Local Land Services Grants

HUNTER Local Land Services has $30,000 to share between community organisations across the region supporting events and projects helping raise awareness of high biodiversity, cultural heritage values and participation in natural resources management.

The funding is available to help with the promotion and delivery of events or projects involving natural resource management, Aboriginal traditional land management practices, sustainable agriculture, biosecurity of plant and animal diseases, pests and weeds and emergency management.

The program is open to community groups, schools, Landcare groups, Local Aboriginal Land Councils, committees, not for profit organisations or industry and producer groups.

Each group can apply for up to $1500 to help community engagement and participation in their event, or to deliver small-scale on ground activities.

Lindy Hyam, Hunter Local Land Services Board Chair, is there to assist the groups to raise awareness.

“Our small grants program enables grass-roots groups to get the wider community thinking about how they look after our environment and what practices they can change to help make a difference in our region,”  Lindy Hyam said.

“We can assist with awareness raising events, school programs, workshops, resources and products or small on-ground works, to help these groups deliver important messages about sustainability,” said Ms Hyam.

Some recent examples of successful projects include:

• Raising community awareness about native bees, their important role in local ecosystems and how to care for them, through education workshops in Singleton, Muswellbrook, Denman and Merriwa in partnership with Hunter Region Landcare Network.
• Gresford District Landcare hosting an Indigenous fire management workshop to demonstrate how utilising traditional methods can increase habitat for both flora and fauna
• Maitland City Council highlighting the impact of litter and stormwater pollution on the Woodberry Wetlands through a school art competition and developing education kits
• Grossman High School embedding sustainability in school culture by rehabilitating significant natural bushland with a planting program and hosting a presentation from Environmentalist Tim Silverwood.
• Beef Cattle Assessment course workshops – Running an educational program on beef cattle selection principles and beef cattle marketing in the region through the UH beef bonanza.
• Supporting community education products and promotion at the Merriwa Farm Safety Day.

The program is made possible with funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare program, Catchment Action NSW and the Hunter Catchment Contributions levy.

Applications are now open and more information is available through the Hunter Local Land Services website  or by contacting one of our offices.

Projects must be completed by 31 August 2018.

The Merriwa Farm Safety Day. Photograph courtesy of HLLS.