Key information
- Status: Open
- Grant amount: From $500 to $200,000
- Application opened: 3 November 2025
- Application closes: 5 December 2025, 5:00 pm
Program objective
To assist Crown Land Managers meet their duty to biosecurity obligations of the reserves they manage under the Biosecurity Act 2015.
This program is administered by Crown Lands.
Eligibility
Who can apply
The application must be authorised by the official manager of a Crown reserve. The person/organisation entering the online application must be either:
- an authorised person of the reserve’s Crown land manager, or
- a user group representative or officer of the applicant organisation with an official letter of authorisation from the appropriate authorised person from the list below.
List of authorised persons eligible to apply for funding:
Statutory Crown land manager board - Chair, Secretary, Treasurer or Appointed Administrator
Council Crown land manager - General Manager or Director
Corporate Crown land manager - CEO, CFO or General Manager
Other eg. Government agency, perpetual lease - Crown Lands Director or Area Manager
For more information, please refer to the Crown Reserves Improvement Fund | Crown Lands website.
Types of projects funded under this grant
Pest projects - works on Crown reserves only.
For more information, please refer to the Crown Reserves Improvement Fund | Crown Lands website.
Who can’t apply
Freehold Showgrounds, Commons, Freehold School of Arts and any Crown land directly managed by Local Land Services (LLS) are not eligible in the 2025-26 funding round.
Types of projects not funded under this grant
For more information, please refer to the Crown Reserves Improvement Fund | Crown Lands website.
What your application needs to include
Prepare your application with this checklist
- The project must be on NSW Crown managed land (including land managed by an appointed Crown Land Manager)
- Activity must be consistent with s12.29 of the Crown Land Management Act 2016 - Crown Land Management Act 2016 No 58
- The application must relate to a project or activity that has not yet commenced
- The Crown land manager must have no outstanding overdue CRIF final project reports as at the round closing date
- The application must be authorised by the official manager of a Crown reserve
- Appropriate quotes / cost estimates must be provided with the application
- The application must address the funding round objective
- Minimum grant amount is $500 (inc GST) and maximum amount is $200,000(inc GST)
For more information, please refer to the Crown Reserves Improvement Fund | Crown Lands website.
Address the eligibility criteria
Each applicant, as part of an application response, must confirm that they meet the eligibility criteria.
Applicants that do not address the eligibility criteria in full may be excluded from the application process at the department's discretion.
Address the assessment criteria
Departmental expert panel assessment of the best projects that comply with the NSW Invasive Species Plan 2023-2028.
Start the application
For more information, please refer to the Crown Reserves Improvement Fund | Crown Lands website.
Note: If you are a new applicant to SmartyGrants, you will need to register and create a password. If you are already registered, you can log in with your existing username and password.
Apply now
After the application is submitted
Successful applications will be decided by: Minister for Lands and Property
All applications will be subject to a rigorous multi-level assessment process. The official Crown land manager should receive written advice as to the outcome of your application via email by May 2026.
Anticipated assessment outcome date is May 2026
Anticipated date for funding deed execution with successful applicants is May - June 2026
Support and contact
Crown Lands & Public Spaces
Phone: 1300 886 235 (option 5) | Email: reservefunding@crownland.nsw.gov.au