Limestone Coast Landscape Board Business Plan
2023/24
This Business Plan delivers on the
Limestone Coast Landscape Board Regional Landscape Plan 2021/26
Our vision
A healthy, productive and biodiverse Limestone Coast landscape
Be at the heart of the community, inclusive of First Nations and resilient to a changing climate.
Acknowledgement to Country
The Limestone Coast Landscape Board acknowledges Aboriginal people as the First People and Nations of the ancestral lands and waters of the Limestone Coast. We acknowledge the elders past, present and future and we respect the deep feelings of attachment and relationships of Aboriginal People to Country including the language groups: Meintangk, Potaruwutij, Bunganditj, Tatiara/Ngarkat, Tanganekald (Southern Clans) and Ngarrindjeri, and we commit to working together to look after our landscape.
A message from the Limestone Coast Landscape Board Chair, Dr. Penny Schulz.
"Our Business Plan confirms our commitment of work to deliver in 2023/24 but it's also a good time to reflect on what we've been working on over the last 12 months and some key projects that are coming up that we're excited about."
Limestone Coast Landscape Board Members
Regional representatives who make decisions about investment in landscape management, derived from landscape and water levies, in conjunction with the Limestone Coast Regional Landscape Plan.
Dr. Penny Schulz - Chair
Robbie Davis
Mark Bachmann
Peter Bissell
Tracey Strugnell
Fiona Rasheed
Staff
The board delivers on its objectives through the employment of a General Manager, and a team of public sector employees. The board, through the General Manager, employs 43.3 full-time equivalent staff working to deliver the programs and projects with employee costs of approximately $4M. A number of these positions are funded through external funding sources.
Staff work across the Limestone Coast, with locations throughout the region.
A number of corporate and water science services are provided to the board through Service Level Agreements with the Department for Environment and Water and the Department of Treasury and Finance, Shared Services SA.
Walking Together Statement
The Limestone Coast Landscape Board is committed to walking with First Nations to manage our landscape. We demonstrate this commitment through adoption of the Lartara-Wirkeri Cultural Governance framework developed with the South East Aboriginal Focus Group. This Framework has been incorporated into our Regional Landscape and Annual Business Plans to support opportunities for engagement and procuring services from First Nations groups.
Sources of funding
The Limestone Coast Landscape Board receives funding through the collection of levies (landscape levy and water levies) as well as through agreements with State and Australian Government or other funding partners.
The chart provides the estimated funding (income) for the 2023/24 financial year.
The Limestone Coast Landscape Board will seek funding opportunities during the 2023/24 year to supplement the programs and projects outlined in this plan, including through the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program.
|
Funding source |
2023/24 income |
|---|---|
|
Landscape and water levies |
|
|
Regional landscape levy |
$5,183,595 |
|
Water levy |
$4,349,493 |
|
External funding |
|
|
National Water Grid Authority |
$520,000 |
|
South Australian Government Heritage Outreach Service |
$130,000 |
|
Other sources of income |
|
|
Pest control service |
$347,000 |
|
Other sources of income |
$185,982 |
|
Total revenue |
$10,716,070 |
Unspent amount of $1,356,962 from levy and external funding in 2021/22 has been allocated to priorities and is included in the expenditure amounts provided below.
Prioritising our investment
|
Priority investment |
Landscape and water levies |
External funding |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Educating and partnering to sustainably manage our landscapes |
$916,326 |
$916,326 |
|
|
Protecting and balancing our region's water resources |
$4,058,275 |
$520,000 |
$4,578,275 |
|
Growing sustainable primary production |
$878,055 |
$329,344 |
$1,207,399 |
|
Working collaboratively to manage pest plants and animals |
$3,254,261 |
$352,624 |
$3,606,885 |
|
Conserving and enhancing our region's biodiversity |
$1,126,100 |
$361,587 |
$1,487,687 |
|
Grassroots Grants |
$276,460 |
$276,460 |
|
|
Total |
$10,509,477 |
$1,563,555 |
$12,073,032 |
Our work
Protecting and balancing our region's water resources
Managing water for all purposes, towards a balance that is understood and recognised.
|
Key Activities |
Investment |
|---|---|
|
National Water Grid Authority groundwater science |
$606,000 |
|
Water Allocation Planning - Padthaway, Tatiara and Lower Limestone Coast |
$124,500 |
|
Regional groundwater dependent ecosystems |
$100,000 |
|
Monitoring and Water Affecting Activity control programs |
$15,500 |
|
Program delivery |
$3,732,275 |
|
$4,578,275 |
|
Growing sustainable primary production
Supporting sustainable and integrated land management for environmental stewardship across the region.
