Funding to manage and clean up Marine Debris in the Great Barrier Reef (Australia)

Deadline: 11-Aug-23

The Australian Government is excited to launch a call for applications to provide innovative and targeted investment in the Great Barrier Reef to manage and reduce the impact of marine debris and help restore the health and protection of marine species and coastal ecosystems.

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Debris Management and Mitigation grant opportunity (the program) will run over 7 years from 2023-24 to 2029-30 across two rounds.

Marine debris has been identified as a significant risk to the Great Barrier Reef’s ecosystem and is considered a key threat to the Reef region’s values. Marine debris is defined as ‘manufactured material discarded, disposed of or abandoned in the marine and coastal environment (including discarded fishing gear and plastics)’.

Objectives

• The objectives of the program are to:
  • manage and reduce the threat of marine debris to species such as coral, turtles, dugongs and seabirds
  • mitigate negative impacts on tourism, recreation and fishing (commercial and recreational) within the Great Barrier Reef
  • develop targeted education and awareness raising activities to prevent litter from entering Great Barrier Reef waterways
  • encourage greater community participation and involvement, including with First Nations peoples
  • inform and contribute to wider plastic management and mitigation strategic policy for state and/or national scale implementation.

Funding Information

• The Australian Government has announced a total of $7.5 million over 7 years for the program. For this first round of the grant opportunity, $3.5 million is available from 2023-24 to 2026-27.
• The maximum grant amount is $3.5 million.
• Project period: You must complete all project activities by 31 March 2027.

Eligible Activities

• Eligible activities may include:
  • marine debris clean-up such as the collection, removal and disposal of marine debris to reuse, recycle or deposit into landfill
  • collection and analysis of data generated through debris management and mitigation including provision to national debris and plastics programs and initiatives (as directed by DCCEEW)
  • education and awareness raising campaigns to develop actions to prevent litter from entering Great Barrier Reef waterways
  • establishing networks and key partnerships, including with First Nations peoples, to support the management and mitigation of marine debris in the Great Barrier Reef
  • implementation of appropriate data management systems (database) to collect, analyse and report on the marine debris data including volume and type of marine debris removed; number of volunteers involved; and area covered in the clean-up.

Outcomes

• The intended outcomes of the program are to:
  • expand efforts to remove more plastic from the marine and coastal environment
  • accelerate action to reduce the threat of marine debris to the Reef and its iconic species
  • contribute to the collection of debris data over time to inform trends, reporting and strategy development.

Eligibility Criteria

• To be eligible you must:
  • have an Australian Business Number (ABN) and be one of the following entities:
    • an entity incorporated in Australia
    • an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation registered under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 (Cth)
    • an incorporated association
    • an incorporated not for profit organisation
    • a publicly funded research organisation (PFRO).
    • an Australian local government agency or body.
• Joint applications are acceptable, provided you have a lead organisation who is the main driver of the project and is eligible to apply.
• You must also declare that:
  • the project does not duplicate other Commonwealth, state and territory government-funded management actions that are already underway in the location
  • you will contribute and collaborate with other Commonwealth programs and initiatives, including but not limited to, the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) National plastic pollution monitoring and storm water project.

Ineligible

• You are not eligible to apply if you are:
  • an individual
  • a partnership
  • an unincorporated association
  • a trust (however, an incorporated trustee may apply on behalf of a trust).
  • an organisation, or your project partner is an organisation, included on the National Redress Scheme’s website on the list of ‘Institutions that have not joined or signified their intent to join the Scheme’
  • an employer of 100 or more employees that has not complied with the Workplace Gender Equality Act (2012).

For more information, visit Australian Government.