Kickstart your project

Is your community group or Traditional Owner-led organisation ready to act for our Reef and the rivers that feed it?

“Townsville has pointed at the change it wants to make in its Community Action Plan,” says our Executive Officer, Kara-Mae Coulter-Atkins. “Now we’re inviting applications from the players who will put it into action.”

$150,000 in Townsville Community Action Plan Grants are available to kickstart six on-ground projects designed to actively reduce threats to the Great Barrier Reef.

Funding is provided by the partnership between the Australian Government’s Reef Trust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation.

Application Timeline

Applications open: Monday 23 October 2023
Applications close: Thursday 30 November 2023 at 4.00pm AEST.

Available Funding 

The maximum project funding available for community-led projects is up to $75,000.
The maximum project funding available for Traditional Owner-projects is up to $75,000.

Applicants may apply for funding from a combination of these streams if applicable. 

Additional Support 

Grant recipients will also receive support to secure additional funding and collaborative project partners. Support will be provided by Reef Ecologic in the form of advisory services and assistance with grant application writing.

Project Roadmaps

6 shovel-ready projects have been selected and mapped for action by our town. Applicants may apply for more than one project:

  1. Trees for schools
  2. Corals for reefs
  3. Healthier soils
  4. Riparian health
  5. Caring for Country
  6. Electric vehicles (EVs) for community

See the Projects page for detailed information and roadmaps.

Project Timeframes

Funded projects are expected to report on project progress by May 2024.

Eligibility

Community, Traditional Owner, and other groups are encouraged to apply for a Townsville Community Action Plan Grant. Applicants must be operating in Australia and have an Australian Business Number (ABN). Further eligibility requirements are detailed in the Application Guidelines with supporting information on the Great Barrier Reef Foundation website.

Project Target Areas

Townsville Community Action Plan (CAP) grants will be allocated for projects implemented within the reporting region of the 2023 Townsville Dry Tropics Waterways Report Card: comprising the Ross and Black freshwater basins and estuarine zones, Cleveland Bay and Halifax Bay, and the Offshore Marine Zone.

About the Grants

Funded projects are expected to be:

  1. Initiatives that tangibly reduce reef threats in their region, including local reef health pressures and/or locally-driven climate change emissions.
  2. On-ground activities that contribute to Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area protection and/or rehabilitation focused on coastal, estuarine and/or marine outcomes.
  3. Integrated and targeted citizen science and/or Traditional Knowledge to inform, measure and catalyse local action with clear outcomes for coastal, estuarine and/or marine habitats.
  4. Critical capacity building activities that support outcomes and activities in points 1-3 above (all projects must include an on-ground component).

Steps for Application

  1. Read the Townsville Community Action Plan PDF
  2. Refer to the Community Action Plan Project Roadmaps
  3. Refer to the Application Guidelines
  4. Refer to FAQs and supporting information on the Great Barrier Reef Foundation website
  5. Submit the Application Form to applications@barrierreef.org by 4.00pm AEST, Thursday 30 November 2023.

Contacts and Questions

The Dry Tropics Partnership for Healthy Waters and Reef Ecologic are co-leaders of the 2023 Townsville Community Action Plan, and our teams are on-hand to see grant applicants set up for success. 

Questions and requests for grant application support can be sent to: