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The Victorian Volcanic Plains (VVP)
A national biodiversity hotspot, the Victorian Volcanic Plains (VVP) Bioregion covers 2.3 million hectares, extending across south-west Victoria from Melbourne to Portland. Native vegetation remains on only 4.5% of the area, most of which is on private land. These remnant areas of native grasslands, grassy woodlands and wetlands, are crucial for the conservation of endemic flora and fauna species such as the eastern barred bandicoot, brolga and Corangamite water skink.
The VVP is a highly productive agricultural region and the task of maintaining effective agriculture production while at the same time protecting and enhancing biodiversity remains a challenge for many landholders. To assist them with this work, PlainsTender offers landholders the opportunity to gain financial support for entering an agreement to provide management services that maintain or improve the quality or extent of their native vegetation.
VVP PlainsTender
The Australian Government is interested in paying for Landholder services that better manage native vegetation on private land on the Victorian Volcanic Plains.
There are 75,000 hectares of native vegetation on private land on the Victorian Volcanic Plains. Much of it is important for and protection, water quality, salinity control and its environmental significance. The management of native vegetation depends on the already substantial efforts of private landholders who are supported by a range of incentive and extension schemes. However, additional tools are now available to support these current approaches in order to: Increase the level of landholder participation in active native vegetation management and Target priority native vegetation in a cost-effective manner.
PlainsTender utilises a new approach to native vegetation management on private land. The unique features of this approach are: Landholders establish their own price for the management services they are prepared to offer to improve their native vegetation. This price forms the basis for their bid, which is compared with the bids from all other landholders participating. Successful bids will be those that offer the best value for money. Successful landholders will receive periodic payments for their services under management agreements signed with PlainsTender.
How does PlainsTender Work?
Expressions of Interest - Landholders located on the Victorian Volcanic Plains register a formal expression of interest through PlainsTender.
Site Assessment - A PlainsTender Field Officer will contact Landholders who express an interest to arrange a site visit. During the site visit the field officer will assess the significance and quality of the native vegetation and discuss management options with the Landholder.
Development of Management Plan - Landholders will identify the actions they propose to undertake, and with the field officer, prepare an agreed management plan as the basis for a bid. Landholders may choose to offer permanent protection of the native vegetation.
Submission of Bid - The Landholder will submit a sealed bid that nominates the amount of payment being sought by them to undertake the actions in the agreed management plan.
Bid Assessment - All bids will be assessed objectively on the basis of: Current conservation value of the site, Amount of service offered, Cost. Funds will be allocated on the basis of ‘best value for money’, subject to maintaining acceptable value.
Management Agreements - Successful bidders will be able to sign agreements based on the previously agreed management plan.
Reporting and payments - Periodic payments and reporting will occur as specified in the agreement.
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