Deadline: 30-Jan-2025
The Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Grants program funds projects that support better management, maintenance, conservation and activation of declared Aboriginal Places under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974.
Objectives
- The NSW Government is continuing its responsibility in safeguarding Aboriginal heritage through the 2025-27 Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Grants program. This program aligns with the Government’s broader commitment to ensure Aboriginal cultural heritage is conserved and maintained.
Funding Information
- Value of individual Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Grants:
- $30,000 (ex GST) for an Aboriginal Place management document, or
- $80,000 (ex GST) for works to a declared Aboriginal Place.
Eligible Projects
- You can apply for funding if:
- it is for a heritage management document or works within the boundary of a declared Aboriginal Place
- there are no active NSW Heritage Act 1977 or National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 compliance issues at the site
- you have the support of Aboriginal custodians
- the project will be delivered between July 2025 and May 2027.
Ineligible Projects
- Below are examples of projects not allowed under this grants category:
- any project works and associated costs, not including pre-planning, that occurs before 1 July 2025
- activities or works that have high levels of negative impact to the Aboriginal cultural heritage values of the site
- keeping place: a place where artefacts or remains can be held in a culturally appropriate manner while awaiting repatriation
- ongoing employee positions or in-house project management by salaried officers as either voluntary or cash contributions
- construction of new buildings
- purchase or relocation of cultural items
- new commemorative monuments, works or headstones
- purchase of equipment, such as lawn mowers, etc
- business set-up or operating costs
- projects that will need to rely on ongoing grant funding
- routine maintenance, such as gardening, gutter cleaning, carpet cleaning, etc
- heritage management documents required for statutory or legal purposes. For example, Aboriginal cultural heritage assessments relating to environmental impact assessments
- projects that are exclusively:
- to make safe immediately following a disaster that is led by NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) or other emergency services and agencies
- for revegetation, erosion or land management
- cultural burning.
Eligibility Criteria
- You are eligible to apply for the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Grants category if you:
- are the owner, manager, long-term lessee or custodian (or have written support from all custodians/owners) of an Aboriginal Place declared under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 in NSW
- are a Local Aboriginal Land Council, local council, business, non-government organisation, community group or individual, with your operations and headquarters in NSW (if you are a business or incorporated entity)
- have legal responsibility for maintenance and repair of the declared Aboriginal Place.
Ineligible Applicants
- Ineligible applicants You are not eligible to apply for the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Grants category if:
- you are a State or Federal government agency
- the Aboriginal Place is owned, managed or there is a responsibility for protecting Aboriginal Cultural Heritage on the site by a State or Federal government agency. This includes:
- Travelling Stock Reserves, where NSW Local Land Services is responsible
- National Parks and State Conservation Areas, where the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service is responsible.
- your business or entity is located or incorporated outside of NSW
- your application is incomplete or does not provide sufficient information to assess against the eligibility criteria.
For more information, visit NSW Government