Heritage

Grants and funding

Regional Natural Heritage Program funding outcomes for 2006-07

A total of 78 submissions seeking grant funding were received for the fourth round of the programme.

Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Senator Ian Campbell approved 21 projects to receive funding; with AU$2.9 million shared across seven ongoing projects and 14 new initiatives:

Project description Name of recipient Location Funding amount
Ongoing projects
Consolidating sustainability of the protection of biodiversity and the Golden-headed Langur
Activities under this continuing project will work towards combating habitat loss and population fragmentation, occurring through inappropriate land use and development practices in Cat Ba National Park, which is threatening the last population of the Golden-headed Langur.		 Australian Foundation for the Peoples of Asia and the Pacific Pty. Ltd Cat Ba Island, Vietnam $193,158
Establishing a legislated area for biodiversity conservation in the Torricelli Mountain Range
This project will protect two endangered tree kangaroo species and address the broader biodiversity challenges in the Torricelli Mountain Range of Papua New Guinea.		 Zoos Victoria Sanduan Province, Papua New Guinea $130,709
Protecting the Heart of the Coral Triangle: Strengthening Marine Protected Areas in Eastern Indonesia III
This project will protect critical coral reef habitats by creating and maintaining effective co-managed marine protected areas, and ensure sustainable livelihoods for local fishers.		 The Nature Conservancy Eastern Indonesia $250,000
Integrated human and conservation development at Tanjung Puting National Park
The project will build on previous RNHP-funded work to promote community care of natural resources, and set up alternative income initiatives such as ecotourism, agroforestry and animal husbandry. It will also support joint community-government forest patrols and a conservation education program.		 Friends of the National Parks Foundation Kalimantan, Indonesia $76,389
Conserving northern Vietnams critically endangered primates through community-based initiatives
This project will strengthen community-based patrolling measures and institutional and community support for the conservation of the Tonkin Snub-nosed Monkey and the Cao Vit Gibbon.		 Fauna and Flora International North Vietnam $40,000
Conservation of Key Biodiversity Areas and Threatened Lowland Rainforest Species within the Sierra Madre Mountain Range
This project will protect the Philippines last remaining stands of old growth forest, along with numerous endangered and endemic species, by creating new protected areas and strengthening the management of existing protected areas within the Sierra Madre mountain range.		 Conservation International Foundation Luzon Island, Philippines $202,950
Bukit Tigapuluh Mega Fauna Survival Project, Indonesia
This project will extend the activities of the RNHP-funded Orangutan Protection Units to better protect the Bukit Tigapuluh mega fauna including the Sumatran elephant, tiger and rhinoceros through training, monitoring and surveillance activities.		 Australian Orang-utan Project Indonesia $93,511
New projects
Building Recognition and pride - the endemic botanic diversity of Tanna Island, Vanuatu
Tanna Island hosts internationally significant flora, including eighteen endemic species. This project will improve landholders awareness of this flora to foster greater recognition of and pride in these species and motivate local conservation initiatives.		 Vanuatu Government Environment Unit Vanuatu $42,230
Community based marine conservation actions in the atoll of Ailuk, Marshall Islands: implementation of two marine sanctuaries through community decision making, capacity building, vocational training, awareness and education
The project will educate people on global and local threats to the biodiversity of the islands, establish conservation of specific marine sites and shoreline protection, and enhance marine production through mariculture.		 Nature Resources Assessment Surveys, Republic of the Marshall Islands $113,850
Marine Turtle Conservation in Fiji, Tuvalu and Vanuatu
This project will focus on training and capacity building in turtle conservation research for the hawksbill, green and leatherbacks species of marine turtles in Fiji, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. It will also include the collection of baseline data to determine long-term trends regarding nesting and feeding patterns.		 Institute of Marine Resources, University of the South Pacific   $163,528
Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants (MIKE) in South East Asia
Initiatives under the MIKE programme include the standardisation and collection of data on trends in elephant populations across the region to help conserve the species, with a strong focus on increasing the technical capacity and motivation of government staff. 		 Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand $160,808
Operation Save Coconut Crab 2006 - a community initiative to conserve rapidly declining stocks of coconut crab in Sanma Province, Vanuatu
