The funding focuses on protecting and managing a range of native plants and animals, threatened species and habitats through collaborative planning, increased engagement and alignment of natural resources, scientific, educational and community sectors.
See here to find out more about the 10 Icon Species this funding is supporting.
It is also supporting partnerships between agencies, organisations, the community, landholders and Traditional Owners.
2018 Community and Volunteer Action Grants
The Community and Volunteer Action grants support biodiversity protection and recovery actions. These include protecting, improving and expanding habitat for our native plants and animals.
Grants totalling $2.4 million have been allocated. 73 projects across Victoria will receive up to $50,000 each. Funded projects range from one to three years in duration.
The grants support the community to conserve their local biodiversity and threatened species.
2018 Community and Volunteer Action Grants projects
Regional Landscapes and Targeted Action
$4.7 million is funding 67 projects that include coordinated large-scale projects. targeted management activities at significant sites to protect threatened species, and research applied to better understand and conserve native flora and fauna.
The projects include restoration works, environmental ecological burning by Traditional Owners, targeted threatened species recovery, and coordinated pest, animal and weed control.
Regional Landscapes and Targeted Action projects
2018 Biodiversity Response Planning
Biodiversity Response Planning is a new area-based planning approach to biodiversity conservation in Victoria. It is designed to strengthen alignment, collaboration and participation between government agencies, Traditional Owners, non-government agencies (NGOs) and the community.
Projects have been developed by interested stakeholders, including community members, within priority landscapes or themes determined by working groups. Projects were assessed on their ability to maximise net outcomes for biodiversity and make progress towards the state-wide targets associated with the Biodiversity 2037 goal of ‘Victoria’s natural environment is healthy’.
Eighty-five new projects for on-ground biodiversity action worth $33.67 million, and four new projects for Marine Environment Targeted Action worth $1.1 million have been announced for funding through Biodiversity Response Planning. Funded projects will be delivered over three years, commencing in 2018-2019 through to 2021.
These projects are part of the $86.3 million investment to implement Protecting Victoria’s Environment – Biodiversity 2037 over the first four years of the plan.
For more information on BRP projects click here.
For more information on the ongoing Biodiversity Response Planning process click here.
2018 Crowdfunding
The Victorian Government has committed $116,000 to crowdfunding projects in 2018 to support threatened species and biodiversity conservation campaigns.
Crowdfunding enables the community to directly invest in causes and projects that they value, and are particularly passionate about. Crowdfunding provides community groups and organisations with the unique opportunity to raise funds for threatened species and biodiversity action, while having their fundraising efforts matched by government.
Expressions of interest are now closed. Successful applicants will be announced in the coming months.
For more information, refer to the Crowdfunding Guidance Note and Frequently Asked Questions.
2018 Crowdfunding Guidance Note
Regional Biodiversity Hubs
Announced in May 2017, $7.7 million was granted to 26 large-scale regional projects.
Regional hubs involve agencies and organisations working together in large-scale projects to address threats to a range of important native species in priority areas across the state.
Projects include removal of woody weeds and other pest plants; rabbit, fox and feral animal control; implementation of protection measures such as fencing from overgrazing; and selective fire management and habitat restoration.
Over $1 million has also been allocated to deliver urgent activities. Eight projects were announced in 2016 and ten projects in 2017.
Regional Biodiversity Hub projects
Hubs and Iconic Species final reporting instructions
2016 Iconic Species Projects
The Victorian Government committed $2 million to ten Iconic Species projects in 2017 to provide financial support to support recovery programs to explore opportunities to improve the outlook of a number of species in the wild.
The ten species listed below are listed as threatened under both the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 and the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. Each has an Action Statement under the FFG Act although some are dated. All ten are (or are likely to be) included in the Commonwealth Threatened Species Strategy list of the 100 priority species.
This funding is supporting intensive management actions being delivered in collaboration with species’ recovery teams for iconic species including the Baw Baw Frog, Brush-tailed Rock Wallaby, Eastern Barred Bandicoot (mainland subspecies), Helmeted Honeyeater, Leadbeater’s Possum (lowland population), Mountain Pygmy Possum, Orange-bellied Parrot, Hooded Plover, Regent Honeyeater and Plains-wanderer.
Hubs and Iconic Species final reporting instructions
2021 Icon Species Projects
The Victorian Government committed $765,000 to Icon Species projects in 2021. This includes an extension to five previously funded projects from the 2016 round and 13 new projects to be delivered in 2021.
Funding will support species’ recovery teams explore opportunities to improve the outlook of several high-profile species that do not respond well to broadscale threat management actions and therefore rely more heavily on specific management interventions.
Priority species supported through this round include the Australasian Bittern, Australian Fairy Tern, Burrunan dolphin, Eastern Barred Bandicoot, Eltham Copper Butterfly, Murray Hardyhead, Orange-bellied Parrot, Plains-wanderer, Southern Bent-wing Bat, Southern Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby, Southern Purple Spotted Gudgeon, Southern Right Whale and Spotted Tree Frog.
Support Programs
The department is expanding opportunities for community members and scientists to come together to increase knowledge and capacity to manage and respond to risks to biodiversity. Seminars, regional events, forums and tools will complement on-ground activities.
Page last updated: 05/06/23