FARMERS in Western Australia’s wheat belt will share in more than $540,000 under the Coalition Government’s National Landcare Programme to help protect the local habitat and reduce the threat of feral foxes and cats targeting native animals.

This latest funding through the Wheatbelt Natural Resource Management Inc (Wheatbelt NRM) Community Bushcare grants will help 49 farmers conserve priority habitat and protect some of WA’s most threatened species, including the red-tailed phascogale and the mallee fowl.

The projects will see more than 210 kilometres of fencing rolled out to protect priority habitat from stock.

About 165 hectares of farmland will be revegetated with 129,750 seedlings planted to create a buffer around habitat and help connect the landscape.

Some projects will also target feral animals such as foxes, cats and rabbits, which contribute to the decline of threatened species.

Wheatbelt NRM’s funding is part of its commitment to invest more than 20 per cent of its National Landcare Programme funding in local projects and community engagement activities.

September 5-11 is National Landcare Week.

The Federal Coalition is investing $1 billion to help support better natural resource management across Australia through the National Landcare Programme.  This includes more than $438 million in funding to Australia’s 56 regional natural resource management organisations.

There are now more than 5400 Landcare groups working across Australia to support an integrated, productive and sustainable approach to land management.