GreenGrid

Current Environmental Sponsorship Program

GreenGrid

TransGrid's has had a long and ongoing relationship with Greening Australia in the Southern Region of NSW that dates back to 1997. Recently, this relationship has been further strengthened through 'GreenGrid' a joint initiative/partnership between the two organisations.

Our long relationship with Greening Australia effectively laid the foundations for a new, more targeted drive of community conservation activity in Southern NSW, which now focuses on bridging the gap between existing Greening Australia sites and TransGrid's developing transmission network, aimed at:

'Protecting and connecting habitat for threatened woodland birds while simultaneously managing native vegetation to achieve multiple natural resource management objectives'.

GreenGrid's tag line: 'Bringing life to landscapes, Bringing landscapes to life' seems aptly chosen. In terms of both environmental and community benefits, the achievements of GreenGrid are indeed life-enhancing, and continue to grow.

TransGrid's support for Greening Australia through 'GreenGrid' targets loss of biodiversity, deteriorating water quality and increasing salinity in the Lachlan and Murrumbidgee catchments by:

engaging farmers in practical onground action across the landscape.
encouraging a co-operative arrangement where TransGrid staff and the community volunteer to help get the job done.

Achievements

Achievements over the life of TransGrid's relationship with Greening Australia include:

Environmental Achievements:

The total area of remnant vegetation and native revegetation 'greened' through the partnership is over 493 hectares which is equivalent to almost 1000 football fields.
The partnership has seen habitat protected and new vegetation established for more than 10,000 native birds, including threatened woodland species.
Over 160,000 native plants have been propagated with a commitment to a similar number over the next three years.
208 hectares of native remnant vegetation have been protected, including four sites larger than 10 hectares and the largest site being 120 hectares.
191 kilometres of fencing have been completed to help exclude stock and protect over 200,000 native plants.
Through the sponsorship, 335 kilometres of direct seeding of native vegetation have been completed with a further 100 kilometres committed over the next three years.

Community Achievements

160 landholders and 870 volunteers, including TransGrid staff have been engaged in environmental activity during the past 4 years of the partnership.
The landholder contribution to the environmental work has been 2:1.
A series of events have directly engaged people in our shared community, business, special interests, government agencies, schools, landcare groups and individuals.
As well TransGrid staff have participated in 4 propagation workshops, 3 planting events and 3 fieldtrips in the past two years.
Community volunteer and landcare involvement continues to rise as environmental awareness and regional recognition of TransGrid grows.

Future Directions

TransGrid and Greening Australia are keen to expand on the current relationship, by transforming a community partnership in Southern NSW into a more fully developed partnership across the whole state. This means that the future partnership is aiming to use the emerging results of GreenGrid to "keep growing" in Southern Region as well as to reach out selectively and symbolically into other regions of NSW.

TransGrid will also continue to expand its 'Birds on a Wire' program, which involves the production and distribution of a series of brochures recommending suitable species for planting across Southern NSW and identifies the local native birds that could be expected to benefit from these plantings.