Apply for assistance to preserve your bushland

Each year we offer a series of land management grants that support the preservation of Manningham’s natural bushland and the productivity of rural land.

These grants are designed to help property owners with land care education, land stewardship, pest and animal control and ecological improvement works.

To apply for assistance to preserve your bushland read the land management grant criteria below. If you meet any of these criteria, complete the online form using the button above or download the application form in the Related downloads section.

Local Environment Assistance Fund (LEAF) 

Depending on where your property is located, you may be eligible for a LEAF grant to match your spending dollar for dollar on approved works, up to a certain limit. 

Resourcing Extra Local Environmental Assistance Fund (RELEAF)

RELEAF grants offer extra financial assistance to landholders that have large areas of remnant vegetation and are looking to manage their properties for biodiversity improvement, protection and conservation.

Successful RELEAF grants recipients will receive two thirds of the total cost to conduct approved works, to a maximum of $4,000 (i.e. maximum rebate of $4,000 possible where total cost is $6,000). Applications will be assessed on:

• Biodiversity merit
• The size of the habitat zone, minimum 5,000m2 (0.5ha)
• The priority of the works
• The property owners ability to manage a habitat zone into the future, including a voluntary 3 year action plan agreement
• Property eligibility.

Approved works for LEAF and RELEAF grants

Please see the list below for eligible works and their priority level. Applications will be assessed based on the priority of works.

High priority works:

• Integrated rabbit control that includes warren destruction
• Integrated environmental weed control
• Integrated pest animal control
• Revegetation to an appropriate standard for:
  • enhancing identified habitat corridors or significant locations
  • enhancing identified strategic ‘gaps’ in corridors or other strategic locations
  • conservation of threatened species
  • preventing and/or rehabilitating soil erosion.
• Fencing of core and buffer habitat, high priority revegetation, or waterways and dams to prevent stock access/grazing
• Other ‘significant’ habitat improvements on a case by case basis including ecological burns
• Wetland enhancement
• Earthworks for erosion control/prevention
• Works for threatened species conservation.

Other works

• Integrated rabbit control including at least two of the following methods:
  • baiting using a licensed contractor
  • harbour reduction and warren collapse.
• fumigating:
  • ferreting
  • long-netting
  • monitoring.
• Seed collection, propagation, and/or planting of indigenous species
• Pasture management improvements including:
  • integrated weed management
  • contour fencing
  • fencing and revegetation of gullies and building stock crossings
  • manure management including harrowing, collection and composting
  • building of sacrifice yards
  • reseeding with local native grass species
  • management to enhance native pastures.

Pest animal control grants

If your property is not eligible for LEAF or RELEAF, you can still claim funding for fox, rabbit and deer control.

Fox and rabbit control grants

If you are working with a Rabbit Action Group, funding of up to $500 per annum is available on a dollar for dollar basis.

Deer control grants

Each year, eligible residents can access funding for up to two-thirds of the total cost of deer control, to a maximum amount of $2,000.  

This grant is available in addition to LEAF and RELEAF grants. The control must be carried out under the Wildlife Act 1975 and the LEAF checklist requirements. 

You can apply online for a deer control grant or download and complete the Land Management Grants application form.