BushBank program

Overview

The $77 million BushBank program will restore natural environments across Victoria through millions of native plants and trees being planted.

The trees and shrubs planted will be carefully selected to benefit a range of species.

$30.9 million will go towards habitat restoration on private land, while $2.7 million has been committed for works on public land.

The BushBank program also provides economic opportunities for Traditional Owners and supports their participation in restoration and carbon markets.

Restoration activities will include seed collection, weeding, fencing and planting.

The BushBank program will contribute to targets within Protecting Victoria's Environment - Biodiversity 2037, Victoria’s plan to stop the decline of our native plants and animals and improve our natural environment.

The BushBank program will also contribute to the Victorian Government’s goal of net zero emissions by 2045.

Habitat restoration on private land

The Victorian Government is investing $30.9 million to revegetate and restore at least 20,000 hectares of native habitat across private land in Victoria. That's an area 10,000 times the size of the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) that will be transformed into healthy habitat for native wildlife.

Cassinia Environmental is our delivery partner. Cassinia will work with the Victorian Government, Trust for Nature and more than 20 other partners to bring significant co-investment to achieve this ambitious goal and help private landowners tap into financial incentives available through land restoration and carbon markets.

Cassinia Environmental has begun landowner recruitment and will recruit landowners over the next five to seven years.

If you are an interested private landowner, you can find more information and register your interest in the program at https://cassinia.com/BushBank

Habitat restoration on public land

Applications for the second round of BushBank grants to restore public land in Victoria are now closed. Applicants will be notified from April 2024.

The Victorian Government has already invested $2.7 million to revegetate and restore up to 600 hectares of habitat in parks and reserves managed by DEECA and Parks Victoria. These projects continue to be delivered, and all are supported by Traditional Owners. The sites are across Victoria and include areas in the Grampians National Park, Wilsons Promontory National Park, Berrook State Forest in the Mallee, and the Northern Hume floodplain. This work will benefit species such as malleefowl, pink cockatoo, southern brown bandicoot and buloke.

Traditional Owner grants

Traditional Owners are important partners of the BushBank program, which has allocated $14.5 million over 10 years (until 2031) providing opportunities for Traditional Owners to lead and participate in habitat restoration and carbon markets.

To date, $5.6 million has been committed for Traditional Owners to deliver 18 projects. These projects are designed to address biodiversity loss and climate change, and enable Traditional Owners to participate in healing Country and carbon markets, and to practice self-determination.

More information

For more information please contact the DEECA BushBank team.

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