Deadline: 15-Feb-22
The Australian Government has announced a funding call for the Blue Carbon Ecosystem Restoration Grants Program.
The grants will fund on-ground implementation of at least 4 blue carbon ecosystem restoration projects in Australia. The projects will be chosen to represent a variety of blue carbon ecosystem types and socio-economic settings and serve as demonstration of the outcomes achievable for climate, biodiversity and livelihoods.
Objectives
The objectives of the grants are:
- restore degraded and/or re-establish previously lost blue carbon ecosystems by implementing on-ground ecosystem restoration activities
- provide information on the benefits to climate, biodiversity and livelihoods resulting from restoration activities within various ecosystem types and socio-economic settings.
Funding Information
- For this grant opportunity, a total of up to $9.5 million (GST exclusive) is available over 4 years from 2021–22 to 2024–25.
- You must complete your project by 31 March 2025. Following the project period, an evaluation period of 3 months will commence.
Outcomes
The intended outcomes of the grants are:
- improve the health of blue carbon ecosystems, thereby enhancing biodiversity, climate and livelihood benefits.
- improve understanding of the flow of ecosystem services and benefits of blue carbon ecosystem restoration and assist in building knowledge and expertise in restoration activities and EEA.
- generate restoration case studies to demonstrate the importance of coastal wetland conservation and restoration,
- contribute to a wider community of practice for blue carbon wetland ecosystem restoration and project level environmental-economic accounting.
Eligible Activities
Eligible activities can include:
- on-ground works to create hydrology and land elevation suitable for coastal wetland growth (for example, removal of tidal exclusion structures such as bund walls, tidal gates and levees, renovating tidal channels, infilling drains and land reshaping such that land can support wetland vegetation)
- for seagrass, activities which enhance natural recruitment, including breakwaters to mimic shallow embayments and use of small-scale devices such as sandbags to create microscale eddies that enhance settlement of seeds
- direct revegetation of seeds or seedlings using species known to be native to the site (where hydrology or other conditions to enable successful re-establishment of vegetation have been addressed)
- fencing and other activities to prevent access by people, and non-native or native animals
- flora and fauna surveys, habitat mapping, data recording, hydrological assessments, spatial mapping and modelling
- seed collection, germination trials and propagation of plant species native to the site (either on or offsite) for use in revegetation (applicants are responsible for identifying and obtaining appropriate permits for land access and collecting seed)
- local eradication or reducing the impact and spread of existing pest animals (for example, pigs) and diseases, however, the management of pests or diseases that legally require control is ineligible
- local eradication and control of invasive weed species through physical, chemical or biological treatments (physical treatments may include Indigenous burning practices), however, the management of weed species that legally require control is ineligible
- erosion control
- engagement activities with local communities and/or Indigenous land managers and/or Traditional Owners and communities
- education and awareness raising activities, such as workshops, field days, website development, demonstrations of techniques, community monitoring and other awareness raising activities.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible you must be one of the following entity types:
- Indigenous Corporation
- Company
- Corporate Commonwealth Entity
- Commonwealth Company
- Non-corporate State or Territory Statutory Authority
- Corporate State or Territory Entity
- Local Government
- Cooperative
- Incorporated Association
- International Entity
- Statutory Entity
If you are applying as a Trustee on behalf of a Trust, the Trustee must have an eligible entity type as list. Any beneficiary of the Trust must also be an eligible entity type.
For more information, visit https://www.communitygrants.gov.au/grants/2021-6188