The Allan Labor Government is helping to improve habitats for native wildlife across Victoria’s iconic urban rivers and creeks through a new funding boost for environmental restoration projects.

Minister for Water Harriet Shing announced the first round of successful grants through the $10 million Green Links Grant Program, which will support local projects along Victoria’s urban waterways to deliver up to 300 hectares of revegetated land for communities to enjoy and wildlife to thrive.

Victoria’s waterways are home to more than 1,800 species of native plants and 600 species of native animals – so revegetation projects like this are essential to waterways and their parkland corridors.

Community groups, water or land managers, Traditional Owners and local councils received up to $200,000 for small projects and up to $2 million for large-scale projects – including $463,000 to support Merri Creek Management Committee deliver their Connecting up Communities - Corridors and Refuges for Urban Fauna project along the Merri Creek in Northcote, Brunswick East, Thornbury, Coburg, and Preston, providing our community with more green spaces to connect with nature.

The Green Links Program also provided vital funding to waterways included in the Waterways of the West Action Plan, the Rivers of the Barwon (Barre Warre Yulluk) Action Plan and Burndap Birrarung burndap umarkoo – the Yarra Strategic Plan.

Victoria’s urban waterways – including the Yarra, Maribyrnong, Werribee, Barwon, and the many tributaries in their catchment areas – hold significant social, cultural, environmental, and economic value to Traditional Owners and community.

This program will bring together community groups, Traditional Owners and councils to ensure the management of waterways and their lands realises the cultural values of Traditional Owners and community aspirations.

The Labor Government is investing $10 million over three years into the grant program. This complements the more than $300 million invested over four years to improve the health of waterways and catchments across regional Victoria and Melbourne – building on a further $224 million towards enhancing regional waterways.

For more information on the Green Links Grants Program and future funding opportunities, visit https://www.water.vic.gov.au/grants/green-links-grants.

Quote attributable to the Member for Northcote

“The Merri Creek is a cherished biodiversity corridor, and these grants will help ensure local ecosystems remain healthy and resilient as our climate changes and our population grows.”