$250,000 in Grassroots Grants announced for the Limestone Coast

The Limestone Coast Landscape Board received a high level of interest from community organisations in relation to the grants.

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 a 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.”

The Grassroots Grants program was founded in 2020, and funding for the first round of projects cease on June 30 as the new round starts. Projects selected in the 2020/2021 round have proven to be successful and the Limestone Coast Landscape Board looks forward to seeing the continuation of these projects that support landscape management in our region.

Limestone Coast Landscape Board Chair Penny Schulz said “We were excited to see a diverse range of applications submitted for the 2021/2022 round of grants that support Board priorities such as working collaboratively to manage our pest plants and animals, growing sustainable primary production and protecting and balancing our region’s water resources. The level of enthusiasm demonstrated in the project submissions to improve our landscape health was incredible. Thank you to all applicants for this year’s submissions. The LC Landscape Board is looking forward to seeing the drive and determination of the successful applicants to get these projects off the ground!

“After much deliberation the LC Landscape Board decided to fund projects that support management of the Limestone Coast Landscape. These projects will make an impact on some challenging issues the region is facing. The selected projects cover topics that community organisations have identified as important pieces of work and we believe are very deserving of levy funding, Ms Schulz said.

The Port MacDonnell Landcare Group’s successful ‘SpringCare’ project has been able to monitor the quality of groundwater flowing through karst rising springs in the very south of the region. Port Mac Landcare representative Peter Feast said “The Grassroots Grant funding has made it possible for us to analyse the nutrients and other chemicals present in the groundwater that we just can’t see. It’s important to be watchful for rising levels of potentially harmful elements to help conserve and protect these fragile ecosystems. The group is grateful to the Limestone Coast Landscape Board for providing the funding for this valuable citizen science project”.

To view the full list of Limestone Coast Grassroots Grants recipients and to read about their projects visit the Limestone Coast Landscape Board website landscape.sa.gov.au/lc and follow us on social media @lclandscapesa.