Environmental Restoration and Rehabilitation

Community and government organisations can apply for different grant funding streams based upon their level of grant project management experience and/or capacity for projects that achieve long-term outcomes for the NSW environment.

Applications for the 2021–22 round are open from 9am, 30 August 2021 to 3pm, 11 October 2021.

Purpose

To assist community and government organisations to contribute to the ongoing sustainable management and stewardship of significant environmental assets and services in New South Wales.

Applications to the 2021–22 Environmental Restoration and Rehabilitation program were required to address at a practical level, how their project will contribute to the delivery of either one or both of the following 2 immediate funding priorities from the NSW Environmental Trust Strategic Plan 2020–24:

  • supporting threatened species recovery
  • addressing climate change impacts on the natural environment – both mitigation and adaptation.

Please see the NSW Environmental Trust Strategic Plan 2020–24 for further information about the new priorities.

Funding available

Two funding streams were available for Environmental Restoration and Rehabilitation projects in 2021–22.

Funding stream Total annual allocation for the 2021–22 round Funding amount per project Project timeframe
Stream 1 – New applicants $1,000,000 up to $115,000 2–3 years
Stream 2 – Experienced applicants $3,000,000 Up to $170,000 3–4 years

Who can apply?

  • community groups and organisations
  • incorporated associations
  • non-profit organisations
  • non-commercial cooperatives
  • local councils
  • state government agencies and entities.

The guideline below should be used to guide and assist the preparation of your application.

All applications must be made via the Trust's online Grants Management System (GMS), which is purpose-built to manage the entire grant process online, from application through to final acquittal and evaluation.

Log in or register for the GMS

Download the Grants Management System Online Portal User Manual which explains how to register, log in, start and manage access to your application only.

Through the use of the Grants Management System, some personal information will be collected. The Grants Management System Privacy Policy outlines how this information will be managed.

The following documents were made available to assist applicants in preparing their application in the Grant Management System:

Other useful reference documents:

If your group or organisation is awarded a grant, you will need to be aware of the following:

Milestone reports and final report

You will need to submit a Milestone Report (formerly progress report) after each stage of works that aligns with your approved Work Plan. These will outline what you've achieved and what you'll do next.

Milestone reports are reviewed by technical experts who can ensure you're on the right track and give you feedback or advice. After your report is reviewed and accepted, we'll pay your next grant instalment.

When your project finishes, you'll have to submit a final report that says what it has achieved.

Trust Administration will direct you how to prepare your Milestone report in the Trust's Grant Management System closer to the time of reporting.

Financial reports

You must submit an updated and authorised financial report with all your progress reports. You also need to submit a certified financial report as a part of your final project report.

If you need to rearrange your project’s budget, you should apply for a budget variation.

Trust Administration will direct you how to prepare your financial report in the Trust's Grant Management System closer to the time of reporting.

Other documents

You may also have to submit some other documents or evidence. They'll be listed in the grant agreement we send you.

Where to send reports

For projects not submitted through the Trust's online Grant Management System, reports and other documents should be emailed to info@environmentaltrust.nsw.gov.au (50MB limit).

For successful projects submitted through the Grant Management System, all aspects of planning, monitoring, evaluation, reporting (including expenditure) and variations will be managed through this online system.

Instructions for using the Grants Management System are available through:

Acknowledgement requirement

Please acknowledge the funding you’ve received from the Trust in all publications and materials related to your project. We ask that you say:

This project has been assisted by the New South Wales Government through its Environmental Trust.

See Funding acknowledgement for more information.

In the program's most recent round (2020-2021), a total of 31 projects were approved by the Trust, totalling $4,403,097. This included 9 Tier 1 projects totalling $904,666 and 22 Tier 2 projects totalling $3,498,431.

Project summaries

All of the Trust's contestable grants programs are independently evaluated to assess their effectiveness.

The Restoration and Rehabilitation (R&R) program was the focus of an independent evaluation completed in June 2017.

The evaluation was undertaken by Natural Resources Commission who have extensive experience in evaluating government initiatives across a variety of sectors. The evaluation focussed on the delivery of the program, and projects funded by it, between 2010 and 2015.

The evaluation final report (and its recommendations) was considered and accepted by the Trust in November 2017. An Administrative Response was also developed to address the issues raised in the evaluation. The Evaluation Report concluded that overall the R&R program is well-run, however, suggested a range of recommendations relating to:

  • program design
  • governance and administration
  • application process and selection of projects
  • communication
  • monitoring, evaluation and reporting.

These reports have been made available through the links below.