Frequently Asked Questions

Transcription

1 Wet Tropi Sugar Indu Partnershi Frequently Asked Questions REEF REPEATED TENDERS WET TROPICS Round 3 [1] What if my farm is partially in the [3] Do I need to provide a map for [5] Can I submit more than one Wet Tropics? every farm in a multiple farm tender? tender application? If your property boundaries extend Yes. The mapping tool must include No, you can only submit one tender beyond the Wet Tropics Natural every farm that is part of the project. application per legal entity. If you own Resource Management (NRM) region, Ensure you map all the farm s current or operate more than one cane farm in the whole property will be eligible for the and future cane cropping area, not the the Wet Tropics under the same ABN, program. property boundary. The mapped area of you can include them in one single cane should also reflect the area entered tender. Any farm can only be included in into the nitrogen management calculator. one tender application. Farm locations [2] Can I submit a tender application with multiple farms? Yes. A tender application can include more than one cane farm owned or [4] Can we submit a group tender application? must be mapped during the application process. If a farm is included in more than one tender, all tenders that include operated by a single legal entity. In No. The exception is family owned farms the farm will be excluded from the this case, each one will be required to considered as one management unit. assessment process. provide three years of historical data A tender can be submitted for one or and current documentation that clearly multiple farms managed by one family shows activities related to each farm in unit. the application. [6] I have just bought a cane farm. Is it eligible? Yes, however you will need to obtain the farms fertiliser application records 1

2 for the past three years. As described in the guidelines, your baseline nitrogen applied will use the average of the last three years of nitrogen application rates (kg/ha). [7] When will I have to make the proposed improvements to my nitrogen management? You will be required to implement your proposed changes in each of the years 2018, 2019, 2020, and [8] What is the maximum value of funds I can seek through the tender application? The tender price can be up to $500,000. Applications will be evaluated based on value for money. Your nominated tender price will need to be competitive to be considered for funding. You will also need to be realistic and make sure you nominate sufficient funds to support you to carry out your proposed changes. [9] Do I have to complete any training? Yes. Within the first year of the contract you must complete the self-assessment component of the following three Smartcane Best Management Practice (BMP) Modules: Soil Health and Nutrition Management; Weed, Pest and Disease Management; and Irrigation and Drainage Management. Smartcane BMP Modules can be completed online. It is likely you can complete all three in less than three hours. Please see fact sheet 4 for further details. By the end of the contract period, you are required to have developed a nutrient management plan and achieved Smartcane BMP Accreditation. [10] Can I submit a tender application if I have participated in another Australian Government program? Yes, so long as you do not have an overdue final report and/or acquittal for another program delivered by the Department of the Environment and Energy. It is also important to remember that you will not be funded for activities that have already been undertaken or are substantially the same activities as those funded by another initiative or program. For example, if you received funding to assist you in reducing your nitrogen application, either through previous Reef Trust Tenders or other programs, (this can include the purchasing of equipment), you may not be eligible. [11] Where can I get further information and assistance? You can speak to our project staff on or you can contact your local WTSIP Extension Officer (contact details are available at wtsip.org.au/team). [12] If successful, can I vary the length of the contract? No. You will be required to implement your proposed changes during the years 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021 as well as meet all other milestones and requirements detailed in the template draft Grant Contract, which is available at: marine/gbr/reef-trust/ repeated-reverseauctions [13] How will I know if my efforts are making a difference for the reef? The cane industry has been making huge shifts in practice change over the last few years and this had a positive effect on water quality. The Wet Tropics Report Card released in December 2017 scored all of our local waterways as good moderate, which is a reflection of the changes that farmers have been making. It is important that we are able to capture the data so we can promote the changes taking place by the industry. The data for the Report Card comes from the Paddock to Reef Integrated Monitoring, Modelling and Reporting (P2R) Programme. More information on P2R can be found at: measuring-success/paddock-to-reef/ For information on Reef Wide and Region Report cards go to: measuring-success/report-cards/ 2

