Projects

2024 PHN Suicide Prevention Grants

$30,000

Empowering 110 individuals in Glen Innes, Mental First comprises four training sessions to build a resilient community. Participants will gain skills to become first responders in mental health emergencies, prevent suicide, and support individuals in distress. These workshops will provide a comprehensive toolkit for navigating mental health challenges.

Funding Source: Primary Health Network

2023-2025 FRRR Communities Impact Program

$70,508

This project will enhance awareness of and attitude toward drought preparedness and build local leadership, networks and social support through a diverse series of community events, activities and delivery partners.

Funding Source: Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal

2023-2025 FRRR Communities Impact Program Regional Lead

$30,146

This project aims to strengthen drought preparedness and drive local action in the Northern Tablelands region through the coordination of Community Impact Program activities and evaluation administration.

Funding Source: Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal

2023-2024 Summer & Autumn School Holiday Break

$14,790

This project will host 2 events for youth in the Summer 2024 school holidays, a bush kids first aid workshop and a preparedness workshop. In addition, it will host 1 event in the Autumn 2024 school holidays for bush kids' skills and emergency care of pets

Funding Source: NSW Department of Regional NSW

2023-2024 NAB Foundation Round 2

$10,000

Funds to contribute towards the purchase of a Baby Banker (mounder) for our future tree-planting projects.

Funding Source: National Australia Bank

2023 BCRRF Pinkett First Aid

$10,795

This project funded a First Aid Course held at Pinbkett Hall and the purchase of an Automated external defibrillator (AED) device for the use of the Pinkett community.

Funding Source: NSW Government’s Bushfire Community Recovery and Resilience fund

2023-2024 Australia Post Smokos

$9,702

GLENRAC's Smoko with Friends events began in 2019 during a severe drought. Hosting 78 gatherings with 1831 participants, they are not currently financially resourced to continue. Local farmers face hardships like low rainfall, poor seasons, livestock price reductions, and rising interest rates. This project aims for four Smoko events in Glen Innes and surrounds, fostering social connections and introducing mental health services. These cherished events enjoy strong support from the community. By attending, participants forge meaningful connections, improving mental health outcomes. We hope to sustain this initiative as the need for Smoko events are based on community need and experiences.

Funding Source: Australia Post

2023-2024 Get Online Week

$1,000

Host one information event to showcase the FarmTracker app for farmers.
https://www.beconnectednetwork.org.au/grant-program/get-online-week-grant

Funding Source: Australian Government

2023 NSW Small Business Month

$3,500

GLENRAC hosted an evening information event on 18th October 2023 as an introduction to AI for small businesses including farmers titled:”Discover what the latest developments in Artificial Intelligence can do for your business” with speakers David Carse (Waterfall Way Designs) and Daniel Doherty (MerlinFX Online Wizardary).

Funding Source: NSW Government as part of the NSW Small Business Month

2022-2024 Making Sense of Soils - Building Farmer Knowledge and Increasing Adoption Glen Innes NSW

$173,639

This project will increase knowledge and capacity of farmers in the Glen Innes district to adopt and implement improved soil management practices. Activities will engage approx 130 farmers in learning about soils, undertaking soil testing and understanding soil test results. The soil testing supported by the project will not only contribute data to our local knowledge of soils but also to the National Soil Monitoring and Incentives Pilot Program. This project will build on the results of previous programs. Three (3) groups of farmers will participate in a series of three (3) Digging Deeper workshops focussed on building knowledge about soil structure, texture, physical characteristics and fertility. An additional six (6) groups of eight (8) farmers will be engaged in short sessions focussed on increasing ability to read and understand soil test results and apply that knowledge to making decisions. Farmers will also have the opportunity to look at soils with six (6) farm walks.

Funding Source: National Landcare Program – Smart Farms Small Grants Soils Extension Activities

2022-2024 UNE FDF Drought Resilient Pasture Landscapes

$89,397

Ten action learning groups have been formed across the Northern Tablelands. Facilitated by a pasture coach, each group is learning to improve their capacity for managing productive and drought-resilient pastures. Groups are being coached to use Ag360 to aid in their on-farm decision-making. GLENRAC and Southern New England Landcare will establish a community of practice to foster the sharing of data, information and knowledge. They will also run a total of twelve project field days which will be open to the wider community.

