Extra hand for landcare groups

Cannibal Creek Catchment Landcare Group was among the Cardinia grant recipients. (Stewart Chambers: 420426)

Melbourne Water has announced it would be delivering more than $500,000 in funding to support environmental volunteering groups in the Port Phillip and Westernport catchments via the Victorian Landcare Grants program, including towards a number of Cardinia landcare groups.

The successful applicants would receive funding this month to deliver a range of community projects and partnerships to protect and restore our natural environment in 2024.

Cardinia recipients would include:

* Friends of Emerald Lake Park’s Emerald Lake Park Vegetation Management Project: $18,500;

* Westernport Swamp Landcare Group’s SwampWorks: Extending habitat for Bandicoots in the Kooweerup Swamp: $11,018;

Cardinia and West Gippsland Equine Landcare towards helping rural equine property owners establish support healthy land management: $10,800;

* Westernport Catchment Landcare Network’s More than manure – Dung Beetle Survey Port Phillip and Western Port Catchments: $20,000; and

* Cannibal Creek Catchment Landcare Group – rehabilitating a key biodiversity node at Walkers Road Drain, Lovers Lane: $18,500.

Regional Landcare Coordinator of Aboriginal Engagement and Community Connections Barry Kennedy said the grants would support the volunteers working hard every day towards protecting local catchments.

“Our volunteers work on the ground to care for our catchments, and that’s why we continue to support these remarkable Victorians,” he said.

“All the staff at Melbourne Water appreciate the work of our community groups along with neighbours and friends to change our world for the better, one project at a time.”

For more information about the grants, visit www.environment.vic.gov.au/grants/victorian-landcare-grants