Rural Tree Scheme 2024

Are you a rural landowner? Would you like more indigenous plants on your property at a discounted price? Then consider Moira Shire's Rural Tree Scheme which gives rural ratepayers access to subsidised indigenous plants.

At $1 per plant, this also includes a cardboard guard and stakes for protection.

Who is eligible? 

All rural ratepayers in the Moira Shire are eligible to purchase plants at a subsidised rate through this scheme. You must own property in the farming, rural living or rural conservation zone. If you are uncertain about which zone you live in, search for a planning report or contact Council on 5871 9222.

Plant numbers available are capped at:

  • Properties <5ha at 50 plants per rate notice
  • Properties  >5ha at 160 plants per rate notice

The scheme is capped at three rate notices per owner.

You must also agree to plant and tend to all the plants you purchase. This includes protection from grazing, weed control and watering. Council staff may arrange a site visit with you to ensure this is happening. 

 

STEP 1: Identify which option you will use to select your plant species - Option 1 or 2

STEP 2: Complete your Expression of Interest

STEP 3: If successful, you will receive a letter and invoice for payment

STEP 4: Finalise invoice - Payments need to be made by 30 Nov

STEP 5: Prepare your area for planting

STEP 6: Collect trees and tree guards from the nursery - 1 May - 30 June

Plant species selection Information - Option 1

If you select Option 1, please review the provided information prior to selecting the plant species.

 

 Bioregion - Murray Fans

Murray Fans include Northern parts of Moira along the Murray River including townships Barmah, Picola, Nathalia, Bearii, Cobram and Yarrawonga
 Soil type  Site  Plant composition and percentage
 Riverine Woodlands  l /cl/c  Murray River   Floodplain, periodic   waterlogging  River Red-gum (20%)
 Black Box (20%)
 Willow Wattle (20%)
 River Cooba (20%)
 Silver Wattle (20%)
 Plains Woodland  sl/l/cl/c  Seasonally waterlogged, generally dry  Black Box (10%)
 Buloke (20%)
 Grey Box (20%)
 Gold-dust Wattle (10%)
 Mallee Wattle (10%)
 Golden Wattle (20%)
 Sweet Bursaria 10%)
 Sand Woodland  s/sl/l  Dry, does not hold   water and never   floods  Yellow Box (10%)
 White Cypress-pine (10%)
 Buloke (10%)
 Lightwood (10%)
 Weeping Pittosporum (10%)
 Hedge Wattle (10%)
 Hakea Wattle (10%)
 Varnish Wattle (10%)
 Wedge-leaf Hop-bush (20%)

 Bioregion - Victorian Riverina

Victorian Riverina include southern parts of Moira including townships Numurkah, Tungamah, Wilby and Lake Rowan
 Riverine Woodlands  l/cl/c  Floodplains of   Goulburn River and   Broken Creek,   periodic   waterlogging  River Red-gum (40%)
 Silver Wattle (20%)
 Golden Wattle (20%)
 Plains Woodland  sl/l/cl/c  Seasonally   waterlogged,   generally dry  Grey Box (10%)
 Yellow Box (10%)
 Buloke (10%)
 Weeping Pittosporum (10%)
 Golden Wattle (10%)
 Mallee Wattle (10%)
 Hedge Wattle (10%)
 Gold-dust Wattle (10%)
 Sweet Bursaria (10%)
 Wedge-leaf Hop-bush (10%)
 Shallow Sands   Woodland  s/sl  Dry, does not hold   water and never   floods  Yellow Box (10%)
 White Cypress-pine (10%)
 Buloke (10%)
Lightwood (10%)
Hooked Needlewood (10%)
Hakea Wattle (10%)
Varnish Wattle (10%)
Sweet Bursaria (10%)
Wedge-leaf Hop-bush (20%)
Open Eucalyptus Forest Stony soils Dry, does not hold water and never floods Red Iron Bark (30%)
Grey Box (10%)
Golden Wattle (40%)
Gold-dust Wattle (20%)

 

Plant species selection Information - Option 2

If you select Option 2, please review the provided information prior to selecting the number of plants in 10s

