Environmental Trust
The NSW Environmental Trust is an independent statutory body established by the NSW government to support exceptional environmental projects that do not receive funds from the usual government sources. The Trust is empowered under the Environmental Trust Act 1998, and its main responsibility is to make and supervise the expenditure of grants. The Trust is administered by the Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH), Department of Premier and Cabinet.
The Trust is chaired by the Minister for Environment. Members are the Director-General of Department of Premier and Cabinet (delegated to the Chief Executive of the Office of Environment and Heritage) and representatives from the Local Government and Shires Associations, the Nature Conservation Council and NSW Treasury.
Objectives
The objectives of the NSW Environmental Trust are:
- to encourage and support restoration and rehabilitation projects
- to promote research into environmental problems of any kind
- to promote environmental education in both the public and private sectors
- to fund the acquisition of land for the national parks estate
- to fund the declaration of areas for marine parks and for related purposes
- to promote waste avoidance, resource recovery and waste management (including funding enforcement and regulation and local government programs)
- to fund environmental community groups
- to fund the purchase of water entitlements for the purpose of increasing environmental flows for the State's rivers and restoring or rehabilitating major wetlands.
The Trust also reimburses NSW Treasury for approved forestry restructuring payments under the Forestry Restructuring and Nature Conservation Act 1995.
Notification of grant decisions offered in 2011
In 2011 the Trust offered ten competitive grant programs up to a value of $17.15 million.
Round 1
The Trust made decisions on the Research Seeding grants program and awarded five grants totalling $84,770. Details of successful projects can be accessed by selecting the relevant program on the side menu.
Round 2
The Trust made decisions on the Eco Schools, Protecting our Places and Research (major) grants programs and awarded a total of 83 grants totalling $1.56 million. Details of successful projects can be accessed by selecting the relevant program on the side menu.
Round 3
The Trust made decisions on its Environmental Education program and has awarded 15 grants totalling $873,217. Details of successful projects can be accessed by selecting the relevant program on the side menu.
Round 4
The Trust called for applications to its Restoration and Rehabilitation program in July 2011 however successful applications will not be announced until April 2012 for projects to commence after 1 July 2012.
Round 5
The Trust called for applications to the Riverina Red Gum Regional Employment and Community Development Program in November 2011, with successful announcements to be made in April 2012.
Round 6
The Trust called for applications to a new stream of the Restoration and Rehabilitation program - Community Bush Regeneration Large Project Stream, which will also be announced in April 2012 . Projects will commence after 1 July 2012.
Call for applications
The call for applications in 2012 will be staggered.
See below for a summary of the programs, their current status and amounts that are being offered.
| Summary of Environmental Trust Grant Programs |
|---|
| Program | Detail | Opening date | Closing date | Funding available |
|---|
Research
(Major and Minor Categories) | Expression of Interest | 14 January 2012 | 10 February 2012 | $1,000,000
total program |
Research
(Seeding Grants) | Application | 14 January 2012 | 10 February 2012 |
| Community Bush Regeneration Large Project Stream | Application | 15 November 2011 | 14 February 2012 | $8,000,000 |
| Riverina Red Gum Regional Employment and Community Development (Round 2) | Application | 3 November 2011 | CLOSED | Up to
$2,500,000 |
Education
(Community) | Application | 11 July 2011 | CLOSED | $500,000 |
Education
(State and Local Government) | Application | 11 July 2011 | CLOSED | $500,000 |
Eco Schools | Application | 19 March 2011 | CLOSED | $150,000 |
Protecting Our Places | Application | 19 March 2011 | CLOSED | $500,000 |
Restoration and Rehabilitation
(Community) | Application | 23 July 2011 | CLOSED | $2,000,000 |
Restoration and Rehabilitation
(State and Local Government) | Application | 23 July 2011 | CLOSED | $2,000,000 |
For further information on any of these programs, select the relevant link above.
For further information on the application process: grant assessment process.
Information on grants awarded in previous years can be accessed by selecting the relevant program from the side menu.
Dissemination program
This program provides funding each year to a number of high achieving, completed projects to extend the learnings and benefits more widely across NSW.
For further information, please contact the Environmental Trust on (02) 8837 6093
NSW Environmental Trust
PO Box 644, PARRAMATTA 2124
Phone: (02) 8837 6093
E-mail:info@environmentaltrust.nsw.gov.au
Page last updated: 19 January 2012