Funding Source: Australian Government Future Drought Fund

2022-2024 UNE FDF Best Practice Water Infrastructure

$90,000

This project is working with five local properties to establish demonstration sites to showcase best practice stock water infrastructure and monitoring tools. Four events will be held over the duration of the project. These will be designed to increase the knowledge and skills of regional farm businesses on strategies to increase the resilience of farm business, farm productivity and natural capital in readiness for future adverse climate events. Project activities will utilize peer learning, sharing the experience and knowledge between farmers to support the delivery of formal extension information.

Funding Source: Australian Government Future Drought Fund

2022-2024 UNE FDF Drones for Weed Monitoring and Control

$90,000

With the recent break in the drought, the Northern Tablelands region of NSW has seen an influx of weeds that have been highly prolific and have extended to areas that have previously been weed-free. This project will investigate the ability of drones to detect, map and spray weeds in the Northern Tablelands. Using drones to control weeds allows for weed control in areas of topographical complexity where traditional methods may be difficult and unsafe. Field days will be held to share the knowledge gained through the project and support the adoption of any positive project insights.

Funding Source: Australian Government Future Drought Fund

2022 FRRR Cultivating Skills and Community Connections for Glen Innes

$48,340
This project will build resilience in our community by working with those people new to the community and farming businesses to build their skills and capacity for on-going involvement in the community. During the drought a number of younger people have returned to family properties to support ageing parents and provide a fit and active workforce on the property. These younger people have often come from non-agriculture related jobs and/or have brought with them husbands, wives or partners from non-agricultural backgrounds. They don't yet have established social connections or networks, this project will provide opportunities to meet people and make connections.
Funding Source: FRRR Future Drought Fund

2021-25 Increasing Biodiversity to Enhance Endangered Ecological Communities Glen Innes

$149,998
This project will increase the extent of native habitat through planting more than 19,000 native species trees and shrubs on 12 privately managed farming properties across the Glen Innes district. The 35 project sites will plant species known to be present in 2 Threatened Ecological Communities - New England Peppermint grassy woodlands and White box-Yellow box-Blakley's red gum grassy woodlands. These new plantings will assist in providing habitat for flora and fauna species in a fragmented landscape, featuring extensive areas of cleared land adjoining areas of National Reserve.
Funding Source: NSW Environmental Trust

2021-23 Creating Capability & Confidence for Community Champions

$154,710
The project will deliver leadership development program across rural areas in New England to enhance participants’ leadership capacity and encourage community cohesion.
Funding source: Australian Government Building Better Regions Fund

2021-22 Building Capacity for Complementary Pest Animal Control

$26,680
Across our region, there are currently programs for broadscale coordinated aerial and ground baiting of wild dogs, coordinated local fox baiting, responsive feral pig baiting and trapping and reactive trapping of wild dogs. These programs are engaging significant numbers of landholders, both public and private. Shooting as an additional method of control is being undertaken but with no program to build the capacity nor adopt new technologies to make this complementary control technique more effective and efficient. This project will deliver a number of activities to engage rural women and young adults in improving their skills and gaining a recognised qualification; build knowledge and awareness around new technologies; and increase understanding about the identification and habits of target pest animal species.
Funding Source: State Pest Animal Committee Special Levy

2021-22 Bush for Biodiversity

A joint project with Biodiversity Conservation Trust and Landcare NSW, regional Landcare networks have come together to provide landholders and community members with information on private land conservation and how best we can support the many threatened and endangered plant and animal species that are vital to the health of our woodlands and pastures.

