Further information
- Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry’s opening of Partnerships and Innovation and Capacity Building grant opportunities February 2024
- Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry’s Climate-Smart Agriculture Program announcement October 2023
- Climate-smart sustainable agriculture 2023-24 Budget factsheet
- Environmental and joint components of the NHT, including the Panel of Regional Delivery Partners
The previous phase of the NHT was comprised of $1 billion for Phase 2 of the National Landcare Program, which funded a range of natural resource management projects to June 2023.
Climate-Smart Agriculture Program
The Natural Heritage Trust (NHT) is the Australian Government’s key investment platform for achieving its natural resource management, sustainable agriculture and environmental protection outcomes.
Through the NHT the Australian Government has established the $302.1 million Climate-Smart Agriculture Program over five years from 2023-24. This program will drive agricultural sustainability, productivity, and competitiveness. It supports the following program outcomes:
- The agriculture sector is adopting practices to reduce emissions and build resilience to climate change.
- The agriculture sector is supported to harness carbon and biodiversity incentives and implement industry sustainability frameworks.
- Farmers are supported to drive agricultural growth, while adopting sustainable natural resource management practices that protect and conserve natural capital and biodiversity.
The Climate-Smart Agriculture Program is comprised of the following investment streams:
Partnerships and Innovation Grants
Partnerships and Innovation grants are comprised of up to 2 rounds of open-competitive grants with a total of $45 million available over 4 years (2024-25 to 2027-28) for medium to large scale projects to drive the development, trialling, adoption and roll-out of climate-smart, sustainable, innovative tools and on-ground farm practices that increase the agriculture sector’s productivity and profitability.
Round 1
Applications for the first round of the Partnerships and Innovation grants open 22 February 2024. A second grant round may occur if the full $45 million is not fully allocated in this round.
Round 1 Grant Opportunity Guidelines will be made available through GrantConnect from 11am 22 February 2024. The round will be advertised via the Community Grants Hub website when released.
Please refer to the Grant Opportunity Guidelines for details about the round, how to apply and eligibility.
Grants between $250,000 and $5 million are available.
Small Grants
Small Grants are providing up to $13 million in funding over 4 years (2024-25 to 2027-28) through up to 4 rounds of open-competitive grants for on-ground focussed projects led by a range of community groups, Landcare groups, First Nations groups and research organisations. These small grants will support the adoption of climate-smart, sustainable agriculture best-practice that improves management of our natural resources, supports response to climate change and increases on-farm productivity.
Round 1
Applications for the first round of Small Grants open 30 April 2024. Up to $4.33 million in funding is available for a two year period through this round.
Round 1 Grant Opportunity Guidelines will be made available through GrantConnect from 11am 30 April 2024. The round will be advertised via the Community Grants Hub website when released.
Please refer to the Grant Opportunity Guidelines for detail about the round, how to apply and eligibility.
Grants between $10,000 and $100,000 are available.
Regional Delivery Partners and Landcare
The Climate-Smart Agriculture Program also recognises the vital role that Regional Delivery Partners and National Landcare organisations provide in achieving sustainable agriculture and natural resource management outcomes. The following investment streams will support this:
- $8.6 million for Supporting National Landcare Organisations – operational funding – to support our National Landcare Organisations to maintain their capacity, and ensure they are primed to deliver NHT outcomes efficiently and at scale.
- $27.1 million for Regional Delivery Partner operational funding – to support the operational capacity of a national network of Regional Delivery Partners to deliver NHT outcomes efficiently and at scale.
- $85.6 million for Regional Delivery Partner project funding – for Regional Delivery Partners to initiate practical, on-ground, climate-smart, sustainable agriculture projects across 52 regions in Australia.
- $40.7 million for Sustainable Agriculture Facilitators – to provide a national network of facilitators employed by each of the Regional Delivery Partners. The facilitators will connect farmers, landholders, community groups and agriculture industries to relevant information and programs on climate-smart, sustainable agriculture practices; facilitate partnerships and connections; and support the delivery of sustainable agriculture projects in their region.
These investments will also strengthen First Nations engagement and participation to enable the agriculture sector to draw benefits from traditional knowledge and support First Nations agricultural enterprise.
Through the program’s effective on-ground projects, the government will support farmers to manage climate risks and invest in their on-farm natural capital and effective natural resources management, helping the sector to respond to climate change, better withstand future bushfires, floods and droughts and protect its productivity.