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Landcare grants support hundreds of community led environmental projects

The latest round of Victorian Landcare Grants is empowering the community to protect, enhance, and restore our land and natural environment.  

Hundreds of landcare and environment volunteering groups across the state were given a share of more than $3.3million from the Victorian Government, with the funding delivered through Victoria’s 10 Catchment Management authorities (CMAs).  

Melbourne Water was proud to administer the grants in the Port Phillip and Western Port region after the Port Phillip and Westernport CMAs integrated into the organisation at the start of 2022.  

In this region, 28 project grants and 78 support grants, totalling $486,760 were awarded.  The recipients include Mornington Peninsula Koala Conservation, Friends of Merri Creek and Monbulk Landcare Group (full list below).  

Melbourne Water Executive General Manager Customer, Community & External Affairs  Gavan O’Neill is excited so many worthy recipients will be able to bring their work to life. 

“The grant applications were of an exceptional standard and variety,” Mr O’Neill said.   

“It is encouraging to see so much enthusiasm in the community to support a healthy ecosystem for today, tomorrow and generations to come. These grants are an investment in the future.”  

Grants were awarded to landcare groups and networks, ‘Friends of’ groups, Conservation Management Networks, Committees of Management, Coastcare groups, and Aboriginal groups and organisations working on Country. 

There are two types of grants. Project Grants, worth up to $20,000, are 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, and soils. While Support Grants, of up to $500, assist with costs such as insurance, incorporation and operational needs, or meetings and events or newsletters, websites, and other communication. 

Projects will be completed by 30 November 2023. 

Project and support grant recipients in the Port Phillip and Western Port region listed below. All Victorian recipients here  

Media Contact:   Melbourne Water 9679 7004 

Project Grant Recipients 

Recipient 

Project Title 

Mornington Peninsula Koala Conservation 

Cerberus to Red Hill South Biolink Project - Creating Habitat Corridors through Community Engagement 

Cairnlea Conservation Committee of Management 

Recovering Wildflowers Restoring Connections 

  

  

Surf Beach Sutherland Bay Coastcare Group 

  

Habitat Heroes connect, understand and act for Sunderland Bay, Surf Beach to Forrest Caves biolink. 

Bass Valley Landcare Group 

Expand and Restore our Foreshore Corridor 

Merricks Coolart Catchment Landcare Group 

  

Weed removal and control Balbirooroo Wetlands and Woodlands 

Phillip Island Landcare Group 

  

Reducing plant predation pressures on Phillip Island – Community training, revegetation and fencing exclusion trials 

Mornington Peninsula and Western Port Biosphere Foundation 

The Western Port Biosphere Reserve's Koala Awareness Program 

Darebin Creek Management Committee 

  

Hopping habitats - restoring Ivanhoe Floodplain for small woodland birds - stage 1 

Watson Creek Catchment Landcare Group 

  

Protecting High Conservation Value Watson Creek 

Emu Plains Racecourse and Recreation Reserve Committee of Management 

Emu Plains Reserve: Restoration and Community Education 

Main Creek Catchment Landcare Group 

  

Biolink Habitat Restoration of Spring & Double Creeks, Flinders 

Mornington Peninsula Intrepid Landcare Group 

  

Mornington Peninsula Intrepid Landcare - The Next Generation 

Mornington Peninsula Landcare Network 

Greens Bush to Arthurs Seat Biolink Catchment Stewardship Support Project 

Shoreham Foreshore Reserve Committee of Management 

Shoreham foreshore:  Healthy Coast and Waterways Project. 

South West Mornington Peninsula Landcare - SWaMP 

Protect and Connect; Stage 4 - Paving The Way To Indigenous Landscapes 

Bacchus Marsh Council Trench Committee of Management 

Council Trench Plains Grassland Enhancement Project 

Macclesfield Landcare Group 

Beyond Yellingbo Phase 2 in Macclesfield 

Cardinia Environment Coalition 

Extend Habitat for Southern Brown Bandicoots 

Friends of Merri Creek Inc 

 

Queermates - building biodiversity at Bababi Djinanang 

Blackwood and Barry's Reef Landcare Group 

  

Improving Blackwood's Outdoor Spaces: Weeding and Revegetation of Mineral Springs Reserve Stage 1 

Friends of Sassafras Creek Inc 

  

Restoration of Cool Temperate Rainforest in Sassafras Creek Nature Conservation Reserve 