|
Key Activities |
Investment |
|---|---|
|
Weather station network upgrade |
$70,000 |
|
Strategy development and strategic projects |
$354,609 |
|
Soil extension project |
$153,376 |
|
Program delivery |
$629,414 |
|
$1,207,399 |
|
Working collaboratively to manage pest plants and animals
Creating relationships to collectively manage pest plants and animals to support environmental, primary production and community outcomes.
|
Key Activities |
Investment |
|---|---|
|
Feral deer eradication |
$385,624 |
|
Pest campaigns, including priority weed species |
$74,500 |
|
African Lovegrass partnership |
$60,000 |
|
Asset renewal program |
$92,300 |
|
Pest Control Service |
$347,000 |
|
Program delivery |
$2,647,461 |
|
$3,606,885 |
|
Conserving and enhancing our region's biodiversity
Maintaining biodiversity through partnering for increased environmental stewardship.
|
Key Activities |
Investment |
|---|---|
|
Biodiversity incentives |
$70,000 |
|
Targeted wetland incentives |
$30,000 |
|
Karst Springs |
$30,000 |
|
Paddock tree project |
$130,000 |
|
Our Coorong Our Coast |
$47,000 |
|
Communities Helping Cockies |
$41,000 |
|
Heritage Outreach Services |
$130,000 |
|
Strategy project development |
$108,207 |
|
Program delivery |
$901,480 |
|
$1,487,687 |
|
Educating and partnering to sustainably manage
our landscapes
Working together in the management of and towards a connectedness with our landscape.
|
Key Activities |
Investment |
|---|---|
|
Young Environmental Leaders Program |
$21,000 |
|
Program sessions and teacher professional development |
$8,000 |
|
Program expansion: existing programs, Walking the Seasons, sustainable primary production youth group |
$66,000 |
|
First Nations engagement |
$66,000 |
|
First Nations activities and support for managed lands |
$24,000 |
|
Program delivery |
$731,326 |
|
$916,326 |
|
Landscape levy rates and collection from Local Government
The landscape levy will be raised and collected on our behalf by local councils. Councils pay quarterly contributions to the Limestone Coast Landscape Board. Under the Landscape South Australia Act 2019, new arrangements apply for councils to be reimbursed for unpaid levies.
In this Business Plan, the Limestone Coast Landscape Board has retained the basis of the landscape levy as a fixed charge of an amount that depends on the purpose for which rateable land is used. A landscape levy based on land use purpose is viewed to align with a ‘beneficiary pays’ principle (e.g. primary production landholders pay a higher rate for the landscape levy as they use natural resources to generate an income and they are more likely to receive benefit from Limestone Coast Landscape Board programs). The Limestone Coast Landscape Board is continuing to use the purpose of use categories of commercial, industrial, primary production, and residential/vacant land/other uses.
Landscape levy rates have been increased by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) of 8.4% (September 2022 quarter, Adelaide)
Estimated council contributions to Landscape levy income and collection costs for 2023/24
|
Coorong District Council |
|||
|
Number of rateable properties |
Indicative council area contribution |
Indicative council area share of levy |
Council area collection fee |
|---|---|---|---|
|
827 |
$197,369 |
2% |
$3,068 |
|
Tatiara District Council |
|||
|
Number of rateable properties |
Indicative council area contribution |
Indicative council area share of levy |
Council area collection fee |
|---|---|---|---|
|
3,443 |
$569,079 |
9% |
$3,800 |
|
Kingston District Council |
|||
|
Number of rateable properties |
Indicative council area contribution |
Indicative council area share of levy |
Council area collection fee |
|---|---|---|---|
|
2,078 |
$269,159 |
5% |
$3,418 |
|
Naracoorte Lucindale Council |
|||
|
Number of rateable properties |
Indicative council area contribution |
Indicative council area share of levy |
Council area collection fee |
|---|---|---|---|
|
4,305 |
$714,306 |
11% |
$4,041 |
|
District Council of Robe |
|||
|
Number of rateable properties |
Indicative council area contribution |
Indicative council area share of levy |
Council area collection fee |
|---|---|---|---|
|
2,228 |
$268,380 |
6% |
$3,460 |
|
Wattle Range Council |
|||
|
Number of rateable properties |
Indicative council area contribution |
Indicative council area share of levy |
