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Communities Can Get Back To Nature With $4 Member for Morwell Russell Northe is encouraging local community groups to apply for the latest round of 2013 Communities for Nature Grants. By Russell Northe - 8th August 2013 - Back to News Mr Northe said $4 million was available in this latest round of the Victorian Coalition Government¡¦s highly successful Communities for Nature program.
Communities for Nature is the Coalition Government¡¦s $20 million four-year program aimed at supporting environmental partnerships between government, business, schools, community and environment groups
¡§There are many groups and individuals volunteering their time and energy in our community to help preserve and improve our local environment and I encourage them to lodge an application for funding,¡¨ Mr Northe said.
¡§Under a previous funding round ¡§Friends of Tyers Park¡¨ received $70,000 for Willow Control on the Tyers River, which was a terrific result for one of our local community environmental organisations.
¡§The Coalition Government is committed to supporting partnerships that make a practical contribution to our environment and the Communities for Nature program is the perfect way to support grass-roots local action.¡¨
The Communities for Nature program focuses on supporting a range of projects including habitat preservation, weed control, revegetation, waterway clean ups, community engagement and pest animal control.
The Coalition Government is allocating up to $4 million to successful projects in two categories: small grants of up to $10,000 and large project grants of between $10,000 and $150,000.
Mr Northe said projects need to address local environmental issues such as:
„h Biodiversity and habitat preservation
„h Threatened species recovery
„h Sustainable management of native wildlife
„h Revegetation
„h Tree planting to support the government¡¦s 2 Million Trees initiative
„h Control of weeds and pest animals.
¡§Being a member of a local environment, Landcare or friends of group is a wonderful way to make new friends, enjoy the outdoors and make a real and positive difference to the environment and the Communities for Nature program is a great way to support these outcomes,¡¨ Mr Northe said.
Applications close 13 September 2013. For more information visit www.depi.vic.gov.au.
Media contact: Russell Northe 5133 9088
Source: http://gippsland.com/ Published by: news@gippsland.com

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