NSW habitat action grants now open!

The Habitat Action Grants are now open! This is your opportunity to get involved in on-ground actions that will protect and improve fish habitat.

The Habitat Action Grants are funded from the Recreational Fishing Trusts which direct revenue generated by the NSW Recreational Fishing Fee towards on-ground actions to improve fish habitat and recreational fishing in NSW.

When fishing in NSW waters, both freshwater and saltwater recreational fishers are required by law to pay the NSW Recreational Fishing Fee. All money raised by the NSW Recreational Fishing Fee is placed into the Recreational Fishing Trusts and spent on improving recreational fishing in NSW. These trusts are overseen by two committees made up of recreational fishers – one for saltwater and one for freshwater.

A comprehensive angler survey of the Recreational Fishing Trusts, completed in 2013, indicated widespread support for the current range of programs that receive funding from the Trusts.

The Habitat Action Grant program has been running in its current form since 2008. The Habitat Action Grant program is a devolved grant program directing money raised from the NSW Recreational Fishing Fee toward projects that improve local fish habitats across NSW. Rehabilitation of fish habitat provides long-term sustainable benefits for native fish stock and in turn provides substantial benefits for NSW recreational fishers.

Angling clubs, individuals, community groups, local councils and organisations interested in rehabilitating fish habitats in freshwater and saltwater areas throughout NSW can apply for grants of up to $40,000.

Habitat rehabilitation projects which may be funded include:

• removal or modification of barriers to fish passage
• rehabilitation of riparian lands (river banks, wetlands, mangrove forests, saltmarsh)
• re-snagging waterways with timber structure
• removal of exotic vegetation from waterways and replace with native species
• bank stabilisation works
• Reinstatement of natural flow regimes.

Projects up to $40,000 will be considered. Applications close 5pm Friday 23rd September 2022.

For more information visit DPIs website – https://bit.ly/3Q01E1P.