Minister for the Environment Gabrielle Upton and South Coast MP Shelley Hancock announced the grants as they toured Mr Miller’s dairy farming property in Milton on Friday, November 2.

The funding, under 10-year landholder management agreements, is part of the Milton Ulladulla Rainforest Revival project.

The revival project begun in January and includes $41,000 in in-kind contributions from Mr Miller and Mr Katz to fence, weed and replant rainforest on their properties.

“Robert and Simon’s efforts and investment in protecting this subtropical rainforest, which is a threatened ecological community, are inspirational,” Ms Upton said.

“We have a partnership here where we can protect remnant subtropical rainforest.”

Mr Miller will receive $45,000 in funding, and will provide $25,000 in-kind to fence five hectares of existing rainforest, and plant 4,000 new trees over an additional three hectares.

Mr Katz will receive $12,000 in grants, along with $23,000 in co managed funding to combine with $16,000 in-kind to fence and weed four hectares of remnant rainforest, and to plant 2,000 trees over two hectares. 

Mrs Hancock welcomed the funding and the Minister’s visit as part of Community Cabinet, which was held at the Ulladulla Civic Centre on November 1.

“These funds will help the local farmers with the purchase of fencing material and water troughs to remove livestock from two areas of remnant rainforest,” Mrs Hancock said.

Mrs Hancock said the works will enable restoration through weed control and revegetation of the rainforest, while striking the “right balance” between protecting threatened habitat and supporting farmers.

Mr Miller’s family first recognised the importance in 1992 when they fenced the protected areas. 

“When you get the opportunity to look after [nature], you make the step and say ‘yes, I’m going to do it’,” he said.

“It’s part of being a farmer these days. I’m going to look after it for the next 25 years.”

Mr Miller said he wants to see the rainforest double in size.

“We’ve already got a lot of trees planted from Croobyar Creek to Narrawallee Inlet,” he said. 

“From here it will be another kilomtere to the Croobyar creek and a linkage right through.”

Mr Miller praised the support of conservationists, who joined them to plant five areas on the northern side of the forest, and the work of Milton Rural Landcare who have collected seeds and propagated native plants.

The subtropical rainforest has a canopy about 15 metres high, with some trees more than 25 metres tall. It is home to several threatened species including the Powerful Owl and Grey-headed Flying-fox, and has many sub-tropical plants species not found any further south.

Land clearing, compounded by grazing, light intrusion, wind and weeds have caused fragmentation that has threatened the region’s subtropical rainforest. Other threats include urban development, tree cutting for firewood, rubbish dumping and road widening.

Residents can access the Milton Rainforest Walk from Church Street. 

This grant is part of a three and-a-half year, $400,000 SoS project funded by OEH to increase the extent, resilience and protection of this endangered rainforest community.

Project partners include OEH, South East Local Land Services, National Parks and Wildlife Service, Shoalhaven City Council, Milton Rural Landcare, Milton Rainforest Bushcare, Milton Primary School and private landholders.