Deadline: 20-May-24
The Community Stewardship Grants are now open to support community-based projects that serve to protect and restore the local environment, enabling local community groups to undertake stewardship of natural resources in their local area.
The Community Stewardship Grants are an initiative of the Western Australian Government managed though the State NRM Program at the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD). The grants are designed to facilitate the conservation and sustainable management of the State’s natural resources by supporting local community groups to undertake stewardship of natural resources in their local area.
Community-based NRM is directed and driven by local, catchment, or regional scale needs and priorities. It recognises the value of local knowledge, volunteer efforts and strong partnerships. The Community Stewardship Grants prioritise the direct involvement of local community groups in all project stages of design, planning and implementation, through which efficient and effective partnerships between government, industry, and community can be fostered.
Priority and Outcomes
- Sustainable management of land resources
- Agricultural landscapes will be maintained or improved by driving sustainable and/or regenerative agricultural practices, focusing on soil biology and landscape management, to produce healthier food, a healthier environment, and improved bottom line to enable enduring prosperity.
- Maintain and enhance water assets
- Water assets will be maintained, improved, and protected through activities that support ecosystem health, water availability, biodiversity, and spiritual and cultural values for Aboriginal people. Water assets include estuaries, floodplains, wetlands, and groundwater systems.
- Protect and enhance the marine and coastal environment
- Marine and coastal environments, species, and habitats will be maintained, improved, and protected from biological and physical threats including the declining numbers of some species, introduction of pests and diseases, and the impacts of climate change and sea level rise.
- Conserve and recover biodiversity
- Western Australia’s rich, diverse, and unique biodiversity and its economic, cultural, scientific, educational, and recreational values will be maintained, improved, and protected from biological and physical threats and processes including the declining numbers of some species, introduction of pests and diseases, and the impacts of climate change.
- Enhance skills, capacity, and engagement
- The capacity, knowledge, skills, engagement, and participation of stakeholders including volunteers, community groups, Aboriginal people, and the broader community will be maintained or improved. Values, beliefs, and behaviours of stakeholders will be respected.
- Deliver high quality planning that leads to effective action
- High quality and strategic planning that leads to coordinated and effective actions will be facilitated and delivered to conserve, prevent further deterioration of condition and provide opportunities for remediation of natural resources.
Funding Information
- In 2024, $7 million in funding support from the Western Australian Government is available to support community-driven natural resource management projects across the State.
- The 2024 Community Stewardship Grants involves two rounds:
- Small grants
- valued between $1,000 – $50,000
- up to 18 months duration.
- Large grants
- intended for more strategic, complex projects
- valued between $50,001 and $450,000
- up to 36 months duration.
- Small grants
Location
- Projects must be based within the state of Western Australia.
- Applications for project activities in Australian territories such as Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands are ineligible.
Eligibility Criteria
- To be eligible to apply, applicants must be an incorporated not-for-profit organisation with an ABN.
- Applicants from the following groups or organisations are encouraged to apply:
- Aboriginal community organisations including Registered Native Title Bodies Corporate (RNTBC)
- incorporated associations and not-for profit companies or trusts, including most community, landcare, and NRM groups, Recognised Biosecurity Groups and grower groups
- Land Conservation District Committees
- local government authorities (LGA)
- primary and secondary schools.
Ineligible
- The following groups are not eligible to apply:
- for profit organisations, partnerships or companies including sole traders
- individuals
- organisations that do not have a branch or base of operation in Western Australia
- tertiary education institutions such as universities (government or privately funded), monotechnics, polytechnics or colleges
- unincorporated associations
- Western Australian or Australian Government agencies.
For more information, visit Government of Western Australia.