Council area collection fee |
|---|---|---|---|
|
7,194 |
$1,128,605 |
18.5% |
$4,850 |
|
City of Mount Gambier |
|||
|
Number of rateable properties |
Indicative council area contribution |
Indicative council area share of levy |
Council area collection fee |
|---|---|---|---|
|
14,493 |
$1,351,252 |
37% |
$6,894 |
|
District Council of Grant |
|||
|
Number of rateable properties |
Indicative council area contribution |
Indicative council area share of levy |
Council area collection fee |
|---|---|---|---|
|
4,489 |
$685,647 |
11.5% |
$4,093 |
Levy rate per land use purpose
|
Purpose of use category |
Percentage of levy income raised |
Total no. of properties per land use (January 2023) |
Landscape levy rate per rateable property 2023/24 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Residential, vacant and other |
52.20% |
31,019 |
$87.56 |
|
Commercial |
5.26% |
2,086 |
$131.34 |
|
Industrial |
2.23% |
567 |
$210.14 |
|
Primary production |
40.31% |
5,385 |
$385.26 |
|
Total |
100% |
39,057 |
Water Levy
Water levies will be collected by the Department for Environment and Water on behalf of the Minister and paid to the relevant landscape board.
Water levy rates have been increased by Consumer Price Index (CPI) of 8.4% (September 2022 quarter, Adelaide).
|
Water levy rates |
|
|
Charge Type |
2023/24 |
|---|---|
|
Charge per licence |
$226.45 |
|
Tintinara Coonalpyn, Tatiara, Padthaway and Lower Limestone Coast PWAs |
|
|
Public water supply |
$18.32/ML |
|
Water holdings allocations |
$2.89/ML |
|
Water taking allocations |
$2.89/ML |
|
Specialised Production Requirement (SPR) |
$2.89/ML |
|
Delivery supplement allocations for confined aquifer |
$2.89/ML |
|
Delivery supplement allocations for unconfined aquifer |
$0.29/ML |
|
Water taking allocations for industrial, aquaculture, industrial-dairy, intensive animal keeping, environmental and recreational uses |
$3.82/ML |
|
Lower Limestone Coast Prescribed Wells Area (PWA) only |
|
|
Forest water allocation |
$2.89/ML |
|
Specialised Production Requirements (SPR) frost allocations |
$0.96/ML |
|
Morambro Creek watercourse (including Cockatoo Lake and Nyroca channel) and its surface water area |
|
|
Water taking allocations |
$25.21 per share |
Connect with us
Stay informed and join the conversation
Feral Deer Eradication Program
Achieving eradication of feral deer from the Limestone Coast is a key objective for the Limestone Coast Landscape Board through its Feral Deer Eradication program.
Lower Limestone Coast Water Allocation Plan
We're reviewing the Lower Limestone Coast Water Allocation Plan
Grassroots Grants
Grassroots Grants provides annual funding for Limestone Coast people and groups to do local, on-ground and pracical projects with community and environmental benefits.
Padthaway Water Allocation Plan
The Water Allocation plan for the Padthaway Prescribed Wells Area is undergoing its statutory 10-year review.
Download the PDF version of the Limestone Coast Landscape Board Business Plan 2023/24
Photo credits
Tractors and Helicopter- Steve Bourne
Revegetation - Julie Palmer
Windmill sunset - Evangelia Wichmann
Flooded Paddock - Andrew Moore
Walking Together art - Marie Clark
_____
All other photos are the property of the Limestone Coast Landscape Board
At the time of publication, the Australian Government National Landcare Program funding had not been announced.
Produced by the Limestone Coast Landscape Board June 2023
Disclaimer
The Limestone Coast Landscape Board and the Government of South Australia, their employees and their servants do not warrant or make any representation regarding the use or results of use of the information contained herein as to its correctness, accuracy, currency or otherwise. The Limestone Coast Landscape Board and the Government of South Australia, their employees and their servants expressly disclaim all liability or responsibility to any person using the information or advice contained herein. With the exception of any material or devices protected by Aboriginal rights or a trademark, and sublet to review by the Government of South Australia at all times, the content of this document is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Licence.
For further information contact us
Phone: 08 8429 7550
Email: lclandscapeboardengage@sa.gov.au
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