocated to Water Quality
Grants and Partnerships and System Repair and
Urban Grants.
Tables 1 and 2 show the notional multi-year
budget and the expected spread of funding for the
Water Quality Grants and Partnerships, and the
Systems Repair and Urban Grants components of
Reef Rescue (2013–14 to 2017–18).
Table 1: Reef Rescue Grants 2013–18 budget
Program Component
Notional Funding
Water Quality Grants
and Partnerships
98
Systems Repair and
Urban Grants
50
Note: Notional budgets are approximate and
described in whole millions.
The Australian Government reserves the right
to adjust the notional funding allocations
between components of the program based on
the quality and variety of project applications
received. Final funding allocations may be
informed by the quality and variety of project
applications received.
Table 2: Reef Rescue Notional Funding 2013–18
Water Quality Grants and
Partnerships
Systems Repair and Urban Grants
2013–14
2014–15
2015–16
2016–17
2017–18
18.5
18.5
24
21
16
7.5
12.5
Note: Notional budgets are approximate and described in millions.
13
8.5
8.5
11
3.1.1 Water Quality Grants and Partnerships
Under these 2013–14 Guidelines up to $61 million
of the $95 million budget will be available for
investment over three years for Water Quality
Grants. Applicants are to apply for funding on
a natural resource management region basis.
Table 3 shows the relative level of funding during
the first phase of Reef Rescue. Table 3: Funding per natural resource
management region under the first phase of
Reef Rescue
Natural Resource
Management Region
2008–09 to
2012–13
Cape York
3.8
Wet Tropics
33.5
Mackay Whitsunday Isaacs
35.9
Burdekin
Fitzroy
Burnett Mary
Note: Funding is described in millions.
32.4
30.6
16
Under these 2013–14 Guidelines, $3 million will
be available for investment in Water Quality
Partnerships over five years. Applicants seeking funding through the Water
Quality Grants and Partnerships component
should consider all aspects of their project when
developing a budget as part of their application.
Applicants should ensure that the budget included
in their application aligns with the proposed
activities. Applicants seeking funding through the
Water Quality Grants and Partnerships component
should contact the department to discuss their
application’s budget.
12 Reef Rescue 2013–18—Applicant guidelines and how to apply
It is possible that project budget profiles may need to be adjusted to better meet the priorities
for investment of Reef Rescue, the Australian
Government’s investment prioritisation process
and in line with the department’s budget
considerations. Applicants will be advised of any
such budget changes before funding agreements
are finalised. The Australian Government may allocate only a
portion of the available funds for the Water Quality
Grants and Partnerships through this funding
round. The Australian Government reserves the
right to run additional funding rounds in the event
that gaps remain in the program.
3.1.2 Systems Repair and Urban Grants
The funding allocations available under these
2013–14 Guidelines from the $50 million allocation
for the Systems Repair and Urban Grants will
be based on the quality and variety of project
applications received. Projects should have a total
grant budget over $50 000 and up to $2 million
(GST exclusive).
Applicants seeking funding through the System
Repair and Urban Grants component should
consider all aspects of their project when
developing a budget as part of their application.
Applicants should ensure that the budget
included in their application aligns with the
proposed activities.
It is possible that project budget profiles may need to be adjusted to better meet the priorities for
investment of Reef Rescue and the Biodiversity
Fund and in line with the department’s budget
considerations. Applicants will be advised of any
such budget changes before funding agreements
are finalised. The Australian Government may allocate
only a portion of the available funds for the
Systems Repair and Urban Grants through this
funding round and advertise opportunities for
future funding rounds. Future funding rounds
will respond to the outcomes of the strategic
assessments of the Great Barrier Reef region
currently being undertaken by the Australian
and Queensland Governments and build on the
planning funded through this round of funding.
3.1.3 General Budget Guidance
Applications must include a project budget.
Applicants should consider all aspects of their
project and ensure their applications include all
relevant costs, as items not budgeted for in the
original application will not be funded.
Applications should also note that additional
funds will not be available to meet costs that have
increased after the application is submitted.
It is anticipated that first year payments will be made early in the 2013–14 financial year. Please note that project years are financial years.
Applicants should consider this when preparing
their project budgets.
3.2 What are the key dates?
3.2.1 Water Quality Grants and Partnerships
Table 4: Water Quality Grants and
Partnerships application dates
Opening Date
Closing Date
24 April 2013
2pm AEST
22 May 2013
3.2.2 Systems Repair and Urban Grants
Table 5: Systems Repair and Urban Grants
application dates
Opening Date
Closing Date
24 April 2013
2pm AEST
29 May 2013
* AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time
13
PART 4—Eligibility criteria and what we
will not fund
Applicants should consider the eligibility criteria in this part of these Guidelines and the
assessment criteria (Part 6) before applying. Please note the eligibility criteria and assessment
criteria differ to the criteria used in the first phase of Reef Rescue.