Common name Species name Determine plant suitability based on your property
Form Region1 Height (m)2 Soils3 Sites4
River Red Gum Eucalyptus camaldulensis Large tree T 25-30+ sl/l/cl/c W
Yellow Box Eucalyptus melliodora Large tree T 25-30+ s/sl D
Grey Box Eucalyptus microcarpa Large tree T 25-30 sl/l/cl/c D
Black Box Eucalyptus largiflorens Large tree W 20-25 l/cl/c W
Buloke Allocasuarina luehmannii Med tree T 15-20 sl/l/cl D
White Cypress Pine Callitris glaucophylla Med tree T 15-20 s/sl D
Red Iron Bark Eucalyptus sideroxylon Med tree E 15-20 Stony D
Lightwood Acacia implexa Small tree T 5-10 sl/l/cl W, D
River Cooba Acacia stenophylla Small tree W 5-10 l/cl/c W, D
Weeping Pittosporum Pittosporum angustifolium Small tree T 5-10 sl/l D
Weeping myall Acacia pendula Small tree T 5-10 l/cl/c D
Silver banksia Banksia marginate Small tree T 5-10 s/sl/l D
Willow Wattle Acacia salicina Small tree T 5-10 sl/l/cl W, D
Hooked needlewood Hakea tephrosperma Small tree T 5-10 sl/l/cl D
Golden Wattle Acacia pycnantha Large Shrub T 5-10 sl/l/cl/c D
Silver Wattle Acacia dealbata Large Shrub T 5-10 sl/l/cl W, D
Sweet Bursaria Bursaria spinosa Large Shrub T 5-10 sl/l/cl D
Varnish wattle Acacia verniciflua Med Shrub T 2-5 s/sl/l D
Mallee wattle Acacia montana Med Shrub T 2-5 sl/l/cl D
Hakea wattle Acacia hakeoids Med Shrub T 2-5 sl/l/cl D
Hedge Wattle Acacia paradoxa Med Shrub T 2-5 sl/l/cl D
Gold-dust Wattle Acacia acinacea Med Shrub T 2-5 sl/l/cl D
Wedge-leaf Hop-bush Dodonaea viscosa ssp. cuneata Med Shrub T 2-5 s/sl/l/cl D
River Bottlebrush Callistemon sieber Med Shrub E 2-5 sl/l/cl/c W
Hedge Saltbush Rhagodia spinescens Small shrub W,C 0.5-1 l/cl/c D
Key: 1Region: T throughout Shire; W West = Barmah, Picola, Nathalia, Bearii, and Waaia; C Central = Numurkah, Cobram and Katamatite; E East = Yarrawonga, Tungamah, Wilby and Lake Rowan.
2Height: approximations only
3 Soils: Indicates the soil type/s each plant is best suited to: s = sand, sl = sandy loam, l = loam, cl = clay loam, c = clay
4Sites: W wet, waterlogged or depressions areas or areas that are wet because of excess irrigation water in summer, or hold water for prolonged periods of time; D Dryland, plants with some drought tolerance, suited to the dry periods across the plains.

 

 

Expression of interest

You can order your indigenous plants from 1 July every year. It is best to order early as Council may close the scheme early if demand is high. Once the orders have been received, nurseries propagate the plants, which are available to ratepayers from May the following year. 

Rural Tree Scheme Expression of Interest
What's the preferred method of contacting you * (required)
Property <5ha - maximum 50 seedlings per rate notice Property >5ha - maximum 160 seedlings per rate notice
Plant species selection
Please select either one option * (required)
Option 1 - If option 1 was selected, please make seletion in Bioregion relevant to your township.
Murray Fans include Northern parts of Moira along the Murray River including townships Barmah, Picola, Nathalia, Bearii, Cobram and Yarrawonga
Victorian Riverina include southern parts of Moira including townships Numurkah, Tungamah, Wilby and Lake Rowan
Option 2 - If option 2 was selected, please enter quanties against your choice of species. Note a maximum of 160 units in total.
Identify number of plants in 10s

Council is collecting and providing the nursery involved in the scheme your personal information for the purpose of your expression of interest in Moira’s ‘Rural Tree Scheme’. Information collected may be disclosed if authorised by law. It is Council's intention to require contractors to comply with the Acts in all respects. You can find out more about how we use and protect your information by viewing our Privacy Policy. If you require access to the information you have provided, please contact Council. 

What are my responsibilities?

By participating in the Rural Tree Scheme, you agree to plant and tend to the plants you receive.

You are expected to:

  • plan your project about a year before planting;
  • prepare the land properly before planting, including weed control;
  • plant plants between May and August;
  • appropriately guard the plants;
  • water the plants in initially with 5-10L and as required to improve their survivorship rates over the first year;
  • provide ongoing maintenance and retain them;

If you wish to remove the plants, contact Council for approval. You must also inform future property owners that the plants were sourced through Moira Shire’s Rural Tree Scheme and that they are to be retained.

Information and advice on site preparation and weed control is available here or contact the Council's Environment Team. 

What plant species can I purchase?

The plants available under the Rural Tree Scheme are listed here(PDF, 12MB). Orders can be based on your specific bioregion or specific species may be selected. These orders must be in multiples of 10 per species and plant availability may vary. If you would like help to select plants most suited to your property, please ask the nursery, use the Revegetation Guide for the Goulburn Broken Catchment, or speak with Council's Environmental Team.

What nurseries are involved in the scheme?   

Australian Native Farm Forestry Discount Plants Pty - 6 Cobrawonga Rd, Cobram East VIC 3644.

Other nurseries are welcome to participate in this scheme. To be considered you must be able to provide healthy native indigenous tube stock, be located in Moira Shire or a Shire immediately adjacent to Moira. If you wish to be considered contact Council.

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