Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Scot MacDonald made the announcement on August 23, saying the funding grant was part of the NSW Government’s Restoration and Rehabilitation Grant Program.

The program encourages and enables organisations to protect, conserve and restore the state’s environment.

“The project will allow for the restoration of three hectares with two endangered ecological communities of freshwater wetland and swamp sclerophyll Forest,” Mr MacDonald said.

“This will occur through weeding plus propagation and revegetation with 9000 tube-stock plants.

“The project will also increase foraging habitat for vulnerable magpie goose, and reduce weed infestation of endangered Australasian bittern habitat in a key coastal refuge in the Hunter estuary.”

Revegetation would also expand the area of endangered waterplants and control of foxes and feral cats would be “through baiting, trapping and shooting” to reduce risks for threatened waterbirds.

It would also provide a coastal nesting refuge for four species of egrets, according to Mr MacDonald.

David Crofts, chair of the Hunter Wetlands Centre board, said the support provided by the NSW Government grant was of great value.

“This grant will permit the Wetlands Centre to continue to restore its site, provide improved habitat for threatened species, and a better experience for the centre’s many visitors,” Mr Crofts said.

“For over thirty years the Wetlands Centre has built a strong partnership between the community and government.”

NSW Environment Minister Gabrielle Upton said the program had been running for more than two decades and encouraged local groups to apply.

She said this year’s grants enabled community groups to undertake important conservation work to improve the health of the state’s rivers and wetlands, control invasive species and conserve threatened native plants and animals.

For more details on the government grants, go to www.environment.nsw.gov.au/grants/restoration.