Deadline: 30-Nov-21
The Whittlesea City Council is pleased to announce the Environmental Works Grants Program (EWGP) to provide a financial incentive to rural landowners for projects that support sustainable land management practices, especially protecting and enhancing remnant vegetation.
The EWGP prioritises supporting projects that will protect remnant vegetation through the erection of permanent stock-proof fencing.
The EWGP is an incentive program, and applicants should be aware that not all costs associated with the project will be covered by the grant. Landowners are expected to provide matching funds either through cash contributions or in-kind labour.
Priorities
- The City of Whittlesea gives priority to projects that will protect and enhance Whittlesea’s remnant vegetation through fencing to exclude livestock, environmental weed control and revegetation.
- Applications are prioritised on how closely they align with the purpose of the Environmental Works Grant Program. Priorities for funding are listed below from highest to lowest:
- Protection of remnant vegetation through erection of permanent fencing, including patches of remnant bush, isolated paddock trees and around farm dams containing remnant vegetation
- Environmental weed control to reduce threat to remnant areas from weeds
- Revegetation to enhance remnant vegetation. Can be around paddock trees or within /adjacent to bush areas
- Establishing new vegetation and fencing that vegetation, i.e. shelterbelt establishment, boundary plantings, fencing farm dams and planting around them. If boundary plantings complement remnant roadside vegetation given higher priority. Also, establishing habitat for local wildlife (i.e. nest box installation) at this level
- Minor erosion control works to protect areas of remnant vegetation.
- The Council will also give priority to projects specifically in areas:
- Identified as having significant habitat values as nominated in the NEROC Report: Sites of Significance in North East Melbourne.
- Identified as being part of a habitat link as nominated in the NEROC Report where revegetation can link or strengthen habitat corridors.
- Applications from landowners who have demonstrated an ongoing commitment to sustainable land management practices will be viewed favourably.
Funding Information
- Proposals may include more than one activity, for example establishing a shelterbelt may include fencing and revegetation, or erosion works may include providing geotextiles and plants for soil stabilisation. These combinations are generally permitted to apply up to $1000.
- If a proposal includes fencing of remnant vegetation and revegetation these can be funded up to $1500.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible to apply for the Environmental Works Grant Program, the property must be:
- Located in the City of Whittlesea.
- 2 hectares (~5 acres) or greater in size.
- Land zoned for rural purposes (Green Wedge Zone, Green Wedge A Zone, Rural Conservation Zone). For properties with multiple land use zoning, the project site must be within one of the zones.
Landowners can apply for a grant in consecutive years, provided that previous projects are completed prior to a new application being submitted.
For more information, visit https://bit.ly/3qKI4O3