4.1 Eligibility of applicant
Applicants for all components of Reef Rescue must
be a legal entity. A legal entity capable of entering
into a funding agreement with the Commonwealth
must be one of the following:
• an individual
• a Corporations Act corporation
• • • • • an incorporated entity (incorporated
association or incorporated joint venture)
a partnership
a trustee of a trust
an Aboriginal or Torres Strait
Islander corporation, council or
incorporated association
a government related entity (excluding
Commonwealth agencies subject to the
Financial Management and Accountability
Act 1997 (FMA Act)).
Applicants must have, or be able to obtain before
the agreed date of commencement (and provide a
declaration to this effect):
• • written consent of any organisation or
individual the applicant partners with or
represents on the project, including relevant
Traditional Owners
all necessary planning, regulatory or other
approvals, to ensure all project activities are
completed within the designated timeframe
14 Reef Rescue 2013–18—Applicant guidelines and how to apply
• • no overdue reports or acquittals from previous
Australian Government funded projects, except
where alternative timeframes have been
agreed by the Australian Government
an assurance from each organisation or
individual the applicant will partner with or
represents on the project that they have no
overdue reports or acquittals from previous
Australian Government funded projects.
4.2 Eligibility of
proposed project
• • • The proposed activities must be undertaken
over a period of one to five years and be able to be completed by 30 June 2018.
All proposed on-ground activities must
address the Investment Priorities (see Part 2 of
these guidelines).
All proposed on-ground activities must be
within the Great Barrier Reef catchments
as represented by the six natural resource
management regions: Cape York, Wet Tropics,
Burdekin Dry Tropics, Mackay Whitsunday
Isaacs, Fitzroy and Burnett Mary. A mapping
tool is available in the online application form.
Applicants will be asked to demonstrate that
the on-ground works for which funding is
being sought are within the Great Barrier
Reef catchments.
• • • Applicants should note that up to a maximum
of 5 per cent of the grant amount may be
dedicated to the costs associated with the
monitoring and reporting activities that will be
required by the Australian Government under
the funding agreement.
The cost of project administration should
not exceed 10 per cent of the total grant
amount. Project administration may include
setting up project management, or arranging
for contractors and equipment. Amounts
above this may be considered where there
are extenuating circumstances, for instance
where on-ground works are occurring in
remote locations.
For Systems Repair projects proposed on
public land, a contribution from the public land
owner is required.
• • • • • 4.3 What will not be funded
Reef Rescue will not fund activities which:
• • • • • • do not address one of the priorities for
investment in Part 2 of these Guidelines
are retrospective—activities that have been
undertaken before entering into a funding
agreement with the department
are currently receiving, or have previously
received, funding through other Australian
Government, State or Territory funding
initiatives or programs, or from other
third parties, where those activities are
substantially the same
form part of the business as usual (including
duty of care) practices of land managers
or owners
are required by law or as part of an approval
under Commonwealth, state or territory
legislation, for example, the provision of an
environmental offset under the EPBC Act
are likely to have a significant adverse impact on any matter of national environmental
significance under the EPBC Act
• • • • • are likely to have significant adverse impact on Indigenous cultural heritage
and have not received approval for the
activities through relevant state or territory
legislative requirements
involve the purchase of equipment or materials
that are normally part of a landholder’s
responsibility for the management of their
property, except where there is a direct water
quality benefit
include planting species that are known
to be, or are potential, environmental or
agricultural weeds
are primarily for the purpose of beautifying
or improving amenity (e.g. landscaping picnic
tables, shelters and paving)
predominantly support applied research, tool
building and/or modelling approaches except
where it is demonstrably required to achieve
on-ground outcomes in line with Reef Rescue
priorities and during the life of the project
are part of or for the purposes of political or
ideological advocacy (e.g. protesting against
a development)
are the responsibility or business of state,
territory or local governments or of private
land managers, including activities that are a
legislative and regulatory responsibility (e.g.
managing or controlling certain weeds or
compliance activities). These activities may
be undertaken in conjunction with funded
activities provided the application identifies non-Caring for our Country funding for that
part of the project
provide bounties for the control of
vertebrate pests
principally support business
development activities
are outside of the six natural resource
management regions: Cape York, Wet Tropics,
Burdekin Dry Tropics, Mackay Whitsunday
Isaacs, Fitzroy and Burnett Mary
15
• • focus on the provision or extraction of water or
water use efficiency. However, applicants are encouraged to consider potential opportunities
to develop projects that address land and water
issues through an integrated approach. The
Australian Government’s Water for the Future
program focuses on water use efficiency issues. Further information on Water for the Future
is available at www.environment.gov.au/
water/policy-programs/water-for-the-future/
index.html
any proposal which may involve the purchase
of land or large capital infrastructure should
be discussed with the Australian Government
prior to approval by the delivery partner.