2021-22 Bushfire Recovery Wildlife & Habitat Protecting Habitat through Recovery - Gulf Road

$119,345
This project will support the recovery of native habitat, flora and fauna species in the Gulf Road area, north of Emmaville in northern NSW following the impacts of the 2019 bushfires. It will target invasive exotic cactus weeds, reducing their spread and lessening the impact of these weeds on the recovery of native species and ecosystems burnt in the res, both on private land and across the adjoining Torrington Conservation Area. The project will engage landholders in project activities and promote project results to the broader community increasing their involvement in delivering bushfire recovery for native flora, fauna and their habitat.
Funding Source: Australian Government

2021-22 Community Enterprise Upgrading Torrington Hall as an Evacuation Centre

$74,727
The project aims to support the strengthening of community connectedness, safety and resilience through a community initiative to provide an appropriate evacuation centre for Torrington village and surrounds residents, while additionally improving the hall which is the focal point for social connection and peer support. When Torrington in the 2019 bushfire experienced the firefront sweeping through the village, a number of homes and outbuildings were lost in the fire, as well as significant areas of private property and surrounding bushland. The Torrington Memorial Hall is a community asset, management by a small active committee, has been identified by community members as a more appropriate evacuation centre
Funding Source: NSW Bushfire Community Recovery Grants Program

2021-22 Creating Confident & Capable Communities for the Future - Glen Innes

$126,500
The project aims to build the capacity of local community and not-for-profit (NFP) organisations in the Glen Innes Severn community. The project will work with groups to identify and define their purpose and objectives. It will help to build the profiles of these existing groups to help them to be able to attract members and volunteers. Project activities will improve the governance and professionalism of local groups and their ability to be able to undertake activities to achieve their objectives.
Funding Source: FRRR Investing in not-for-profit Capacity Building

2021-22 Future Drought Fund Benchmarking Natural Capital

$103,796
This project will deliver events to increase awareness and knowledge around the values of natural capital on farms and the scope for future income streams from ecosystem services on privately managed land. We will work with landholders to survey their contributions to ecosystem services on farm. The project will undertake a pilot to benchmark the natural resource baseline condition through a scientific assessment of six farms across the Glen Innes district. This pilot will build capacity for farmers to measure and monitor the condition of their farm's natural capital and their public good natural resource management outcomes. This project will contribute to preparing local farming businesses for future opportunities and the capacity to utilise monitoring in property planning activities including drought planning to be more resilient in a changing climate.
Funding Source: Australian Government Future Drought Fund

2021-22 Improving and Maintaining Catchment Headwater Health Glen Innes NSW

$99,975
This project will deliver a diversity of activities and outputs which will enhance and improve water quality, riparian stability, and increase biodiversity across a number of sites in the Glen Innes district. The project will address issues of stream bank and gully erosion and biodiversity loss through on groundworks at six (6) sites of approximately thirteen (13) hectares including streambank stabilisation, erosion control structures, fencing and revegetation. We will also use the project results to engage other landholders in undertaking similar works to improve water quality in the headwaters of the Beardy and Severn Rivers. This project will address the issues of water quality and in stream habitat in creeks and streams in the headwaters of rivers in the Murray Darling Basin.
Funding Source: Australian Government Murray Darling Healthy Rivers (Round 2)

2021-22 Monitoring and Control of Honey Locust in the Wytaliba and Newton Boyd Area

$86,779

Honey Locust (Gleditsia triacanthos) is an invasive, thorny weed that poses a serious threat to catchment areas and riparian communities. Through this project a 30km stretch of the Mann River at Wytaliba and Newton Boyd was surveyed for Honey Locust trees. This information was then used to guide Honey Locust control work completed by a local contractor over a 20km stretch of the Mann River in the survey area, covering approximately 700ha.

