Project funding and eligibility

The impacts of established weeds and pest animals on our landscapes and communities include substantial farm production losses, degradation of our ecosystems, damage to culturally sensitive sites of Victoria’s First Nations people and risking access to international agriculture markets.

A recent study by the Australian Bureau for Agriculture and Resource Economics and Sciences estimates that the cost of management and lost production to Victoria’s agricultural landowners, due to established weeds and pest animals, is $869 million per annum.

The Partnerships Against Pests program will deliver a total of $5 million over 4 years (2023–27) as part of the Victorian Government ‘Backing Victoria’s Producers’ budget initiative. The program is a change initiative designed to build government, industry, and community capabilities, strengthen relationships and facilitate greater cooperation on established weeds and pest animals.

Generally, established weeds are those that are listed as regionally controlled or regionally prohibited under the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994. Established pest animals are those listed under the Act.

Available funding

In Round 3, there is a total of $780,500 (excluding GST) of funding available for Stream 2 projects. Groups can apply for project funding of between $10,000 and $50,000 (excluding GST) and chose to complete their projects over either 12 or 24 months.

Activities eligible for funding

Funding can be used for items directly related to the delivery of the project, including but not limited to:

  • consultants, facilitators and/or presenters
  • project officers engaged to deliver tangible and quantifiable project activities
  • training and/or educational course fees
  • publicity, communications and marketing
  • advertising, printing, design and postage
  • website and app development
  • photography, videography and video production
  • hire of equipment and venues for events
  • resource materials and consumable items
  • transport and travel within Victoria required for project delivery
  • food and non-alcoholic beverages within reason (e.g. light event catering)
  • capital items and equipment where the cost does not exceed $3,000. Applicants must demonstrate a clear need and community benefit for any capital items included in the project budget.
    • Capital items must become a registered asset of the applicant group or auspice organisation.
    • Capital items used to demonstrate and educate must be considered as part of best practice management for that species.
  • project management and administration costs not exceeding 15% of the total funding requested – for example:
    • recruitment, engagement and management of project staff listed in this list
    • communications technology hardware and software or licences
    • staff on-costs.

Organisations may apply for grants from $10,000 up to $50,000. Please refer to the grant guidelines for more information and further details of which activities are eligible or ineligible for funding.

Other funding streams are only available to Victoria’s 4 community pest management groups (CPMGs).

Eligible groups

Stream 2 of the Partnerships Against Pests grants program is open to organisations operating at a regional or local level that have an interest or a project idea in established invasive species management. This includes, but is not limited to:

  • not-for-profit organisations
  • environmental, agricultural, or natural resource management volunteer organisations
  • community service organisations
  • Landcare groups and networks.

Eligibility requirements

To be eligible, an applicant must be one of the following:

  • An incorporated association registered through Consumer Affairs Victoria
  • A registered company with the Australian Securities Investment Commission (ASIC)
  • An Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporation registered with the Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations (ORIC) under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006

It must also hold sufficient insurance to safeguard volunteers and participants involved in the funded activities, including public liability insurance of at least $10 million and personal accident insurance.

Organisations that have previously applied for Partnerships Against Pests grant funding are welcome to submit new or revised applications. However, if a previously funded group has failed to complete all conditions of their grant agreement, they will not be considered for further funding until all outstanding conditions have been completed.

Program objectives and outcomes

Projects should aim to address one or more of the program objectives and outcomes.

Program objectives

  • Capacity building: educational events and resources boost community awareness and technical knowledge of best practice management options.
  • Capability building: training, educational and/or mentoring opportunities for community leaders and advocates boosts knowledge and skills in areas such as leadership and project management.
  • Strategic planning: strategic and innovative plans are developed for self-sustained and accountable action beyond the tenure of the program.
  • Raising awareness: communication tools and products boost awareness and technical knowledge of best practice management options.
  • Partnerships and collaboration: communities work collaboratively to sustain long term established invasive species management benefits.
  • Partnerships and collaboration: initiatives are designed and delivered that actively connect agencies and community members to act on established invasive species issues.
  • Partnerships and collaboration: community-based organisations build partnerships and work collaboratively with Traditional Owner Corporations (TOCs) and Aboriginal Victorians to deliver established invasive species management capacity and capability building projects that align with Whole-of-Country plans, respect Traditional Owner expertise, and recognise and implement decisions that Traditional Owners make over traditional lands and resources.

Program outcomes

  • There is improved community capacity, awareness and technical understanding of established invasive species best practice management.
  • Communities, their leaders and advocates create cohesive, sustainable and diverse groups or place-based organisations with skills in leadership, governance, strategic thinking, risk management, project management, communications and engagement, and monitoring and evaluation.
  • Community based organisations have strategic plans in place that describe the groups goals, objectives and strategic actions for investment.
  • Innovative solutions for established invasive species management are explored and implemented.
  • Existing networks and collaborative partnerships are expanded or strengthened and/or new networks and collaborative partnerships are developed.
  • There is an increase in the number of ongoing, place-based established invasive species projects and solutions through new or expanded community engagement and collaboration initiatives.
  • There is an increase in the number of community groups working in partnership with Traditional Owners and incorporating strategies from Whole-of-Country plans into project planning and delivery to ensure projects are implemented in a culturally appropriate way

Previously funded projects

If you need inspiration, please check out the projects funded in previous rounds of the Partnerships Against Pests grants program.

Victoria’s 4 community pest management groups have also previously delivered several innovative, community-based weed and pest projects. You can read more about one of projects.

Page last updated: 31 Oct 2024