16 Reef Rescue 2013–18—Applicant guidelines and how to apply
PART 5—Application and
assessment processes
5.1 Preparation
of applications
5.3 How will applications
be assessed?
These guidelines invite applications to be
submitted via an online application process.
The guidelines invite applications for any of the
following grants components of Reef Rescue:
Applications for funding will be assessed by
Australian Government staff (which may include
staff from various Commonwealth agencies)
and may also include representatives from the
community. All assessors will be required to:
• • Reef Water Quality Grants and Partnerships
Systems Repair and Urban Grants
• sign conflict of interest declarations and keep them up to date
comply with the Australian Public Service Code
of Conduct.
5.2 Application process
• Applicants for funding through Reef Water Quality
Grants and Partnerships, and Systems Repair
and Urban Grants are encouraged to apply via
application forms available at www.nrm.gov.au.
A list of application opening and closing dates are
listed in Part 3 of these guidelines.
As part of the assessment process, applications
will be screened to confirm whether all of the eligibility criteria in Part 4 have been met. Those
applications that do not meet the eligibility
criteria will be excluded from the remainder of the
evaluation process.
All applications submitted through the Reef
Water Quality Grants and Partnerships, and
Systems Repair and Urban Grants processes will
be assessed against all four assessment criteria
as listed in Part 6 of these guidelines. Applicants
should familiarise themselves with these criteria
before beginning the application process.
Information provided in your application will be
used to assess your proposed project. You are
responsible for the accuracy of all information
submitted. If you knowingly provide inadequate,
false or misleading information, your proposal
may be excluded from the assessment process.
Applicants should ensure their submitted
applications clearly outline the activities intended
to be undertaken, the overarching project budget
and evidence of their organisations capacity to
deliver against the relevant program outcomes.
Assessors will evaluate applications against the
assessment criteria in Part 6 and will moderate
applications against all other applications that have
met eligibility requirements. Applications that best
meet the assessment criteria in Part 6 will have a
greater likelihood of being funded.
A moderation panel comprising executive of
the Department of Sustainability, Environment,
Water, Population and Communities and the
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and
Forestry will then consider the assessed
applications. The Moderation panel may include
17
community representatives and will be chaired
by an independent person before the Ministers
determine which projects will receive funding.
For the Systems repair and urban water quality
on-ground grants, recommendations on successful
projects will also be considered by the Land Sector
Carbon and Biodiversity Board (the Board)—
an independent, permanent advisory board
established under the Climate Change Authority Act
2011 (Cth). The Board will provide advice to the
Australian Government Minister for Sustainability,
Environment, Water, Population and Communities
on the assessment outcomes, before the Minister
determines which projects will receive funding.
For the Reef Water Quality Grants and
Partnerships, the moderation panel will provide
advice to the Australian Government Minister for
Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population
and Communities and the Minister for Agriculture,
Fisheries and Forestry who jointly determine
which projects will receive funding.
The moderation panel and the Board may consider
proposals in the context of:
• • • • effective partnerships and collaboration
in achieving biodiversity outcomes across
the landscape
the extent to which proposals complement and
support projects already funded through the
program and/or other proposals submitted in
the round
the spread of projects across the regions
the spread of projects across activity type
and organisation.
The moderation panel may make recommended
adjustments to proposals where a realignment
of activities or budget would better meet the
objectives of Reef Rescue. The Australian
Government reserves the right to run additional
funding rounds in the event that gaps remain in
the program.
18 Reef Rescue 2013–18—Applicant guidelines and how to apply
Opportunities to refine the scope, scale, funding amount and/or funding profile of high quality projects to better achieve Reef Rescue objectives
may also be identified by through the assessment process. These will be discussed with applicants
once final decisions have been taken for the projects to be funded.
The departments may contact applicants during
the assessment process to seek clarification about their application, especially if the information in
it is ambiguous or if contradictory statements
are made. The departments reserve the right
to accept or disregard additional information
provided by applicants and will not accept
material that improves or amends an applicant’s
original application.
The Australian Government may also seek
alignment with complementary projects in order
to maximise outcomes. This would be discussed
with applicants where relevant.
