Funding increase for grassroots programs
An increased funding pool of $150,000 is now available for grants to fund projects that address environmental endeavours across the SA Arid Lands region.
The 2024/25 Grassroots Grants funding round opened today and is available for projects undertaken by volunteers, community groups, not-for-profit organisations and landholders to help sustainably manage local landscapes through on-ground works and building community capacity.
The board has also increased the maximum amount for each grant from $10,000 to grants up to $20,000. The increased funding is designed to better resource collaboration across multiple properties or stakeholders, such as for pest and weed control. Projects will need to demonstrate strong public benefit and address one or more of the board’s priority issues of climate resilience, water management, sustainable land management, protecting and enhancing biodiversity and people and partnerships.
SA Arid Lands Landscape Board chair Douglas Lillecrapp said he hoped the increase in funding would encourage collaborative projects with strong community and land management benefits.
Mr Lillecrapp said the board encourages landholder groups, volunteer networks and Aboriginal communities to consider how their ideas align with the goals of the Grassroots Grants program and the board’s priority issues.
“I encourage the community to make contact with board staff to talk through project ideas and be supported to develop applications.”
In 2023/24, the SA Arid Lands Landscape Board funded 12 projects. They included springs fencing, propagation of locally collected seeds, landscape scale Noogoora Burr control, native plant protection, equipment for cactus control work, a community education day in Port Augusta, community gardens and fauna surveys.
Applications for this year’s round will close on Friday 3 May at 4pm. Successful projects will commence from July 2023.
Grassroots Grants are funded from land and water levy payments.
For more information on how to apply visit www.landscape.sa.gov.au/saal/get-involved/grants-and-funding
