Northern Plains Grassland Reserves grazing contract EOI

⁠⁠⁠ Parks Victoria is looking for farmers to work in partnership with, to graze the native grasslands on the Patho Plains and lower Avoca Plains (west of Kerang).

Strategic grazing with sheep or cattle is the main technique used to manage the amount of plant growth on these native grasslands. The objective is to achieve the ideal habitat for threatened flora and fauna species, including the endangered Plains-wanderer bird.

The best results are seen when Parks Victoria can work in partnership with the contracted farmer and their farming system compliments Parks Victoria’s grazing requirements.

Parks Victoria contracts farmers to graze livestock to achieve the ideal habitat and Parks Victoria are running an Expressions of Interest (EOI) process to engage interested farmers.

Grazing contracts are available across approximately 6,000 hectares for a three year period.

Expressions of interest process
Workshop
Parks Victoria will hold a workshop with farmers interested in grazing Parks Victoria grasslands.

The purpose of this workshop is to convey the message that the best outcome is achieved when the farmers work in partnership with Parks Victoria. This requires both Parks Victoria and farmers to reach an understanding on:

the conservation outcomes Parks Victoria would like to achieve
the experience and knowledge farmers have in grazing native grasslands
this grazing arrangement best suits particular farming systems, where farmers have dry stock available to graze the grasslands when biomass reduction is required.
The workshop will be held on 14 November, 2018. This EOI form is available at the workshop.

For those farmers that do not attend the workshop, it is important that they contact Parks Victoria and discuss any questions they may about the contract arrangements.

EOI submissions
The EOI form and descriptions for each of the grasslands is available on this website.

EOI submissions can be made in the following way:

Post: Address as Biomass Reduction EOI, Parks Victoria, PO Box 138, Echuca, VIC, 3564

Verbal: Farmers can provide a verbal response for EOI by contacting Jacqui Knee on 0400 054 690

Email: jacqui.knee@parks.vic.gov.au

All EOI proposals are to be submitted to before 12pm AEST on 30 November 2018

A notification will be sent by post or email to applicants upon receipt of the proposal.

Interviews
Farmers will be short listed based on the responses they provide in the EOI forms.

Attendance to the workshop will also be looked upon favourably when making the selection.

Interviews will be held in early December with short listed farmers.

All farmers will be notified via their preferred method (email or post) as to whether they are successful or not.

Biomass reduction contracts
A copy of the Biomass Reduction Contract is attached to this EOI form (Attachment 1).

Parks Victoria intend to have these contracts signed to commence by start of February 2019.

Contact
For further information contact: Jacqui Knee

Phone: 0400 054 690

Email: jacqui.knee@parks.vic.gov.au

Website: for further information

Jacqui’s role will be to run the EOI process. She will not be making any decisions regarding who gets contracts.

Documents available on the website, include:

Expression of interest form
Biomass Reduction Contract
Description of each of the grasslands available to graze:
Grassland info Bael Bael East
Grassland info Bael Bael West
Grassland info Canegrass
Grassland info Cantwell
Grassland info Davies East
Grassland info Davies West
Grassland info Kotta
Grassland info Little Kotta
Grassland info Meadows
Grassland info Patho West
Grassland info Pine Grove
Grassland info Pipit
Grassland info Ros East
Grassland info Ros North
Grassland info Ros South
Grassland info Tang Tang
Grassland info Terrick East
Grassland info Tomara Gilgai
Grassland info Torrumberry
Grassland info Wanurp