Funding Source: supported by the Northern Tablelands Local Land Services, through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program

2021-22 Providing Homes for Our Hollow Nesting Species

$19,756
This project supports wildlife recovery following the devastating bushfires of 2019 through the building and installation of nest boxes for a variety of wildlife species. We will engage local residents in the project through nest box building workshops and in the on-going monitoring of those nest boxes
Funding Source: FRRR Strengthening Rural Communities

2021-22 Revegetation for Catchment Health and Biodiversity - Glen Innes NSW

$99,228
This project will protect and enhance biodiversity in the catchment headwaters of the Murray Darling Basin. We will increase the extent of native habitat by planting more than 15,000 native species trees and shrubs on at least fifteen (15) privately managed farming properties across the Glen Innes district. The project sites will plant species known to be present in two Threatened Ecological Communities - New England Peppermint grassy woodlands and White Box-Yellow Box-Blakley's Red Gum grassy woodlands. These new plantings will assist in providing habitat for flora and fauna species in a fragmented landscape, featuring extensive areas of land historically cleared for agriculture. These plantings will also help to manage surface water flow across the landscape thus reducing soil erosion and resulting in decreased sedimentation of waterways in the headwaters of the Murray Darling Basin within a fifty (50) kilometre radius of Glen Innes.
Funding Source: Australian Government Murray Darling Healthy Rivers Program (Round 2)

2021-22  Revegetation to Protect Catchment Headwaters

$49,980
This project protects and enhances biodiversity in the catchment headwaters of the Murray Darling Basin. We are increasing the extent of native habitat through planting more than 7,500 native species trees and shrubs on at least ten (10) privately managed farming properties across the Glen Innes district. The project sites will plant species known to be present in 2 Threatened Ecological Communities - New England Peppermint grassy woodlands and White Box-Yellow Box-Blakley's Red Gum grassy woodlands. These new plantings will assist in providing habitat for flora and fauna species in a fragmented landscape, featuring extensive areas of land historically cleared for agriculture. These plantings will also help to manage surface water flow across the landscape thus reducing soil erosion and resulting sedimentation of waterways in the headwaters of the Murray Darling Basin within a fifty-kilometre radius of Glen Innes.

Funded by the Australian Government. 

2021-22 Smart Farms Soils Alive Glen Innes

$99,792
This project will engage landholders in the Glen Innes region to increase their understanding about soil health and soil microbial activity. Soils are the basis of our environment and agricultural production, maintaining healthy soils is vital to our natural resources. The project will support 40 landholders, in two groups, to undertake baseline testing of the microbial activity and general health of their soils at the start of the project. A series of eight workshops will be delivered to these two groups over 18 months to help build their understanding of best practice soil management to increase and maintain soil health. Soil microbial tests will be taken at the conclusion of the workshops to monitor any short term changes in soil health resulting from adoption of new practices. A report will be compiled and shared recording baseline results, management practices including cultivation, fertiliser application and land use, and follow up test results.
Funding Source: NLP Smart Farms Small Grants Round 4

2021 Landcare Australia Landcare Farming Benchmarking

This project looks to develop an awareness and adoption pathway for on-farm integration. Both schemes offer new concepts to Australian agriculture producers, and are increasingly aligned to stakeholder investment and reporting objectives. End-user input (producer input) is essential to move both schemes from ‘proof of concept’ and into standard agricultural management practices. The Landcare network is uniquely placed to help deliver input and ground-truthing into how the concepts (and associated decision support tools) are developed, extended and applied.
Funding Source: Landcare Australia

2021 White Rock Wind Farm Equipment

$4,225
This project will provide GLENRAC with important tools for the delivery of the many information and skill development activities that GLENRAC run. The project will purchase a portable PA system and a short-throw data projector.
Funding Source: White Rock Wind Farm Community Fund

2020-22 NSW Environmental Trust Protecting and Enhancing Biodiversity

 $97,988
This project will increase the extent of native habitat through planting more than 19,000 native species trees and shrubs on 12 privately managed farming properties across the Glen Innes district. The 35 project sites will plant species known to be present in 2 Threatened Ecological Communities - New England Peppermint grassy woodlands and White box-Yellow box-Blakley's red gum grassy woodlands. These new plantings will assist in providing habitat for flora and fauna species in a fragmented landscape, featuring extensive areas of cleared land adjoining areas of National Reserve.
Funding source: NSW Environmental Trust                          

