- Curtin University-based Native Seed Technology and Innovation Hub awarded $1.8 million Lotterywest grant
- Grant will go towards improving the quality, quantity and diversity of native seeds available for ecological restoration in WA
- Hands-on education and skills training for Indigenous groups that are poised to become leaders in the emerging restoration economy
A Lotterywest grant of $1.8 million has been awarded to Curtin University’s Native Seed Technology and Innovation Hub, to improve native seed quality and restore degraded land across Western Australia.
Land restoration activities have the potential to address up to 20 per cent of current climate impacts while creating habitat for species, enterprise opportunities for communities and arresting land degradation.
The $1.8 million in funding will go towards upgrading seed testing and production equipment – to boost quality, quantity and diversity of native seeds – for restoring biodiversity in more than 1 million hectares of degraded land throughout WA.
Developing technologies to rapidly assess the quality of seed batches can improve current practices that often result in many seeds being wasted.
Curtin will focus on training and upskilling Aboriginal groups to implement cost-effective technological solutions for providing seed-for-seed-based restoration projects.
As stated by Environment Minister Reece Whitby:
“Supporting this Curtin University initiative is a positive step towards conservation and protecting land where it’s needed most.
“Seeds play a vital role in restoring native vegetation across degraded ecosystems. Good quality seeds are required for restoring biodiversity in more than one million hectares of degraded land across WA.
“This grant will go towards improving the quality, quantity and diversity of native seeds available for ecological restoration in WA.”