5.3.1 Selection and notification
The assessment process will be overseen by
an independent probity advisor to ensure the
processes are robust, transparent and equitable.
The Minister for Sustainability, Environment,
Water, Population and Communities and Minister
for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry will make
the final determination on which projects receive funding. In making the final determinations, the Ministers may also choose to seek other sources of
advice to inform their decision.
The Ministers’ decision on the selection of
successful applicants will be final. Applicants may receive feedback on their
application from the department.
All successful and unsuccessful applicants will be
notified in writing of the outcome of assessment.
PART 6—Assessment Criteria
Where an application meets all eligibility criteria described in Part 4 (and any investment
theme-specific eligibility criteria outlined in Part 2) it will then be assessed against the
following assessment criteria, which are not necessarily listed in order of importance.
The department reserves the right to undertake
external assessments or feasibility studies and
use the information provided in applications for
this purpose.
Criterion 2—Capacity of applicant to deliver
The application should demonstrate:
• Criterion 1—Benefits to Priorities
for Investment
The application should demonstrate:
• • • • how the project delivers against Reef Rescue’s
priorities for investment, including the
likelihood of achieving change and outcomes
that benefit the Great Barrier Reef, and in the case of Systems repair and urban water quality
on-ground project applications, how the project
aligns with Biodiversity Fund investment
themes (described in Part 2)
what activities will be undertaken as part of
the project and how these activities contribute
to project outcomes
how relevant programs or environmental,
natural resource management and
conservation plans have been considered in
designing the project
how the project will engage stakeholders and
facilitate the sharing of knowledge to involve
the community.
• • • • • the proposed management steps and how the
applicant will deliver project outcomes on time
and within budget. Project budgets should be
consistent with proposed activities and include
an appropriate contribution in accordance with
Part 2 of these guidelines
the applicant’s history in administering
grants funding or their collaboration with
appropriate partners to deliver the project
outcomes. If an applicant does not have
previous experience in administering grants
funding, they should demonstrate the skills
and knowledge that, through partnerships, will
contribute to achieving results and managing
project obligations
in the case of Water Quality Grant projects,
the applicant’s capacity to deliver targeted
‘recipient run’ grant programs to landholders
for on-ground activities
the applicant’s access to relevant expertise
the governance arrangements of the project,
including the applicant’s capacity for reporting
and project management
the way in which relevant partnerships will
operate both administratively and practically
and the benefit they will provide to the project (note that you will be asked to provide details
of proposed partnerships and these partners
may be contacted by the department)
19
• • the likelihood of the applicant receiving
all necessary approvals, including the
permission of private landholders and
regulatory approvals
a commitment to ongoing management to
maintain benefits following the completion of the project.
Criterion 3—Risk management
The application should demonstrate:
• • that all relevant risks have been considered in
designing the project
that appropriate mitigation strategies have
been developed for the identified risks. Criterion 4—Value for money
The application should demonstrate:
• • • • • that the amount of funding sought for the
proposal is justified and the project contributes to the achievement of the Reef Rescue priorities
for investment (described in Part 2)
the location of the project and a sense of
its scale
that the total project budget represents good
value for money, taking into account the
expected public benefit to be derived from the project
that budget items are reasonable and relevant
to project activities for each project site and
apply only to eligible activities (see Part 2 for
eligible activities)
other contributions to the project, for
example the level of financial and/or in-kind contribution to be provided by the applicant,
partners, third parties or other sources,
20 Reef Rescue 2013–18—Applicant guidelines and how to apply
• • including any potential future revenue earned
through the Carbon Farming Initiative
that no more than 5 per cent of the grant
amount requested will be used for monitoring
and reporting activities required by the
Australian Government
that project administration costs do not
exceed more than 10 per cent of the grant
amount requested, unless justification has been provided for amounts above this in
extenuating circumstances.
Note that project administration costs cannot
be included retrospectively. Costs incurred in
preparing applications will not be funded.
PART 7—Preparing your application
To apply for a Reef Rescue grant under the Sustainable Environment stream of Caring for our
Country, all sections of the application form must be completed and submitted in accordance
with the closing dates for applications (See Part 3.2).
Additional information not requested in the
application form will not be assessed.
Potential applicants are advised to contact a Reef
Rescue officer to discuss the project idea. Contact details can be found at www.nrm.gov.au.
Electronic applications are preferred.
Application forms can be accessed and
completed at the Caring for our Country
website at www.nrm.gov.au.
Online submission of the application form is
considered the equivalent of it being signed
and approved by the authorising officer of the applicant.
Applicants will need to complete a separate
application form for each project they wish
to submit. The web based form has a unique
reference number for each application.
