Grassroots Grants open for community landscape projects

12 May 2021

Applications open today for the Eyre Peninsula Landscape Board’s Grassroots Grants Program, which provides $101,000 in funding for local community-based landscape management projects.

Revegetation, agriculture tours, pest plant and animal control, and protecting coastal areas are some of the activities that have taken place around the Eyre Peninsula during the past year thanks to our inaugural Grassroots Grants Program.

Last year we funded 20 projects worth $110,000 for a diverse range of projects.

Chair of the Eyre Peninsula Landscape Board Mark Whifield, encourages community members to look at the Grassroots Grants program for their community-based landscape management projects.

“Last year we were glad to see a diverse range of applications submitted to support priorities such as sustainable agriculture, pest control, water resource management, native vegetation, waterway rehabilitation or coastal works,” Mr Whifield says.

“We are looking forward to seeing a similar range of project applications this time around with funding of up to $10,000 per project with a total of $101,000 available.

“We know that there are many people on the Eyre Peninsula who are passionate about protecting or restoring our natural environment; and these grants are a great opportunity for community groups, volunteers or farming groups to get funding for their landscape management projects.”

The Brinkworth Reserve at Port Lincoln was a grant recipient last year; and has since been able to cut down pest Aleppo pines and cultivate seedlings for revegetation on the donated parcel of land which includes a yacca/sheoak woodland that is the only surviving example of the vegetation that once covered much of the nearby Winter Hill.

“Without this grant, it would’ve taken many years for us to be able to do this work,” said Peter Southam, Coordinator of the Friends of Brinkworth Reserve group which manages the reserve on behalf of the National Trust of South Australia.

“The funding we received through the Grassroots Grants program has enabled us to fast-track the removal of the last remaining mature Aleppo pines from the reserve as well as other identified pest plants, including olive seedlings and boxthorn bushes.

“This work significantly reduces the immediate threat to the nature reserve from these invasive plants.”

The Grassroots Grants Program is run by each landscape board across the State as part of the State Government’s Landscape SA reform which saw the landscape boards replace the former natural resources management boards mid-2020.

Minister for Environment and Water David Speirs said the Grassroots Grants Program is aimed at local projects that contribute to improved management of the environment.

“The Marshall Liberal Government’s Landscape SA legislation is an historic reform of how we approach natural resources management in South Australia,” Minister Speirs said.

“It’s all about a back-to-basics approach and giving local communities a greater say in how we manage our natural environment.

“The Grassroots Grants could be used to kickstart a new project or build upon an existing one for activities such as weed treatment, pest or disease management, fencing, erosion management, revegetation and community education activities.”

Applications for this year’s Grassroots Grants Program are open until 5pm on Wednesday, 9 June, 2021. Full details of the grant application details, including a link to the application form, are available on our grants web page.