2020-21 Homes and habitat for Gliders and Glossy Black Cockatoos Northern NSW

$147,490
GLENRAC will deliver a project that will support the recovery of two vulnerable species; Glossy Black Cockatoos & Squirrel Gliders in Torrington & Curry's Gap. This project will bring together NSW National Parks & Wildlife, Crown Lands and landholders to consult, guide and collaborate on bushfire recovery activities. The project activities will include; supply, build and install supplementary nesting boxes and/or hollows, construction of exclusion fencing, training workshops, building community awareness through social media and revegetation of native trees and shrubs.
Funding source: Australian Government’s Bushfire Recovery for Wildlife and Habitat Community Grants Program

2020-21 Northern Tablelands Local Land Services Small Community Grants

$7,500
1. Priority Local Weeds Booklet - $2500 (GST exc) will contribute to the printing cost of a handy weed identification and control method booklet for land managers. It will focus on priority weeds for the district and new and emerging weeds introduced through drought and bushfire fodder. It will be developed in collaboration with New England Weeds Authority and Glen Innes Severn Council. 500 copies will be produced. It will complement not duplicate other weeds booklets and fill an identified need.
2. Ground Uncovered Field Day - $5,000 (GST exc) will contribute to the costs of a field day focussed on the importance of maintaining good groundcover and the impacts of poor groundcover and the soil loss and erosion issues that can result. At least 20 land managers will participate. Funds will contribute to graphic design, advertising in local and social media, catering, equipment hire, event management and guest presenter.
Funding Source: Northern Tablelands Local Land Services

2018 – 2023 Protecting Little Llangothlin Lagoon (Ramsar Site) for future generations Y2-5

The Project is centred on gaining a clear understanding on the ecological condition and function of the Little Llangothlin Nature Reserve to inform future management with particular attention to threatened species and ecological communities. Monitoring surveys will establish baseline conditions for flora, fauna, water quality and wetland health. This data is critical to map priority management actions to move ecological condition above baseline and enable protection and enhancement of the Reserve for future generations. The monitoring results will also be used to engage surrounding landholders. A beliefs and attitudinal survey of these landholders will set the scene for their involvement in supporting actions to further restore and reduce threats to the Ramsar site. The project will also deliver a component of bushland regeneration of a threatened ecological community which will be monitored closely to inform the best effectiveness of future efforts.
Funding source: Australian Government and Northern Tablelands Local Land Services

2018 – 2023 Turning the Tide for threatened species - Regent Honeyeater

The project is delivering priority actions identified in the National Recovery Plan for the Regent Honeyeater that address threats and improve the amount and quality of habitat for the species. The project is being delivered by the Northern Tablelands Regional Landcare Consortium – a partnership between Northern Tablelands Local Land Services and the four Landcare Networks on the Tablelands: Southern New England Landcare SNEL (Armidale), Glen Innes Natural Resources Advisory Committee GLENRAC (Glen Innes), Gwydir Macintyre Resource Advisory Committee GWYMAC (Inverell) and Granite Borders Landcare Committee GBLC (Tenterfield). The project seeks to gain the support of the whole community to raise awareness of the Regent Honeyeater, and to empower and assist the community with resources and funding to take actions that address threats to the species

2018 – 2023 Regional Land Partnerships Program – Core Services

The RLP Program is being delivered through Core Services and 5 x 1-Year Projects and 1 x 5-Year Project to achieve six key outcomes:

1. By 2023, there is restoration of, and reduction in threats to, the ecological character of Ramsar sites, through the implementation of priority actions.
2. By 2023, the trajectory of species targeted under the Threatened Species Strategy, and other EPBC Act priority species is stabilised or improved.
3. By 2023, invasive species management has reduced threats to the natural heritage Outstanding Universal Value of World Heritage properties through implementation of priority actions.
4. By 2023, the implementation of priority actions is leading to an improvement in the condition of EPBC Act listed Threatened Ecological Communities.
5. By 2023, there is an increase in the awareness and adoption of land management practices that improve and protect the condition of soil, biodiversity and vegetation.
6. By 2023, there is an increase in the capacity of agriculture systems to adapt to significant changes in climate and market demands for information on provenance and sustainable production.