If you do not have access to the internet, hard
copy applications can be submitted by post. If
you require a hard copy application pack, please
call the Caring for our Country information line
on 1800 552 008. The only hard copy application
form that will be accepted is the hard copy
version supplied via the Caring for our Country
information line.
All hard copy applications must be postmarked
by the relevant closing time and date or listed in
Part 3 of these guidelines. Applicants should note
that the closing dates differ depending on the
component of Reef Rescue.
Please do not send hard copies of applications that
have already been submitted electronically.
If submitting a hard copy application, please post
it to:
Caring for our Country
Reef Policy and Programs Section
Department of Sustainability, Environment,
Water, Population and Communities
GPO Box 787
CANBERRA ACT 2601
Applicants should keep a copy of each application
for their records.
The Australian Government may, at its sole
discretion, extend the application period. Any such
extension will be advised on the Caring for our
Country website and emailed to those registered
for the EcoNews email alerts. You can subscribe to
the email alerts at www.nrm.gov.au/subscribe.
Generally, late applications will not
be accepted.
The Australian Government has no obligation
to accept a late application. Any decision by the
Australian Government to accept or not accept a
late application is at the Australian Government’s
absolute discretion and will be final.
21
PART 8—Funding
agreement requirements
8.1 Grant conditions
8.1.1 Project reporting and acquittal
Successful applicants will be responsible for
managing the project within agreed timelines,
which includes meeting monitoring, evaluation,
reporting and improvement (MERI) requirements
and acquitting expenditure. Where the project
includes a partnership, the organisation or
individual that has applied on the partnership’s
behalf (the applicant) is legally responsible for
ensuring all contractual requirements are met.
8.1.2 Taxation and GST
Grants are subject to normal taxation treatment
and no special arrangements will apply. You
should seek independent advice on the taxation
implications of receiving a grant.
Project budgets in applications should be GST
exclusive. GST will be added to funding payments
(as applicable) by the department in accordance
with the A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax)
Act 1999 (Cth).
8.1.3 Planning approvals
Applicants are required to obtain all necessary
planning approvals for their project, including
the permission of the landowner or land manager
for any project on private or public land, before
commencement of the funding agreement. The
funding agreement will not be executed unless the
necessary approvals have been obtained.
22 Reef Rescue 2013–18—Applicant guidelines and how to apply
Applicants should also note that the scope of
the project, as detailed in your application form,
cannot be changed after it has been submitted,
unless otherwise advised by the department. The
scope of a project includes, but is not limited to:
• • • • • budget items
project activities
project outcomes
site area
co-contributions (in-kind, financial, labour, equipment, other partners).
8.1.4 Insurance
Successful applicants will not receive funding
unless they have adequate public liability
insurance for the duration specified in the funding agreement.
8.2 Funding agreement
A funding agreement is a performance-based,
legally enforceable agreement between the
department and the successful applicant. It sets
out the terms and conditions governing the
funding to be provided for the project.
All grant payments for the project are subject
to the successful applicant entering into, and
complying with, the terms and conditions of the
funding agreement.
The Department of Sustainability, Environment,
Water, Population and Communities (the
department) will only enter into a funding
agreement with the successful applicant.
The successful applicant will then be legally
responsible for ensuring all of the obligations
under the terms and conditions of the funding
agreement are met.
Where the successful applicant has established
a partnership or has identified third party contributions to assist in the project, the
successful applicant may need to have legal
arrangements in place with those parties
to ensure the completion of the project. The
department may require successful applicants to
confirm that such legal arrangements are in place prior to the first funding release being made under the funding agreement.
If the funding agreement is not signed and
returned within 20 business days from the
date the offer is made, the offer of funding may
be withdrawn.
Applicants should familiarise themselves with
all aspects of the draft funding agreement at
www.nrm.gov.au to ensure they are able to comply
with its terms and conditions. Key requirements of
the funding agreement include that:
• • • • funding is contingent on achievement of
prescribed milestones
the department may ask for further
information and/or conduct site visits and/or
arrange inspections by third parties from time
to time to monitor the progress of the project
and assess compliance of the project with the
funding agreement requirements
the department may also seek repayment of
funds that are found to have not been spent or
to have been spent not in accordance with the
funding agreement
successful applicants are responsible for
ensuring that their project complies with
all requirements set out in any applicable
Commonwealth, state or territory legislation
and regulations, and that the project is carried
out to a high standard
• • where undertaking on-ground works,
successful applicants are required to
appraise the site(s) and proposed activities,
and determine appropriate management
procedures to minimise the risk of
spreading invasive plants and/or plant and
animal diseases
successful applicants will be required to
acknowledge the Australian Government’s
support and funding for the project according
to logo use and recognition guidelines at
www.nrm.gov.au.
