Victorian Landcare Grants

Funding available

Across Victoria’s 10 CMA regions, a total of $3.55 million is available for project and support grants. This includes $514,750 allocated to Melbourne Water’s region.

You can apply for both grant types, but if you are successful in receiving a project grant you will not receive a support grant.

Project grants

Up to $20,000 may be provided to eligible groups and networks for:

• on-ground works
• capacity building activities
• community education and engagement that protects or improves natural assets, such as: 
  • native vegetation
  • native fauna
  • waterways
  • wetlands
  • soils.

Projects must be completed and reported on by 30 November 2026. You can submit more than one application.

Support grants

Up to $500 may be provided to eligible groups and networks to help with administration and running costs, such as:

• insurance
• incorporation and operational needs
• meetings and events
• newsletters, websites and other communications.

Eligibility

The grants are open to Victorian environmental volunteer groups to support their important work helping protect the health of our land, waterways and biodiversity.

Eligible groups include:

• Landcare groups and networks
• Friends groups
• Conservation Management Networks
• Committees of Management
• Coastcare groups
• Aboriginal groups and organisations working on Country.

The grants aim to:

• fund projects that address local, regional and state land and environment priorities, and promote innovation through experimental trials and pilot programs
• sustain Landcare and other environmental volunteer groups and networks, particularly those whose continuing existence will benefit from this support.

For further details on eligibility and how to apply, download the guidelines on this page.

Timeline

1. Applications open: Thursday 6 March 2025
2. Applications close: 5pm Wednesday 16 April 2025 
3. Recipients notified: August 2025
4. Projects completed: 30 November 2026

Guidelines

Previous grant recipients

2024 recipients

The 2024 grants program funded 30 projects in the Melbourne Water region.

Recipients included:

• Whittlesea Community Connections, who continued to support the Nugal Biik Junior and Mini ranger program showing aboriginal and non-aboriginal children the wonders of Country.
• Deep Creek Landcare Group, who built and placed a network of nest boxes to provide habitat for animals as the Mt William biolink project takes shape.
• Moorabool Landcare Network, who studied the potential benefits of eastern barred bandicoot faeces and its effect on its nursery stock of sheoaks, having observed the health and vitality of Sheoaks at Mt Rothwell where bandicoots are abundant.

2023 recipients

The 2023 grants program funded 32 projects in the Melbourne Water region.

Recipients included:

• Mornington Peninsula Koala Conservation recruitment campaign, which invited private property owners to help preserve koala habitat.
• The Wurundjeri woi Wurrung Aboriginal Heritage Corporation, who engaged in the environmental restoration of the Sunbury Rings heritage site.
• Friends of Leadbeaters Possum Inc., who supported one of Victoria’s faunal emblems.

More information

Learn more about strategies supporting the Victorian Landcare Grants in the Melbourne Water Region:

• Phillip and Western Port Regional Catchment Strategy 
• Healthy Waterways Strategy.

Contact us

For more information or to discuss a potential application, please contact Barry Kennedy, Regional Landcare Coordinator:

 0447 821 559

 [email protected]

 [email protected]