3 [14] How will my personal information be used? The information you provide in your tender application will be used to assess your tender application and to fill out your contract if you are successful. The assessment panel will not have the full online tender submitted by you. They will consider your application based on the nitrogen reduction score, outcomes from any required site visits, the proposed practices you intend to implement and the risks you identify. If you are successful the Government will only place your name, NRM region and tender price on their webpage. Your pollutant reduction score and any farm management information such as the baseline nitrogen application, the proposed nitrogen application or the historical and proposed nitrogen application rates is NOT published. Information may also be shared with Wet Tropics, State or Australian Government agencies and individual experts involved in Reef Trust delivery, Smartcane BMP, researchers for evaluation and development of future programs and Members of Parliament. The Australian National Audit Office may also request access to relevant activity files. Please note that all information submitted to the Australian Government is subject to the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act 1982 and the Privacy Act [15] Do I have to make improvements in nitrogen management across my whole farm? You only need to reduce your use of nitrogen fertiliser in the mapped project area you nominate. As long as you meet these project goals, it is up to you what changes you make across the rest of your farm. For example, you must identify a minimum proposed nitrogen reduction of 1 tonne per year and at least a 5% reduction from the baseline nitrogen applied up to 10 tonnes (after which the 5% reduction does not apply). In delivering improvements, you are encouraged to consider how you manage different parts of your farm and how you manage your farm at different times of the year. [16] Can I increase my yield to improve my nitrogen management? We encourage you to manage your crop so that your yield is maintained or improved. Putting practices in place to improve your yield is an effective way to improve your nitrogen management. This goal of this program is to support you to supply nitrogen fertiliser at a rate, time and way to maximise the uptake by the growing cane crop, and therefore reduce loss to the reef. It does not provide incentives to growers to increase their nitrogen management through improved yield. [17] What would I need to do if successful? Within the first year of your contract you will need to: Complete the self-assessment of the three key Smartcane BMP modules as highlighted at Question 10. Put in place certain management practices on your farm/s including, for example: - subsurface fertiliser application; - calibrated nutrient application equipment; - routine soil sampling; - if mill by-products are applied then they should be limited to less than 100 wet tonnes/hectare. Complete a short survey each year on your farm management practices. Prepare a nutrient management plan by the end of the first 12 months of the contract, which must be revised six months before the contract end date. Achieve Smartcane BMP accreditation before the end of the contract. Call for more information. [18] I grow another crop in between cane crops; does nitrogen reduction apply to that crop as well? The project is aimed at improving cane nitrogen management practices, so calculations are based on nitrogen use in cane, not total fertiliser used on the property. It is important you record fallow nitrogen use. 3

4 [19] I bought a sub-surface applicator last year, can I count this as part of my tender? Only changes that are to be undertaken as a result of this program can be used to calculate your change to nitrogen management. Equipment previously purchased or changed practices are included as part of your baseline calculations. [20] I have just transferred to cane from another farming practice (e.g. cattle or papaya). Is my farm eligible? No, because you need cane fertiliser records for the past three years so that you have a historical baseline from which to show improvements as a result of this funding. [21] When mapping and entering my cane area, what should I include? The mapped cane area must reflect the cane cropping (cane block) areas of the farm to be included in the project (this includes areas in fallow). Remember that if you are submitting a multi-farm tender you must map the cane area of each farm to be included in the project. The cane area (ha) to be entered into the tender application form s nitrogen management calculator must reflect the cane cropping (cane block) areas of the farm to be included in the project (i.e. blocks under cane and fallow) for years 2018, 2019, 2020 and You must keep records of your cane area for the duration of your contract, along with other requirements. See the draft Grant Contract, available online at: gbr/reef-trust/repeated-reverse-auctions [22] My cane area will change over the next five years as I take some blocks in and out of fallow. What do I do? Your application requires you to enter the cane cropping (cane block) areas of the farm to be included in this project (i.e. blocks under cane and fallow) for the life of the project. If your application is successful, variations of plus or minus 25% from the annual cane area will be permitted for each year of the contract to allow for business as usual crop and fallow rotations. However, your proposed total nitrogen application for the farm must not be exceeded. You must keep records of your cane area for the duration of the contract. Please note that an increase in cane area will not result in an increased payment. In accordance with the contract, you will receive the funds requested in your tender application and no more. [23] I would like to expand the cane cropping area of my farm over the next three years, can I? If you receive a contract, you cannot expand the area under cane for this project beyond what has been entered into the tender application for the duration of the contract period. Variations of plus or minus 25 per cent from the annual cane area will be permitted each year of the contract to allow for business as usual crop and fallow rotations, not crop expansion. All future cane areas must already be intended for the purpose of growing cane. This project does not allow you to purchase land that is not already under cane and convert that to cane. [24] My annual historical nitrogen application rate is over 160 (kg N/ ha), what happens in this instance? The Nitrogen Management Calculator will allow you to enter your baseline nitrogen application rates for the last three years, even if your nitrogen application rates exceed 160 (kg N/ha). When calculating the improvement in nitrogen management (the nitrogen reduction score) if your baseline nitrogen application rate is higher than 160 kg N, the calculator will automatically calculate the improvement from 160 kg N/ha/yr. That is the highest rate recommended by 6ES for the Wet Tropics. However, it is important that you enter your actual nitrogen rate so that the full value of your nitrogen reduction will be recorded and shown as part of practice changes in the Wet Tropics. 4

5 Wet Tropics REEF Sugar Industry Partnership FOR MORE INFORMATION INFORMATION MEETINGS For general information and all the 5 February (10am-11.30am) critical links go to: reef-trust-repeated-tenders/ OR For the full tender guidelines and online tender application, go to the Department of the Environment and Energy s website reef-trust reeftrust@terrain.org.au Call: Terrain NRM on Tully Mill Hall, Writ Lane, Tully 6 February (9am-10.30am) HCPSL, 181 Fairford Rd, Ingham 7 February (9.30am-11am) Innisfail Australian Sugar Heritage Centre (Sugar Museum), Mourilyan 7 February (2pm-3.30pm) Gordonvale Canegrowers 29 Norman St, Gordonvale 8 February (9am-10.30am) Mossman Ag Services 107 Alchera Drive, Mossman 5