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Priority Outcomes Being Sought

Funding will be available through the Vision for Werribee Plains Program for projects that focus on:

• Improvement and protection of biodiversity
• Improvement and sustainability in industry and society, including more efficient use of resources, reduced emissions, innovative solutions to resource sharing, and adaptation to climate change
• Opportunities to generate new enterprises with recycled water and stormwater.
  

Improved and protected biodiversity outcomes

Native vegetation and threatened animal species in the region have declined and are under considerable threat.  Long term management for protection and improvement of these species and communities is required.  Funds are used to support the development and implementation of conservation plans – both on private and public land.

Improved sustainability in industry and society

This area is a major focus of the project.  Avoiding waste, minimising resource usage, increasing resource efficiency and recycling are key principles that should be included in grant applications.

Key resources include our natural resources of land, water, and energy.  Opportunities exist throughout the region to take action to adapt to climate change, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across all sectors of the community, utilise "energy recycling" in industry and to use water more efficiently.

Our parks and open spaces are a key resource and projects that increase access and utilisation of parks and open spaces will be considered.

Opportunities with recycled water & stormwater

Stage 1 of the Vision involved the start of distributing recycled water from the Western Treatment Plant and the project now pursues opportunities to advance this initiative across all wastewater sources, including stormwater.

The project seeks new initiatives in the agricultural industries that occupy a large proportion of the region – especially those that lead to increased sales and employment, and more efficiently utilise the key resources and attributes of the region (especially recycled water and proximity to markets).

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Examples of Potential Projects

Small Grants

One of the key aims of the program is to increase involvement by community groups in innovative projects that contribute to the sustainability of the region.  These may include actions that involve partnerships with large organisations (e.g. Water Corporations, State and Local Government agencies).

Projects may include:

• health of waterways
• water conservation
• carbon emission reduction
• protection and improvement of natural landscapes
• improved access and use of open spaces.

Community groups are encouraged to use their project to attract new members and help increase the number of people involved in volunteering in natural resource projects.

Medium Size Grants

Projects in this category may be a follow-up to a small grant.  There are additional requirements for reporting and risk management for both the application and reporting stages.

Organisations applying for medium size grants are expected to have a sound track record in project management in delivering on projects co-funded with the aid of grants.

Projects in this category could be local councils developing biodiversity action plans, companies and Government agencies implementing sustainability projects.

Large Grants

Projects in this category will be conducted by Government agencies to implement infrastructure projects and major change management projects.  Local Government applying for projects in this category will be expected to do so as a consortium, with the benefits distributed across more than one council area.

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Requirements of Funded Projects

Key funding information:

• This is a competitive grant program with a limited amount of funding available.
• A maximum of two applications is accepted per organisation each year.
  
• The amount of funding being sought through the program should be at least matched by an equal contribution from the applicant.
• The applicant’s contribution may comprise a mix of financial and in-kind, and include funds from other grants where it can be shown that the two grants add value and are not simply duplicating each other.
• All projects are to be inclusive of GST.
• All projects must include a Communication Plan that details how the outcomes are to be made known to other organisations and communities.
• Successful applicants are required to enter into a Funding Agreement with DSE for the delivery of the project.  Funding Agreements and end-to-end project reporting require the approval of the applicants’ Senior Officer’ in the organisation.
• The Department of Sustainability and Environment reserves the right to withdraw its funding offer if the Funding Agreement is not signed within one month of receipt.
• All projects involving Small and Medium Grants must be completed within two years of the receipt of funding.  Large Grants must be completed within three years.
• Funds must be spent on the project as described in the application and outlined in the Funding Agreement.  Any unspent funds must be returned to DSE.
• A Project Plan will be required as part of the Funding Agreement for medium and large grants.  Small grants will require establishment of mutually agreed milestones.
• Any Intellectual Property generated by a project must be freely available to the State Government.
• The Department of Sustainability and Environment reserves the right to invite project proposals without guaranteeing that they will be funded.  It also reserves the right to fund part of a project where it considers this to be appropriate.

The amount of funds available for each level of the grants program remains within the discretion of the Department of Sustainability and Environments, including the funding limits for each tier of the program.  At present the levels of grants have been set at:

• Small Grants – $5,000 to $50,000
• Medium Grants – $50,000 to $250,000
• Large Grants – Over $250,000.

Funding will not be provided to:

• Projects that do not have any aspect of innovation.
• Projects that are outside the funding limits.
• Projects that do not specifically address outcomes of the Grants Program.
• Projects that do not leverage outcomes through co-funding – i.e. cash and/or in-kind.  A minimum of 50% funding from the applicant is expected.  This is often achieved through partnerships with other organisations and other grants.  Most community groups will be contributing in-kind support for their projects.
• Projects that do not directly engage the community and/or local government, and/or industry in the Werribee Plains region.
• Projects for which there is another specific grant e.g. Local Government and Melbourne Waters’ grant programs, or the Department of Sustainability and Environment’s Stormwater and Urban Recycling Fund.  Projects may be considered when another grant is used to leverage the scale of the project and the Vision for Werribee Plains fund can be shown to add value to the outcomes.

Applicants that are not incorporated (in this case a partnership should be formed with an incorporated body to act as the agency for administering and accounting for the funds) e.g. an incorporated service club may act as the lead agency for an unincorporated neighbourhood group.

What will be involved in Project Plan Implementation?

If your application is approved for funding, you will be required to sign a Funding Agreement with the Department of Sustainability and Environment. Small grants will generally have a shortened agreement; however, all agreements will include milestones, progress reports, probity in managing funds, and a final evaluation of the project.

Evaluation

Evaluation is a crucial component of the grants program and applicants will need to allocate around 10 – 20% for this activity when preparing their budget. Discussions and agreement on evaluation plans will occur during the Application stage and assistance will be provided by staff from the Project Office to ensure appropriate monitoring and evaluation of activities throughout the project.

Media and Communications

Victorian Government support through the provision of a DSE Vision for Werribee Plains grant must be acknowledged in any relevant publication, news item, internet site, or public event. Arrangements for project announcements will be detailed in the Funding Agreement – such as the launch or conclusion of an activity. Media and communications activities about projects must abide by the DSE communication protocols.

Insurance

Proof of Insurance is required for successful applicants, including professional indemnity and public liability.

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