The project will gather scientific data and community support to extend the Fisheries (Ban on Coconut Crab) Regulation beyond March 2007, by assessing the coconut crab populations and conducting community awareness raising activities.		 Wantok Environment Centre Vanuatu $20,860
Conserving biodiversity of the international RAMSAR site Xuan Thuy National Park (Vietnam) through local community and national action
The project works to re-build vital wetlands ecosystems.  Activities include:
  1. increasing conservation awareness through an intensive education and media campaign;
  2. increasing access to conservation and management information;
  3. developing concrete policy guidelines;
  4. supporting adoption and enforcement of management regulations; and
  5. supporting alternative livelihood opportunities for local communities to reduce damaging practices that threaten the wetlands.
 Centre for Marinelife Conservation and Community Development Vietnam $86,058
Strengthening Protected Area Networks and Management in the ASEAN region
The project will support a core of protected area managers and the network of protected areas in four biodiversity hotspots Sundaland, Indo-Burma, Wallacea and the Philippines. Activities involve:
  1. undertaking a gap analysis of protected areas coverage in all four hotspots using data from important bird and plant areas;
  2. building the capacity of a core of protected area managers, decision makers and local community leaders in South East Asia; and
  3. piloting better communication practices between protected area managers and local communities in three protected areas (sites to be selected).
 IUCN-BirdLife International Thailand, Indonesia, Myanmar, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam $273,240
Effective Management of World Heritage Sites and Capacity Building for Protected Areas in the Marshall Islands
This project will conserve important biodiversity and natural heritage areas in the Marshall Islands. It will build sustainable local capacity for effective planning and management of protected areas through the development of the proposed World Heritage Sites of Bikini Atoll and Ailinginae Atoll.		 International Centre for Environmental Management   $153,074
Securing the largest population of Pongo pygmaeus morio on Earth.
This project will help to ensure the long-term survival of the orang-utan population and the general biodiversity found in the commercial forests of Malua/Segama. The project will include surveys in the Ulu Segama Reserve to establish wildlife baseline data, and the development of a Forest Management Plan with particular focus on orang-utan populations. 		 Australian Orangutan Project The Malua Segama (KOCP) Wildlife Survey, Borneo, Malaysia $207,500
Central Pacific Transboundary Heritage Site
This project will prepare a case for the World Heritage listing of a cluster of islands amongst the Cook, Kiribati and Line Islands. Proposed activities include stakeholder consultations, situational analysis and a survey of community stewardship practices.		 World Wide Fund for Nature (Cook Islands) Cook Islands and Kiribati $99,000
Saving southern Sumatras last elephants: Mitigating human-elephant conflicts through local community-driven partnerships
This project will support community-driven easing of human-elephant conflict in hot-spots across southern Sumatra. It forms part of a larger and on-going project to protect Sumatras remaining elephants from the key threats of conflict-related deaths and injury, poaching and habitat loss.		 Indonesia Program of the Wildlife Conservation Society   $59,040
Conservation of Ahnd Atoll and Small Islands near Pohnpei, Pohnpei State, Federated States of Micronesia in the Polynesia-Micronesia Biodiversity Hotspot
This project will involve trial eradications of rats on ten islands near Pohnpei, to test the viability of completing the activities on Ahnd Atoll. This atoll has a known infestation of rats posing a significant threat to biodiversity on the islands. The trial results will be disseminated to several Pacific Islands and territories.		 Conservation Society of Pohnpei Federated States of Micronesia $145,953
South Pacific Humpback Whale Research Project 2007 synoptic surveys and regional capacity building
This project will carry out synoptic surveys of humpback whale populations in a number of €˜core regions including French Polynesia, the Cook Islands, New Caledonia and Tonga to gather scientifically robust information on the status and trends of humpback whales. It will include local training to improve knowledge of cetacean diversity in strategic island nations, and workshops to improve management of whale strandings in the South Pacific region.		 South Pacific Whale Research Consortium Tonga, New Caledonia, Cook Islands and French Polynesia $113,850
Phoenix Islands Conservation Project, Kiribati
This project will create a long-term conservation and sustainable development programme to protect the biodiversity of the Phoenix Islands. It will create and manage a protected area around the Phoenix Islands archipelago, including marine and terrestrial habitats.		 New England Aquarium Kiribati $277,299

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