Wallan Environment Group 

  

Conserving the biodiversity values of the Hidden Valley Rail Reserve understorey 

Bunyip Landcare Group 

  

A Little Book with a Lot of Knowledge - Native Plants of Bunyip 

Threatened Species Conservancy 

Warrandyte Butterfly Survival Project 

Christmas Hills Landcare Group 

  

Woody weeds out of Christmas Hills, and Water bugs in Watsons Creek 

Westernport Feral Alliance 

Upper Murray-Anderson Creek Biolink - Stage 3 

Pinkerton Landcare & Environment Group 

Protection and restoration of critically endangered remnants of Victorian Volcanic Plain Grassy Eucalypt Woodland 

Monbulk Landcare Group 

Restore biodiversity in Sassafras Ck NCR 

  

 

Support Grant Recipients 

Sunshine Reserve Conservation & Fireguard Group 

Jindivick Landcare Group 

Western Port Catchment Landcare Network 

Mt Toolebewong Landcare 

Blairgowrie Friends of Mornington Peninsula National Park 

Pentland Hills Landcare Group Inc 

French Island Landcare Group 

Little River Community Landcare 

Friends of Emerald Lake 

Jumping Creek Catchment Landcare Group 

Elsternwick Park Association 

Labertouche Sustainable Farming and Landcare Group 

Merri Creek Management Committee 

Healesville Environmental Watch Inc 

Middle Yarra Landcare Network 

Back Creek Catchment Landcare Group Inc 

Chum Creek Landcare Group 

Yarra Ranges Landcare Network 

Cardinia & Surrounds Equine Landcare Group 

Friends of Hopetoun Park and Parwan Gorge 

Cardinia Deer Coalition 

Global Landcare 

Toomuc Landcare 

Greenlink Sandbelt Inc 

Friends of Werribee Gorge & Long Forest Mallee 

Deep Creek Landcare 

Dunns Creek Landcare 

McCrae Homestead Coastal Group Inc. 

Smiths Gully Landcare Group 

Hurstbridge Landcare 

Bessie Creek /Ararat Creek Landcare Group 

Olinda Creek Landcare Group Inc 

Westernport Swamp Landcare 

St Andrews Landcare 

Truganina Landcare Inc 

Mornington Peninsula Equine Landcare 

Community Weed Alliance of the Dandenongs 

Friends of Daly Nature Reserve 

Friends of Steele Creek Inc 

Riddells Creek Landcare 

Poowong-Triholm Landcare Group 

Montrose Upper Landcare Group 

Red Hill South Landcare Group 

Cannibal Creek Landcare Group Inc 

Northern Yarra Landcare Network 

Victorian Environment Friends Network 

Dixons Creek Landcare Group 

Whittlesea Landcare 

 Friends of the Maribyrnong Valley Inc. 

Manton & Stony Creeks Landcare Group 

First Friends of Dandenong Creek 

Eynesbury Environment Group 

Johns Hill Landcare Group Inc 

Werribee River Association 

Manton & Stony Creeks Landcare Group 

Andersons Creek Landcare 

Eynesbury Environment Group 

Brisbane Ranges Landcare Group 

Werribee River Association 

Friends of Brisbane Ranges 

Andersons Creek Landcare 

Healesville to Phillip Island Nature Link 

Brisbane Ranges Landcare Group 

Upper Yarra Landcare 

Friends of Brisbane Ranges 

Greater Dandenong Environment Group 

Healesville to Phillip Island Nature Link 

Balcombe and Moorooduc Landcare Group 

Upper Yarra Landcare 

Southern Ranges Environment Alliance 

Greater Dandenong Environment Group 

Cardinia Catchment Landcare 

Balcombe and Moorooduc Landcare Group 

Lalor Landcare 

Southern Ranges Environment Alliance 

Yarra Valley Equestrian Landcare Group 

Cardinia Catchment Landcare 

Nangana Landcare Network 

Lalor Landcare 

Upper Deep Creek Landcare Network 

Yarra Valley Equestrian Landcare Group 

Bacchus Marsh Platypus Alliance 

Nangana Landcare Network 

Upper Maribyrnong Catchment Group 

Upper Deep Creek Landcare Network 

Moorabool Environment Group 

Bacchus Marsh Platypus Alliance 

 

Johns Hill Landcare Group Inc 

 

 

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