EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST HAVE NOW CLOSED.

More than 590 hectares of conservation area along the Murrumbidgee River in west Belconnen will be protected by a new Conservation Trust.

The Ginninderry Joint Venture is seeking expressions of interest (EOI) from the community for members of the Ginninderry Conservation Trust’s governing board.

Trust members will have responsibility for the environmental and conservation management of the natural and heritage features of the ACT’s 373 hectare portion of the corridor. Pending approval, the NSW portion of 217 hectares, will also be managed by the new Trust.

The Ginninderry Conservation Trust’s governing board requires a diverse skill set across conservation, community engagement, financial, legal, commercial and governance fields. The Ginninderry Joint Venture is calling for relevant skills and experience to guide this initiative.

In order to operate the Trust, financial contributions will be directed both from the ACT Government and the Ginninderry Joint Venture partnership to meet the recurrent funding needs for the conservation of this important area.

One of the earlier projects of the Trust will be to restore river access and to return safe access to the Ginninderra Falls area and open it to the community. This direct contribution model sets a new precedent for greenfields development in the region, demonstrating a strong commitment to environmental sustainability.

The corridor is an important natural asset crossing the ACT-NSW border and home to protected fauna and flora, including the Pink-tailed Worm-lizard and Yellow Box Red Gum Grassy Woodlands.

The Trust is an example of collaboration in planning and conservation to safeguard Canberra’s natural assets that support Canberra as a city in the landscape.

Expressions of interest close on 3o April. The EOI document can be downloaded here.