More Australian cities are set to get greener with the announcement of an additional round of funding under the extended 2024 Bupa Landcare Grants Program, a partnership between Landcare Australia and Bupa to support community-led tree planting in urban and peri-urban areas nationwide.
This additional boost will support the planting of an extra 24,000 trees, shrubs, ground covers, increasing the program’s impact by nearly 30%. The total number of projects will rise to 41, expanding the program’s reach to Tasmania.
The Bupa Landcare Grants is an initiative of Bupa’s Healthy Cities program which has committed over $1 million to environmental restoration projects in Australia and New Zealand and will result in the total planting of 106,500 native trees, shrubs and ground covers across Australia. These projects aim to transform local environments, restore the health of the planet and support community wellbeing.
The additional funded projects include:
- Hobart, Tasmania: Landcare Tasmania will extend the wildlife corridor for bandicoots, native birds, and other native wildlife in this peri-urban environment.
- Durack, Queensland: Oxley Creek Catchment Association will plant native grassland and wetland species to increase biodiversity, connectivity and habitat and launch an ongoing monthly bushcare group.
- Alphington, Victoria: Darebin Creek Management Committee will increase capacity for community engagement and ecological restoration along the Darebin Creek.
- Cape Woolamai, Victoria: Woolamai Beach SLSC, in collaboration with Phillip Island Nature Parks (PINP), will undertake vital dune revegetation to enhance the coastal environment surrounding the clubhouse.
- Sandringham, Victoria: Bayside City Council will connect and extend remnant vegetation reserves to provide habitat corridors for native wildlife.
- Sunshine, Victoria: Friends of Kororoit Creek will reinvigorate a neglected urban waterway reserve previously disturbed by industrial activity and farming.
- Cowra, New South Wales: Mid Lachlan Landcare will enhance the feeding habitat for the nationally vulnerable South-Eastern Glossy Black Cockatoo.
- Pambula, New South Wales: Pambula Wetlands and Heritage Project will restore essential wildlife habitat, protecting the Pambula River and control introduced weeds.
Dr Shane Norrish, CEO Landcare Australia said, “It is with immense joy to receive additional support for the landcare movement from Bupa, reinforcing its commitment to creating healthier cities and healthier people. It’s more than just planting trees, we’ve already seen incredible outcomes from this program so far with people coming together, smiling, rolling up their sleeves, and making a difference not only to the environment but also to overall community health. Bupa’s investment in landcare and willingness to extend the initiative’s reach reflects a strong recognition of the undeniable connection between human health and planet health.”
Bupa APAC Chief Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Officer, Roger Sharp said, “We are pleased to see more projects come to life in more communities across Australia thanks to the billion steps people took as part of the 2024 Healthy Cities program. Projects like this will go a long way to realising Bupa’s purpose of helping people live longer, healthier, happier lives and making a better world.”