The funding agreement must be signed by the
person who is authorised to sign for, and on behalf
of, the organisation that will manage the project
and administer the funds.
8.3 Monitoring and reporting
The Australian Government requires monitoring
and reporting of all environmental and natural
resource management programs it funds.
Monitoring, evaluating and reporting on project
performance will provide evidence about the
appropriateness, impact, effectiveness and
efficiency of investment made through Caring for our Country and the Biodiversity Fund.
All projects that are funded will be subject to
financial and performance monitoring and evaluation to ensure that they are meeting
specified milestones and performance indicators as detailed in the funding agreement.
Reporting requirements are specified in the funding agreement.
The Australian Government aims to streamline
the way in which successful applicants monitor
and report on their project’s progress and
outcomes. Monitoring and reporting requirements
are detailed in the Monitoring, Evaluation,
Reporting and Improvement Strategy—Caring
for our Country (phase II) and Biodiversity Fund,
which will be made available at www.nrm.gov.au).
23
The Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting and
Improvement Strategy will enable the Australian
Government to:
• • • monitor and report on performance against
strategic objectives and five-year outcomes
support learning and improvement in the
design and delivery of investment
provide advice to the community on
monitoring and reporting on the state and
trends of biophysical, social and economic
assets relevant to Caring for our Country and
the Biodiversity Fund.
Funding agreements will clearly identify the
results expected from investments. The level
of detail required for monitoring and reporting
should be in line with the overall level of
investment in the project.
The Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting and
Improvement Strategy and guidance material can
be downloaded from the Caring for our Country
website at www.nrm.gov.au.
8.4 Project acquittal
As a recipient of public monies, successful
applicants are obliged to report on the financial and practical progress of their project. Once
the project is completed, successful applicants
must acquit their project. This will involve a final report and an independent qualified accountant examining the project’s records and certifying that
all funds have been expended in accordance with
the funding agreement. Final acquittal is required
within eight weeks of the agreed completion date
for the project.
24 Reef Rescue 2013–18—Applicant guidelines and how to apply
PART 9—Rights and Responsibilities
9.1 Applicants
It is the responsibility of the applicant to:
• • • • • fully and properly inform themselves of the
requirements of the Caring for our Country
Reef Rescue program, these guidelines and the
requirements of the application process
ensure that their application is complete and
accurate, as the department is not obliged to
request additional or missing information
identify any information contained within
their application that they consider should be
treated as confidential and provide reasons for the request (noting that the department
will not be in breach of any confidentiality obligations where disclosure is required as
outlined further in Part 9.3 below)
keep a copy of their application and any
attachments for their own records
inform the department of any changes to
their circumstances that may affect their
application or their eligibility for funding under
these guidelines.
If an applicant is successful in obtaining funding,
it is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that
they hold the relevant insurance(s) at the time of
entering into the funding agreement and prior
to any project activities being undertaken. The
Australian Government may require the applicant
to provide copies of the relevant certificates of currency for their insurance.
Applicants are also required to declare in writing
to the Australian Government where any actual,
apparent, or potential conflict of interest exists or might arise in relation to their application that
may impact on it, the proposed project or any
funding agreement it may enter into with the
Australian Government.
The applicant’s participation in any stage of the
application process, or in relation to any matter
concerning the process, is at the applicant’s sole
risk, cost and expense. The Australian Government
will not be responsible for any costs or expenses
incurred by an applicant in preparing or lodging
an application or in taking part in the process.
Applicants must provide an Australian Business
Number (ABN). This must match the legal entity
of the applicant that would receive the funding.
If applicants are unsure of the GST status of
their organisation, please consult the Australian
Taxation Office website at www.ato.gov.au or
phone the Business Tax Enquiries line on 132 866.
The Australian Government will not accept
responsibility for any misunderstanding arising
from the failure by an applicant to comply
with these guidelines, or arising from any
discrepancies, ambiguities, inconsistencies or
errors in their application.
Applicants are entirely responsible for the
accuracy of all information submitted in their
application. If applicants knowingly provide
inadequate, false or misleading information,
the application may be excluded from the
assessment process.
If an applicant discovers any material discrepancy,
ambiguity, inconsistency or errors in their
application, they must immediately bring it to
the attention of the Australian Government
by emailing reefrescue@environment.gov.au.
The Australian Government may request further
information from an applicant and allow an
applicant to remedy any discrepancy, ambiguity,
inconsistency or errors in an application. The
Australian Government reserves the right to
accept or disregard clarification information 25
provided by applicants and will not consider
clarification information that materially improves or amends an applicant’s original application.
