North and Far North Tropical Low Environmental Recovery Program, Catchment Rehabilitation Program

⁠⁠⁠Overview

The Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation invites Offers from eligible Suppliers for the provision of services to support the North and Far North Tropical Low Environmental Recovery Program, Catchment Rehabilitation Program.

Purpose

This Invitation to Offer (ITO) focuses on the delivery of projects across 40 activated local government areas to support the recovery of catchments impacted by the North and Far North Tropical Low, 29 January to 28 February 2025 event, improving condition and building resilience in the impacted environments and associated ecological processes.

Scope

Suppliers are invited to offer catchment rehabilitation projects that deliver on-ground catchment rehabilitation efforts meeting the objectives, outcomes, eligibility criteria and timeframes of the DRFA funding allocation. Proposed projects must support disaster recovery activities resulting from impacts caused by the North and Far North Tropical Low, 29 January to 28 February 2025 event.

The scope includes:

• Cultural guidance on recovery activities, including consultation with Traditional Owners in areas where cultural artifacts or assets are in situ or likely to be present
• Biodiversity conservation activities for locally significant or threatened species and their habitat, including rehabilitation and reconnection of species habitats, and mitigation of further impact
• Stakeholder engagement activities such as community information sessions
• Activities which measure or improve population trajectories of species impacted by the event
• Erosion recovery activities including bank stabilisation and rehabilitation, and revegetation of riverine areas and affected catchments
• Seeding and revegetation
• Earthworks to support rainfall retention and enhance germination of native perennial grasses
• Exclusion fencing (temporary or permanent) to reduce livestock access and protect waterway rehabilitation activities where relevant
• Off-stream livestock water points
• Instream habitat replenishment
• Control of weed and pest incursions in riverine and flood out zones and along newly disturbed landscapes such as landslides, to support establishment of revegetation activities
• Capacity building and training activities directly related to on-ground implementation of the approved activity
• Clean-up and removal of debris directly related to catchment rehabilitation activities, where not funded under other DRFA funded initiatives

Suppliers may offer one or more projects using the Part A - ITO: Attachment D - Project Plan template.

Eligibility

Suppliers and projects offered through this ITO process are required to meet eligibility requirements outlined within Part A - Invitation to Offer, Attachment C - Eligibility Details. This information should be carefully reviewed prior to submitting an offer.

Contract Terms and Conditions

• Individual project values are capped at $1,000,000 (exc. GST) for engineered riverine recovery solutions per project
• Individual project values are capped at $400,000 (exc. GST) for all other non-engineered projects per project
• Total project costs may include a combination of eligible and ineligible costs; contracted Suppliers will be responsible for all ineligible costs, as well as eligible project costs over and above the approved contracted amount
• Projects must be completed no later than 30 June 2028, as the DRFA ERP end date is 30 June 2028 and this date cannot be extended

Information Requested

Completed Part A - ITO: Attachment D - Project Plan templates are to be accompanied by supporting evidence and documentation, including but not limited to:

• Pre and post event photographs or aerial imagery of the impacts
• Letters of support from landholders or First Nations groups
• Maps and similar supporting materials

As each project will be individually evaluated, Suppliers should ensure sufficient detail and supporting documentation is provided with each Project Plan template submitted.

Tender Briefing

A Supplier Briefing Session will be held for this ITO.

• Date: 8 September 2026
• Time: 2.00pm

Please refer to Part A - Invitation to Offer, Section 1.5 - Briefing Session for details on how to register.

Instructions to Tenderers

In preparing Offers, Suppliers are encouraged to discuss potential projects with other interested stakeholders such as environmental and community groups, Traditional Owners and local landholders.