SMALL GRANTS MAKE A BIG ENVIRONMENTAL DIFFERENCE

/

2014 Grants: Members of the Friends of Bluff Point and other volunteers work together to rehabilitate vegetation bordering the Chapman River Estuary.

NACC is funding nine new projects to support community to improve the region’s unique coastal environment between Geraldton and Guilderton.

More than $40 000 has been awarded through this coastal grants round. Successful applicants are the Moore Catchments Council, Seabird Caravan Park Committee, Sunset Beach Community Group, City of Greater Geraldton, Friends of Bluff Point, Dongara’s Tidy Towns Sustainable Committee and Ledge Point Coastcare, Shire of Gingin and Friends of Lancelin Coast.

2014 Grants: Interpretive signage funded through NACC’s Coastal Devolved Grant Program.

The projects focus on the rehabilitation of degraded coastal sites, enhancing community skills and knowledge and local seed propagation techniques.

According to NACC’s Coastal Program Coordinator Dr Mic Payne, “Our coast is a valuable and unique environment under pressure from increased recreational use, urban development and a changing climate. These grants provide resources to local organisations who are working to improve the management of our coast”.

Grant recipient Jan Richards from Ledge Point Coastcare said “We have had many requests from local community members who missed out on our last seed propagation workshop so this grant will allow us to run a second workshop to meet this demand. We feel it is very important to use local provenance plants for our revegetation projects”.

The objectives of the projects funded are to:  Contribute to the implementation of recognised existing local and regional coastal plans and strategies;

  • Increase community engagement, knowledge and skills in coastal site assessment, planning, rehabilitation,
  • restoration and conservation projects; and
  • Assist in the protection and maintenance of environmental values and natural assets along the coast.

The grants link back to key Australian Government Natural Resource Management targets and are designed to be flexible to meet the needs of the community. The successful completion of projects will continue to improve the management of our coast, continue to build community capacity into the future and complement the good work that has been achieved through previous grant rounds.