Applicants should be aware that the giving of false
or misleading information is a serious offence
under the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth).
Notwithstanding any obligations of confidentiality, the Australian Government may disclose, or allow
at any time the disclosure of, any information
contained in or relating to any application:
• 9.2 The Australian
Government’s rights
The Australian Government reserves the right to
amend these guidelines in its absolute discretion
and will, where possible, provide reasonable
notice of these amendments. The Australian
Government also reserves the right to vary,
suspend or terminate the assessment process at
any time and in its absolute discretion.
9.3 Confidentiality
and privacy
Applicants must identify any information
contained within their application that they
consider should be treated as confidential and provide reasons for the request.
The Australian Government will only consider a
request for confidentiality where:
• • • the information to be protected is identified in specific rather than global terms the information is by its nature confidential or
disclosure would cause detriment to the
parties concerned.
The Australian Government adheres to the
legislative and administrative accountability
and transparency requirements, including
disclosures to the Parliament and its Committees.
26 Reef Rescue 2013–18—Applicant guidelines and how to apply
• • • • • to its advisers, employees or internal
management for purposes related to the
application and assessment processes,
including to evaluate or otherwise assess
applications and manage any resultant
funding agreement
to the responsible Ministers
in response to a request by a House or
a Committee of the Parliament of the
Commonwealth of Australia
within the departments, or with another
agency, where this serves the Australian
Government’s legitimate interests
where the information is authorised or
required by law to be disclosed, noting that
information submitted to the Australian
Government is subject to the Freedom
of Information Act 1982 (Cth) and its
requirements or
where the information is already in the public
domain otherwise than due to a breach of
any relevant confidentiality obligation by the Australian Government.
In submitting an application, applicants consent to
the Australian Government using the information
contained in their application for the above
mentioned purposes, for administering the
initiative and any other incidental or related
purpose. The Australian Government will store
and use the personal information collected by it in
compliance with its obligations under the Privacy
Act 1988 (Cth).
Applicants should be aware that, if they are
successful, Australian Government policy requires
the department to publish information on its
website about the applicant, including but not
limited to:
• • • • • the name of the legal entity receiving
the funding
the title and purpose of the project
the amount of funding received
terms of the funding
funding location.
By submitting an application for funding under
Reef Rescue, the applicant consents to publication
of the above information by the department if they
are awarded funding.
Applicants may access or correct personal
information by either emailing the department
at reefrescue@environment.gov.au or sending
a letter to the department’s postal address
(see Part 7).
27
PART 10—Enquiries, feedback
and complaints
All enquiries and complaints will be handled consistent with the Department of Sustainability,
Environment, Water, Population and Communities Service Charter 2011–14, available from
the department’s website www.environment.gov.au.
All decisions on successful projects are final and there is no right of appeal, however, the
department may, at its discretion, revisit
a funding recommendation process in
exceptional circumstances.
Feedback is important to Caring for our Country
and incorporates ongoing business review and
improvement into its design, including surveys,
stakeholder feedback, assessor forums and other
consultative processes. This approach helps to
refine the program over time and may inform changes to the program as a whole. Opportunities
to participate in this process are periodically
advertised on the Caring for our Country website.
28 Reef Rescue 2013–18—Applicant guidelines and how to apply
Contact details
Address
Caring for our Country
Reef Policy and Programs Section
Department of Sustainability,
Environment, Water, Population
and Communities
GPO Box 787
CANBERRA ACT 2601
Email:
www.nrm.gov.au
Phone:
1800 552 008
Website:
reefrescue@environment.gov.au
PART 11—Key information sources
The information sources listed below may provide
useful sources of information for planning
your project. For further information please
phone 1800 552 008.
Caring for our Country
Visit the Caring for our Country website at
www.nrm.gov.au for key information including:
Overview information
• • • • • a summary of the Australian Government’s
investment prioritisation process
frequently asked questions
contact details for Australian Government
natural resource management
officers including Indigenous Land Management Officers
draft funding agreement
other funding opportunities under Caring for
our Country
Mapping
• mapping tool for determining whether your
project is located within the Great Barrier Reef
catchments as represented by the six NRM
regions (Cape York, Wet Tropics, Burdekin Dry
Tropics, Mackay Whitsunday Isaacs, Fitzroy
and Burnett Mary), available in the online form
Monitoring and reporting
• • • instructions for filling out your application form
application form
Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting and
Improvement Strategy—Caring for our
Country and Biodiversity Fund toolkit.
