Water minister Keith Pitt to announce funding for 15,000 new trees in Tamworth visit

He will meet with state counterpart, NSW water minister and Tamworth MP Kevin Anderson to announce local farmers and community groups have been successful in winning five grants under a $20 million healthy rivers program.

Mr Pitt said the funding would finance practical, on-ground projects which would help preserve local rivers and be worth about $400,000 to the local economy.

The bulk of the money will go to Glen Innes landcare group GLENRAC, which won two grants worth $199,203 all told.

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They will do revegetation in the Glen Innes area and improve catchment headwater health near Stonehenge.

Gwydir Shire Council will spend $85,000 working with local First Nations people to control weeds and revegetate woodland at Myall Creek Memorial Site.

Farmers in Emmaville and Deepwater also won grants.

Deputy prime minister and member for New England Barnaby Joyce said the grants would fund 100 hectares of erosion control, plant 15000 native plants and protect over 20 kilometres of riverbank and riparian zone by installing grazing-exclusion fencing.

"One Healthy Rivers grant is backing local farmers to keep the river on their farm at Deepwater healthy," he said.

"They will hire local businesses to undertake earthworks to minimise erosion and install fencing and alternative watering points to keep livestock away from the river, improving water quality."

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