This program offers funding to Local Control Authorities in specific natural disaster declared LGAs to support the recovery of primary production by providing support for weed management and control activities.
Key information
- Status: Closed
- Grant amount: From $50,000 to $400,000
- Application opened: 10 May 2023
- Application closed: 16 June 2023, 11:59 pm
Program objective
The Early Needs Weed Management Program is offering a targeted competitive grant available over one round to Local Control Authorities within the Greater Sydney and South East Regions for declared LGA's under AGRN 1012. The total grant funding available under the program is $1.5 million GST exclusive.
The Program aims to support the recovery of primary production, by providing landscape scale support for weed management and control activities and projects.
LLS aims to protect the region’s environments, communities, and economies from the negative impacts of invasive plants, based on the objectives of the Regional Strategic Weed Management Plans.
Weed management is a shared responsibility of public authorities, regional land managers and landholders whose objective is to identify and manage state priority and regional priority weeds. All weeds in the ENWMP are aligned to priorities in the relevant region’s Strategic Weed Management Plan. Weeds which have infested new areas as a result of the flood and are proved to have or have the potential to impact on the recovery of production in the LGA may be controlled under the program.
LLS is seeking applications from Local Control Authorities who are committed to delivering actions from the Strategic Weed Management Plan and can work within specific weed related programs while implementing regulations under the Biosecurity Act 2015.
This program is administered by Local Land Services.
This program is funded by Australian Government and Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development.
Eligibility
Who can apply
Recognised Local Control Authority representatives of the respective declared region/s.
Who can’t apply
Ineligible applicants include:
- any business or organisation that does not satisfy eligibility criteria
- organisations that submit more than one application.
- applicants who have applied for other government funding for these same activities.
Types of projects funded under this grant
Eligible priority projects can include:
- weed control programs
- weed surveillance programs
- employing or contracting a person/organisation to coordinate and/or deliver control/surveillance activities
- grant administration (maximum of 10% of total grant value)
- weed identification and control workshops, field days, seminars, educational materials, and roadshows with a weed identification, control, and surveillance focus
- weed related and focused communication materials including development of newsletters, handbooks, fact sheets, webinars, podcasts, videos, and website content.
- capital expenditure for items that will contribute directly to weed control/surveillance programs (for example – boats, sprayers, trailers, drones, ATV, laboratory equipment, safe storage facilities etc.
What can’t you apply for
- Any activity that does not meet the project eligibility requirements.
- projects which have already received and or have approvals under additional funding sources will be ineligible for funding under (AGRN1012)
- costs that have been incurred and paid for through another grants program
Projects that include downstream recipients – on granting of funds.
Most recent recipients
What your application needs to include
Download the grant guidelines (PDF 440.04KB) to see all the sections that need to be addressed in the applications portal. You can also download the FAQ (PDF 149.18KB)and download the project plan spreadsheet (XLSX 29.51KB).
Prepare your application with this checklist
Applicants must provide the following information to determine their eligibility for the program:
Online application:
- applicant details
- evidence of business registration
- evidence of legal entity status
- evidence of $20 million public liability insurance in applicant’s name
- description of project
- evidence of organisational skills and experience that address the assessment criteria.
- applicant declarations.
Excel workbook (project and activities detail):
- project activity name and description
- how is the project supporting weed management in flood affected areas
- identify which weed species you are targeting
- have the floods increased their range since February 2022?
- activity type
- which suburbs do you intend on targeting
- project delivery timeframe including start and end dates
- intended communications strategies and promotional platforms for the project
- person responsible for each activity- project
- risk identification, management, and rating
- total cost of proposed projects and grant funding requested
- forecasted expenditure for each quarter in 22/23 and 23/24 financial years
- identification of any additional funding sources (non-government funding).
Address the eligibility criteria
Applicants must:
- be a recognised Local Control Authority representative of the respective declared region/s
- have an Australian Business Number (ABN) and confirm if registered for GST. Businesses not registered for GST are ineligible to receive GST component
- be delivering activities in the Greater Sydney and South East regions (refer eligible project activities), within the defined disaster area for the NSW floods that occurred from February 2022- 2023 (AGRN 1012). Refer to Appendix A – Eligible LGAs for a list of eligible areas
- be able to confirm that there is primary production within your eligible LGA/s
- currently hold a minimum of $20 million public liability insurance
- be able to commence activities within 3 months of the commencement of the Funding Deed; have completed all activities and all claim submissions completed by 5pm AEST 31 May 2024 as outlined in the project funding deed
- identify if your LCA is one of the following:
- a local council
- joint organisation of councils.
Address the assessment criteria
The merit-based assessment of each application will focus on the following key areas:
Project appropriateness (50%) | Provides sufficient evidence that the proposed project activities will address the unique recovery challenges the applicable industry is facing. |
Value for money (10%) | Provides sufficient evidence that the costs are appropriate for the resourcing required to deliver project activities and the outcomes they will achieve. |
Viability (30%) | Provide sufficient evidence that the project is realistic and likely to be delivered within the budget and timeframe. |
Project Readiness (10%) | Provide sufficient evidence that organization able to commence the project and able to complete within timeframes. |
After the application is submitted
The applications will be assessed and both successful and unsuccessful applicants will be notified.
Support and contact
For more information and application support email recovery@lls.nsw.gov.au.