For information on specific investment themes, refer to:
World Heritage areas
• further information on the Great Barrier Reef
World Heritage area: www.environment.gov.
au/heritage/places/world/great-barrier-reef/
index.html
Waterways and coastal environments
• • • • Application
• Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting and
Improvement Strategy—Caring for our
Country and Biodiversity Fund
OzCoasts Australian online coastal
information: www.ozcoasts.gov.au/index.jsp
Aquatic Ecosystems Toolkit:
www.environment.gov.au/water/
publications/environmental/ecosystems/
ae-toolkit-mod-1.html
the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
(GRBMPA) Informing the Outlook for Great
Barrier Reef coastal ecosystems 2012
information and tools on the wide variety
of wetland systems and types in the
Great Barrier Reef catchments from the
Queensland Government Wetlands Program
wetlandinfo.derm.qld.gov.au/wetlands/
Ramsar-listed wetlands
• information sheets on Ramsar wetlands,
management plans and ecological character
descriptions: www.environment.gov.au/
cgi-bin/wetlands/alphablist.pl
29
Listed species and ecological communities
Biodiversity policies:
• • • the National Wildlife Corridors Plan:
www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/
wildlife-corridors/index.html
the Native Vegetation Framework: www.
environment.gov.au/land/vegetation/nvf/
Australia’s Biodiversity Conservation Strategy
2010–2030: www.environment.gov.au/
biodiversity/publications/strategy-2010-30/
index.html
Matters of National Environmental
Significance—lists, tools and plans:
• • • • • • • • • • threatened species and ecological
communities: www.environment.gov.au/
biodiversity/threatened/index.html
threatened species and ecological
communities listed under the EPBC Act:
www.environment.gov.au/epbc/protect/
species-communities.html
key threatening processes listed under the
EPBC Act: www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/
sprat/public/publicgetkeythreats.pl
threat abatement plans established under
the EPBC Act: www.environment.gov.au/
biodiversity/threatened/publications/tap/
recovery plans established under the EPBC
Act: www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/
threatened/recovery-list-common.html
migratory species listed under the EPBC Act:
www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/
public/publicshowmigratory.pl
conservation advice by NRM region: www.
environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/
conservationadvice.pl?proc=main
protected matters search tool: www.
environment.gov.au/erin/ert/epbc/index.html
Atlas of Living Australia: www.ala.org.au/
managing national heritage places: www.
environment.gov.au/heritage/management/
national/index.html
30 Reef Rescue 2013–18—Applicant guidelines and how to apply
• regional natural resource management plans,
issues for the region and contact information:
www.nrm.gov.au/about/nrm/regions/
index.html
• • Australian Natural Heritage Assessment Tool
(including regional biodiversity summaries):
www.environment.gov.au/heritage/anhat/
index.html
Directory of Important Wetlands in Australia:
www.environment.gov.au/water/publications/
environmental/wetlands/pubs/directory.pdf
Exotic and invasive species
Feral animals:
• • Australian Pest Animal Strategy: www.
environment.gov.au/biodiversity/invasive/
publications/pest-animal-strategy.html or
www.apas.net.au/
Feral animals in Australia: www.environment.
gov.au/biodiversity/invasive/ferals/index.html
Invasive plants:
• • • • • • the Australian Weeds Strategy:
www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/
invasive/weeds/publications/strategies/
weed-strategy.html
weed spread and management action maps:
www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/
invasive/weeds/index.html
Atlas of Living Australia: www.ala.org.au/
australias-species/
weeds of national significance and other lists of weeds of national interest: www.environment.
gov.au/biodiversity/invasive/weeds/weeds/
lists/index.html
weed management plans, training, weeds
facilitator contacts: www.weeds.org.au/
further information on core attributes for
surveying and mapping nationally significant weeds: www.weeds.org.au/docs/Weeds_
Manual.pdf
Related Australian Government programs:
• • • • • • • • Biodiversity Fund: www.environment.gov.
au/cleanenergyfuture/biodiversity-fund/
index.html
Clean Energy Future:
www.cleanenergyfuture.gov.au
Carbon Farming Initiative:
www.climatechange.gov.au/cfi
or www.cleanenergyfuture.gov.
au/carbon-farming-initiative/ or
www.daff.gov.au/climatechange/cfi
Australian Pest Animal Research Program:
www.daff.gov.au/brs/land/feral-animals/
aparp
National Weeds and Productivity Research
Program: www.daff.gov.au/natural-resources/
invasive/national_weeds_productivity_
research_program
Water for the Future: www.environment.gov.
au/water/australia/index.html
Indigenous Australians Caring for Country:
www.environment.gov.au/indigenous/
index.html
Heritage grants and funding:
www.environment.gov.au/heritage/
programs/index.html
31
ALC94.0313