Deadline: 1-May-23
Community groups are invited to submit applications for the Gippsland Lakes Coordinating Committee (GLCC) Community Grants Program to deliver programs to continue improving the health of the lakes through on-ground management activities and community engagement.
The Gippsland Lakes Coordinating Committee (GLCC) is tasked with making recommendations to the Minister for Water on the allocation of funding for the internationally significant Gippsland Lakes, with a specific focus on improving the environmental condition of the Gippsland Lakes.
Duration: Projects must be completed by the 31st of December 2024, no extension time is available after this date.
Priority action / strategy
- Implement mitigation and adaptation strategies and actions to address the identified risks to ecological character from climate change.
- Implement the priority identified options for improving the ecological condition of the fringing wetlands of Lake Wellington.
- Increase areas under permanent protection and implement actions to maintain and improve habitat corridors.
- Protect and where necessary, enhance, shorebird and beach nesting bird habitat in priority locations, including those predicted to be impacted by sea level rise and other climate change effects.
- Implement the Gippsland Lakes pest plant and animal strategy. Review the pest plant and animal strategy to insure alignment with Biodiversity Response Plan for the Gippsland Lakes.
- Monitor and where possible, control, off-road vehicle use at priority locations within the Ramsar site.
- Implement predator control at priority locations for waterbird breeding and migratory wader refuges within the Ramsar site.
- Continue to implement a public awareness campaign to reduce harassment and boating injuries to Burrunan dolphins.
- Implement the priority actions within the Gippsland Lakes Recreational Fishery Plan. Improve structural fish habitat in estuaries and lakes.
- Undertake a risk assessment, then implement priority actions to address the risks from introduced marine pests.
- Continue to reduce nutrient and sediment loads to the Gippsland Lakes through riparian, in-stream and catchment works to improve water quality of river flows to the Gippsland Lakes.
- Investigate the impact of high nutrient and sediment loads to the Gippsland Lakes following bushfires. Maintain and where necessary improve hydrological connectivity and freshwater inflows to the Gippsland Lakes for fish migration and breeding.
- Implement actions that facilitate Traditional Owner joint management, self-determination and involvement in decision making. Implement actions that address risks to cultural heritage from sea level rise and shoreline erosion on the outer barrier.
- Identify and implement priority actions to protect culturally significant species (e.g., Australian pelican, musk duck, freshwater eels) Continue to monitor seagrass recovery from disturbance events to evaluate the effectiveness of restoration efforts.
- Continue to monitor the persistence of freshwater dependent threatened species in the Gippsland Lakes. Where necessary identify and implement mitigation actions to assist in climate adaptation of these species.
Eligibility Criteria
- For a project application to be eligible for consideration and assessment, the proponent must:
- Be a ‘not-for-profit’ and community based.
- Have natural resource management (NRM) as a primary focus.
- Be incorporated or operate under the auspices of an incorporated organisation.
- Have current public liability ($10M) and personal accident insurance. (Or operate under the auspices of
- an organisation that carries such insurance)
- Be able to provide a copy of the certificate of currency for public liability and personal accident insurance.
- Have submitted all due project reports for previous grants/funding to the EGCMA (where applicable).
Project requirements and general conditions
- Project management cost must not exceed 15% of the total funding requested. Project management costs are to be included within the project budget.
- Funds may be used for contractors or consultants essential to the delivery of the project for technical or capability reasons.
- Weed control on private land will not be funded unless the activity is preparatory to revegetation works or associated with native vegetation management.
- Capital items exceeding a value of $3,000 will not be funded unless communal benefit can be demonstrated. Purchases must also be directly related to the delivery of the project.
- When promoting GLCC community grants funding it is a requirement that the Victorian Government be acknowledged as the source of these funds and be badged as being funded by the Victorian State Government according to branding guidelines and include the appropriate “Love Our Lakes” logo when promoting the projects (A style guide will be provided to successful applicants).
For more information, visit Gippsland Lakes Coordinating Committee.