Investing In Biodiversity

Victorian environmental and biodiversity initiatives and funding programs

BushBank

The BushBank program is addressing climate change and supporting biodiversity as it restores more than 20,000 hectares of land across Victoria. This ground-breaking program involves the planting of millions of native trees and shrubs to pull carbon from the air and create healthy habitat for Victorian wildlife.

For further information, visit the BushBank.

Deer Control Program

The Victorian Deer Control Program aims to reduce the impact of wild deer on biodiversity, water quality, public safety, agricultural assets, and Aboriginal cultural heritage.

To achieve these key objectives, we are working with and supporting key stakeholders to help undertake an integrated program which will deliver over 150,000 hectares of herbivore control annually to the contributing targets in Protecting Victoria's Environment - Biodiversity 2037.

For further information, visit the Deer Control Program.

Faunal Emblems Program

The Faunal Emblems Program is helping to improve the long-term sustainability of the Leadbeater’s Possum and the Helmeted Honeyeater in the wild.

The Victorian State Government has invested $6 million since 2018 for a range of targeted actions that will assist populations directly, as well as protecting and restoring crucial habitat.

The 2023-2025 round awarded $1.52 million to support the state’s faunal emblems.

For further information, visit Faunal Emblems.

Icon Species

The Victorian Government’s Icon Species Funding Program focuses on protecting threatened species through collaborative planning, increased engagement and alignment of natural resources, scientific, educational and community sectors.

Through this program and our Faunal Emblems Program, we are providing funds for targeted actions designed to protect and conserve Victoria’s threatened species. Over $10.6 million has been provided by DEECA to support intensive management actions for numerous icon species being delivered in collaboration with threatened species experts and species’ recovery teams. The 2023-2025 round awarded $1.85 million across the state to support the ongoing protection of Victoria’s iconic species.

For further information, visit Icon Species.

Marine Environment

Targeted funding is provided for projects in the marine environment, building on the work completed in the initial Biodiversity Response Planning marine and coastal area.

In 2021–2023, $1.6 million has been allocated to marine projects to manage threats to the marine environment, fund restoration of key marine and wetland habitats. The projects directly benefit threatened species through innovative habitat restoration actions, with carbon sequestration and fisheries co-benefits.

Nature Fund

The Nature Fund has been established to encourage collaboration and partnerships between government, business, philanthropy and the community to deliver high impact projects that contribute to improving Victoria’s biodiversity.

The Victorian Government established the Nature Fund to support projects that will make a significant difference to the outcomes for biodiversity and threatened species in Victoria.

For further information, visit the Nature Fund.

Peri-urban Weed Management Partnerships Program

The Peri-urban Weed Management Partnerships (PWMP) program is a collaborative initiative between state and local governments. It is aimed at safeguarding native plant and animal species from invasive weeds in the peri-urban fringe area of Melbourne. With a funding allocation of $4 million until June 2025, the program supports a total of 10 projects, including 6 recurrent and 4 new project initiatives.

Building upon the accomplishments and previous investments of the PWMP 2016-2021 initiative, the program focuses on identifying native habitats of significant environmental and community value on public land. Land managers, such as Councils and Parks Victoria, work closely with the community to prevent and reduce impacts of high-risk weeds in key council areas surrounding Melbourne.

For further information, visit Peri-urban Weed Management Partnerships.

Land for Wildlife

Land for Wildlife (Victoria) is one of the longest running Victorian Government private land conservation programs supporting landholders who provide habitat for native wildlife on their land. It is voluntary wildlife conservation where landholders are acknowledged and recognised to manage and restore habitat for wildlife.

Since its establishment in 1981, over 4,500 properties with more than 500,000 hectares of private land across Victoria being registered and managed as wildlife habitat.

Port Phillip Bay Fund

The Port Phillip Bay Fund is a grants program provided by the Victorian Government. It supports community groups, not-for profit organisations, schools, research institutes, councils and Traditional Owner groups to protect and enhance Port Phillip Bay or Narrm-Narrm (or Nairm).
Since 2016, the Program has provided more than $17.2 million in funding support across 215 projects in and around the Bay, one of the Victoria’s most important and iconic ecosystems with many plant and animal species living in the Bay.

For further information, visit the Port Phillip Bay Fund.

Protecting Biodiversity Program

The Protecting Biodiversity program is part of the Victorian Government’s ongoing investment to support the implementation of Protecting Victoria’s Environment – Biodiversity 2037.

To reduce the impacts of pest herbivores, pest predators and invasive weeds at priority locations across the state, $32 million is being invested to June 2025 in 36 large scale projects where invasive species management will have the most benefit for the greatest number of native species.

A further $2.8 million is also supporting Trust for Nature’s Iconic Estates program, covenanting private land with high biodiversity values across Victoria. This program contributes to the permanent protection target in Biodiversity 2037 and supports self-determination aspirations of Traditional Owners by engaging and collaborating with them about the values they would like to protect or restore on private land.

For further information, visit the Protecting Biodiversity.

Traditional Owner Caring for Country grants

The Aboriginal Caring for Country Grants aim to support Traditional Owners’ rights on Country and drive Aboriginal self-determination by supporting Aboriginal communities to identify, understand and apply Aboriginal values and traditional ecological knowledge in the management of Country to enable healthy Country and healthy people.

These grants support the Department’s commitment to Aboriginal self-determination. Pupangarli Marnmarnepu ‘Owning Our Future’ is the Department’s roadmap to building a better future with Traditional Owners and Aboriginal Victorians, through systemic and structural change that fully supports Aboriginal decision-making, evaluation and talent building to inform its policy and projects.

Victorian Landcare Program

The Victorian Landcare Program, which has invested more than $100 million over the past 10 years, supports Landcare in Victoria to strengthen and enable groups and networks across the State. Support includes funding Regional Landcare Coordinators and on-ground Landcare facilitators who empower locals to act for their environment, the Victorian Landcare Grants and the Victorian Landcare Awards.

Weeds and Pests on Public Land Program

The Weeds and Pests on Public Land (WPPL) program is taking action to protect Victoria’s nature through controlling invasive plants and animals across Victoria national parks and state forests. The program has been running since 2005 and invests over $3 million each year, with an additional $1 million provided each year by our key delivery partner Parks Victoria.

The program is working to achieve the vision of Biodiversity 2037, Victoria’s plan to ensure our natural environment is healthy and resilient.

For further information, visit the Weeds and Pests on Public Land.

Wildlife Rehabilitator Grants

The Victorian Government’s Wildlife Rehabilitator Grants provides funding to support authorised wildlife shelters and foster carers to rehabilitate sick, injured or orphaned wildlife so animals can be released back to the wild.
This program has provided about $3.2 million since 2008 to authorised wildlife shelter operators and foster carers for equipment, infrastructure, consumables, education and training.

For further information, visit the Wildlife Rehabilitator Grants.

Previous investment

Previous investment programs implementing Protecting Victoria’s Environment – Biodiversity 2037.