Grants and funding
Smart Grazing Stronger Lands project
Would you like support in implementing climate-smart decision-making tools into your grazing business?
The SA Arid Lands Landscape Board is looking for pastoral landholders across the SA Arid Lands who want hands-on support to start using climate-smart decision-making toolsor technology on their properties. This includes options for tracking groundcover, feed budgeting, monitoring stock movements, and tools or supports that assist in decision making leading into dry times. This project aims to support pastoralists in implementing decision-making tools they have been interested in but may not have had the opportunity to pursue
There are multiple opportunities to be involved, either with personalised one-on-one training and/or workshops (mentoring) or by trailing a new decision-making tool on your property and sharing the learning with others (demonstration sites)
What’s in it for you?
- Mentoring sites: Support for 1:1 training and workshops with a decision-making tool expert over two years.
- Demonstration sites: up to $35,000 to cover setup costs and on-ground works for a decision-making tool. This can include tool/tech installation and associated infrastructure to implement the tool.
- Connection to the SA Drought Hub network, peer learning with other sites, and ongoing support from program staff
For more information and to apply, take a look at the Expression of Interest here << EOI Smart Grazing Stronger Lands >>
Applications close 12 June 2026. Please contact Jade Leyden on 0438 990 399 if you have any questions.
The Smart Grazing, Stronger Lands is supported by the Australian Government through funding from the Climate-Smart Agriculture Program under the Natural Heritage Trust.
The project is led by Adelaide University through the SA Drought Hub (which is supported the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund), in partnership with Charles Sturt University through the Southern NSW Innovation Hub, Grower Group Alliance through the South-West WA Drought Hub, South Australian Arid Lands Landscape Board, DustWatch, CSIRO, Western Local Land Services, Riverina Local Land Services, Rangelands NRM, Gascoyne Catchments Group, Southern Rangelands Pastoral Alliance, and the Goldfields Nullarbor Rangelands Biosecurity Association.
Local service providers with grazing management expertise will also play a role in delivery.
Planning On-Property Projects
The second round of Planning On-Property Projects is open for applications.
This program is designed to help land managers identify land systems and functions, management practices and priorities, and assess and map assets, infrastructure and natural resources.
Applications are welcomed from land managers wanting to develop a comprehensive property map and plan forward for implementing change. Involvement will provide access to experts and is a significant investment to your property.
The project guidelines are essential reading before applying for this program at https://landscape.smartygrants.com.au/PoPP
Applications close at 5pm on Friday 15 May.
Four properties were selected as first round participants in this program. Partacoona, Wallerberdina, Angorichina and Webbco each spent time with rangeland management experts, were visited on-property by Contour Environment and Agricultural Consulting and received a copy of activity plan and mapping to support property management and implementation of on-ground works.
Growing Native Gardens
Community groups, sporting clubs, progress associations and schools in the Marla-Oodnadatta or Kingoonya districts are invited to apply for funding to develop native gardens on their site.
Designed for publicly accessible areas, this program will see the development of native gardens that provide wildlife habitat and encourage environmental awareness.
Apply now: << 2026 Growing Native Gardens Info Application Towns >>
Improving Land Management Grants
Improving Land Management Grants aim to help businesses drive agricultural growth while adopting sustainable natural resource management practices that protect and enhance soil and native vegetation.
If you have a plan for a management practice for your agricultural business that may not be widely used in the SA Arid Lands region, grants are now available for up to $10,000 to assist you to increase agricultural growth which includes adopting sustainable management practices, conserving and enhancing native vegetation and soil, or trialing sustainable agriculture practices not widely adopted in the SAAL region.
This program has now closed and approved projects will be announced soon.
These grants are available through the Building Pastoral Sustainability project, which is supported by the Australian Government through funding from the Natural Heritage Trust, under the Climate-Smart Agriculture Program.
Native Vegetation Grants
SA Arid Lands region landowners can apply for a share of $5.1million in State Government grants to help restore and enhance native vegetation on their properties.
Incentive Grants encourage landholders to establish new Heritage Agreements to protect native vegetation on their land.
Heritage Agreements are conservation areas on private land that help contribute to restoring or protecting native vegetation and biodiversity.
These grants will help fund short-term projects (1-5 years) and are available to all SA landholders.
Applications can be submitted any time up to 30 June 2026, however, landholders are encouraged to apply early.
More information is available from the Native Vegetation Council website: https://bit.ly/4fYEfMl
FRRR Grants
The Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal (FRRR) is a not-for-profit organisation that provides funding to regional communities.
FRRR has a range of grants targeted at regional communities that support a variety of initiatives. These grants can be used to improve and build infrastructure, to fund community gardens, fund events and almost anything to do with wellbeing.