Andrew Leigh

Canberra’s natural habitat is one of the delights of the Bush Capital, but we need to make sure we’re doing all we can to conserve it.

I’m currently seeking expressions of interest for the Fenner Communities Environment Program.

If you have a project that will contribute to the wellbeing of our local environment and engage the community, a Communities Environment Program grant could help make it a reality.

This program will support community-led initiatives to tackle local environmental priorities.

Grants of between $2,500 and $20,000 are available for small scale, environmentally focused projects that enrich our community.

At this stage, we are looking at Expressions of Interest for potential projects, which will then be reviewed by a community consultation panel. Promising projects will then be nominated by my office to receive the grant. The deadline to submit your EOI to my office is 26 September 2019.

To be eligible, your organisation must have an Australian Business Number (ABN) and be an incorporated entity. The project will need to be completed by 31 December 2020, and additional cash or in-kind contributions towards the project, if possible, are strongly encouraged.

You can find a comprehensive overview of the program details at https://www.business.gov.au/assistance/communities-environment-program.

Please get in touch with Olivia in my office if you want to discuss the program in more detail. Her email is [email protected].

Thank you for all the work you do and please spread the word to any organisation you think would benefit from a grant. Canberra’s environment is unique and a vital part of our community well-being.

To get you thinking, here is a guide to the type of activities that are considered to be eligible for funding:

• Monitoring local flora, fauna, water quality and marine debris (including on land, in freshwater or in estuarine/marine areas)
• Supporting recovery of threatened species (including terrestrial, aquatic and marine species), such as providing nest boxes or artificial burrows
• Seed collection and propagation to support revegetation of habitats and threatened ecological communities
• Planting trees and understorey to rehabilitate degraded habitats / riverbanks / wetlands; control erosion; or to increase suitable habitat, vegetation linkages and available food sources for native animals
• Reducing the impact of invasive weeds, pest animals, and diseases on the environment
• Fencing to control access to sensitive sites, remnant vegetation or revegetation sites
• Installation of infrastructure, such as boardwalks, to manage access to sensitive natural habitats
• Reducing sediment, contaminant and nutrient run-off to waterways
• Litter clean-up events, marine debris collection or litter management infrastructure
• New or enhanced recycling drop-off facilities, and community-based initiatives to repair, share, re-use or recycle products
• Workshops to increase community skills in monitoring, conserving, and/or protecting threatened species, ecological communities or other important environmental assets.