Habitat corridors, biodiversity and Country across NSW will get a restorative boost thanks to 12 grants totalling more than $4 million through the NSW Government’s Environmental Trust.
The 2025 Environmental Restoration and Rehabilitation program grants will support groups directly to deliver on-ground projects that restore ecosystems, protect native species, and strengthen environmental resilience.
Funding will be provided to community groups, not-for-profit organisations, councils, government agencies and Local Aboriginal Land Councils to deliver on-ground environmental projects across the state.
The highly competitive program attracted 86 applications, with 12 successful recipients awarded between $150,000 to $350,000 to deliver outcomes over a 3-5year period.
Some of the successful grants will:
Embed cultural burning in Barrington Tops National Park to restore sub-alpine grasslands and strengthen Aboriginal connection to Country, while establishing an ongoing Indigenous fire team for future land stewardship.
Expand habitat connectivity between Burrinjuck and Bango Nature Reserves near Yass by planting 12,500 plants and seeds across 100km of private land to restore woodland and foster stewardship through field days and volunteer plantings.
Restore river zones across the Upper Lachlan Catchment to improve water quality and biodiversity while supporting landholders with fencing, revegetation, weed and erosion control in one of Australia’s vital food-production regions.
All projects support the NSW Environmental Trust Strategic Plan 2024-29, by:
prioritising healthy Country, or
restoring ecosystems and biodiversity, or
strengthening environmental management.
Successful grants can be viewed online. Other available environmental grant programs can be found at Grants available | Funding and support | Environment and Heritage. The NSW Environmental Trust is an independent statutory body that supports environmental projects through grant funding.
NSW Environmental Trust Director, Katie Robinson, said:
“These grants will enable a wide range of local environmental initiatives, prioritising healthy Country and restoring ecosystems and biodiversity.”
“Outcomes include embedding cultural burning practices, expanding gully erosion repair across farms to reduce sediment entering rivers, and restoring forest and wildlife corridors.
“Local communities know their environments best and play a vital role in caring for the animals, plants and ecosystems they value.”
