Community Weeds and Rabbit Control Grant – New Round

Published on 07 August 2020

Community Weeds and Rabbit Control Grant – New Round for Spring/early Summer

Colac Otway Shire Council’s Environment unit is very pleased to announce a further round of the Communities Combating Pests and Weeds grant opportunity for spring and early summer 2020.

The grant enables Council to directly support private property owners across the shire in their efforts to control weeds and rabbits on their properties.

“This is a rare funding stream for Council that enables us to help our communities treat high-priority weed species and conduct rabbit control on private land,” Council’s Manager of Environment and Community Safety Stewart Anderson said.

“The program has also involved significant work on public land, as well as the development of education resources to assist Colac Otway Shire residents in their land management planning, which can often be a daunting process,” he said. 

“To help ensure that the resources available have the widest possible reach and that program participants are committed to the necessary follow-up work to reap benefits into the future, the program requires private landowners to contribute an amount equivalent to what they receive through the grant for works on their land,” Mr Anderson said.

Whilst the Application submission final deadline is not until Friday 9 October 2020, Council strongly encourages interested community members to get their applications in as soon as possible to ensure they secure funding and have plenty of time to schedule works.

The Communities Combating Pests and Weeds program is a one-off opportunity, with a strict completion deadline of the end of 2020. The project is funded by the Australian Government under the Communities Combating Pests and Weed Impacts During Drought Program.

Weed species that can be tackled using grant funding are as follows:

African Boxthorn – Lycium ferocissimum

Blackberry – Rubus fruticosus

Cape Broom/ Montpellier Broom – Genista monspessulana

English Broom/Scotch Broom – Cytisus scoparius

Flax-leaved Broom – Genista IinifoIia

Spiny Broom – Calicotome spinose

Gorse – Ulex europaeus

Hawthorn – Crataegus monogyna

Ragwort – Senecio jacobaea

St John’s Wort – Hypericum perforatum

For further information about this opportunity and to complete an Application, please visit https://www.colacotway.vic.gov.au/Environment-Sustainability/Communities-Combating-Pests-Weeds-Grant-Opportunity