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.
Funding announcements
The Trust recently announced succesful applicants to the Riverina Red Gum Regional Employment and Community Development Fund - Round 2 program; and the Restoration and Rehabilitation program. Details of grants awarded can be accessed by selecting the relevant program from the side menu.
Call for applications 2012
Applications have now opened for the Environmental Education, Protecting our Places, Eco Schools and Food Gardens in Schools programs.
New program for schools
The Environmental Trust has established a new program under the Eco Schools program this year, Food Gardens in Schools. This program will be trialled for two funding rounds in 2012 and 2013. There is a separate application process for Food Gardens in Schools and Eco Schools. See the Eco Schools web page for more information.
See below for a summary of the programs, their current status and amounts that are being offered.
| Summary of Environmental Trust Grant Programs |
|---|
Program | Opening date | Closing date | Funding available | |
|---|
Anticipated announcement dateEducation
(Community) | 17 March 2012 | 20 April 2012 | $500,000 | December 2012 |
Education
(State and Local Government) | 17 March 2012 | 20 April 2012 | $500,000 |
Eco Schools | 17 March 2012 | 18 May 2012 | $150,000 | October 2012 |
| Food Gardens in Schools | 17 March 2012 | 18 May 2012 | $70,000 | October 2012 |
Protecting Our Places | 17 March 2012 | 1 June 2012 | $500,000 | October 2012 |
Research
(Major and Minor Categories) | 14 January 2012 | CLOSED | $1,000,000 | October 2012 |
Research
(Seeding Grants) | 14 January 2012 | CLOSED | total program | June 2012 |
| Community Bush Regeneration Large Project Stream | 15 November 2011 | CLOSED | $8,000,000 | May/June 2012 |
| Riverina Red Gum Regional Employment and Community Development (Round 2) | 3 November 2011 | CLOSED | Up to $2,500,00 | April 2012 |
Restoration and Rehabilitation
(Community) | 23 July 2011 | CLOSED | $2,000,000 | April 2012 |
Restoration and Rehabilitation
(State and Local Government) | 23 July 2011 | CLOSED | $2,000,000 | April 2012 |
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: 17 April 2012
