2022-23 Open Space Grant Program in Australia

Deadline: 17-Feb-23

The Government of South Australia is seeking applications for Open Space Grant Program.

Access to quality public open space continues to be important to ensure South Australia remains liveable, healthy and sustainable, particularly in the context of increasing residential infill in existing neighbourhoods.

Purpose

• The purpose of the Grant Program is to support the purchase of land to create pocket parks that will:
  • Facilitate the integrated delivery of quality public open space particularly in areas of growth and renewal
  • Provide a diverse range of high-quality public open spaces that offer a range of active and passive uses
  • Improve the way their places function, making them more sustainable, more accessible, safer and healthier
  • Promote urban greening and climate change resilience
  • Create an interconnected network of high-quality green spaces that join destinations, public transport and growth areas.

Objectives

• Improve the conservation, enhancement and enjoyment of public open spaces to provide communities access to quality green public open space for positive health and wellbeing outcomes.
• Provide a range of unstructured recreation opportunities compatible with the surrounding environment.
• Support innovative engagement processes and creative design outcomes to create unique, well-designed and sustainable public spaces.
• Create or revitalise public spaces that are important to the social, cultural and economic life of the community.

Project Types

• Through the Grant Program, councils may apply for funding toward land purchases only to support pocket park projects.
• What is a pocket park?
  • Pocket parks are parcels of open space most often located in urban areas with a primary purpose to provide passive recreation and respite opportunities. Pocket parks should be multi-use activated spaces and aim to include features and amenities to support the same benefits offered by larger parks and reserves.
• Land purchases that support pocket park opportunities could include:
  • Community gardens
  • Parks
  • Reserves
  • Social places
  • Trails, corridors and strategic open space linkages
• Applications will need to demonstrate how the land purchase will provide a significant increase in community benefit than what is currently existing.
• Applications should also demonstrate that the proposed pocket park will commence construction within 12 months of council acquiring the site.

Eligibility Criteria

• The 2022-23 Grant Program is open to local government and organisations representing out of council areas within South Australia. The following eligibility criteria is focused on land purchases for pocket parks.
• Councils must ensure their application meets the eligibility criteria, which includes:
  • Land purchases that support the creation of new pocket parks or expansion of existing open space
  • The total area of land should be approximately 2,000sqm when purchasing one or more new parcels
  • The total area of land can exceed 2,000sqm when purchasing to expand and adjoin to existing open space under council ownership
  • Land must be purchased within 12 months of receiving grant funding
  • Council’s contribution to the land purchase must be able to match the request for grant funding
  • Land purchase requests should reflect the appropriate market value of the land
  • Councils must provide conceptual designs that demonstrate the intent of a pocket park that can commence construction within 12 months of land acquisition
  • Land purchases must result in free access to public land (no fee or charge levied to use the space or ongoing exclusive use by particular groups)
  • Councils may submit multiple applications in the same grant round
  • Councils must not have any outstanding reports under previous funding agreements.

Ineligible

• The following types of requests for grant funding are ineligible. Applications requesting the following will not be considered:
  • Fees for design or construction of the pocket park
  • Land purchases that do not support a pocket park, such as proposed organised sporting facilities, commercial operations, transport infrastructure or utility operations
  • Land purchases that do not provide sufficient public access, such as a landlocked parcel
  • Council administration or project management costs associated with negotiation or purchase of the land
  • Retrospective land purchases.

For more information, visit Open Space Grant.