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ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE RESPONSE GRANTS - ENVIRONMENT PROJECT GRANTS (ROUND 21), CLIMATE CHANGE RESPONSE GRANTS (ROUND 6)

Environmental Services Manager, Ben Derrick · Environmental Services | Strategy and Environment

Executive summary

The purpose of this report is to provide an overview of the applications received for the Environment Project Grants (Round 21) and Climate Change Response Grants (Round 6) and to seek Council approval for the allocation of funding to recommended projects. Both grant programs support the delivery of Council’s strategic environmental objectives, including implementation of the Noosa Environment Strategy and Climate Change Response Plan, by enabling community-led initiatives that deliver tangible environmental and climate resilience outcomes. A total of 18 applications were received across both programs, with funding requests exceeding the available budget. Applications were assessed in accordance with the relevant grant guidelines, with recommended projects demonstrating strong alignment with Council priorities, deliverable outcomes, and community benefit. This report recommends the allocation of funding to successful applicants as detailed in the attached schedules.

Recommendation

That Council:

  1. Note the report by the Environmental Services Manager to the General Committee Meeting dated 9 June 2026 regarding applications received for the Environment Project Grants (Round
  2. and Climate Change Response Grants (Round 6);
  3. Approve the allocation of funding to the following organisations for Environmental Project Grants the for 2026/27 financial year: i. $17,301.16 to Teewah Turtle Trackers Inc. for the Teewah Turtle Trackers Monitoring and Conservation Initiative; ii. $10,870.84 to Noosa and District Landcare for the Protecting Pinbarren Project;
  4. $6,828.00 to Wildlife Noosa Ltd. for the Noosa River Hazards to Wildlife (Lines and Lures) Reduction Program; and
  5. Approve the allocation of funding to the following organisations for the Climate Change Response Grants for 2026/27: i. $14,820.00 to The Trustee for the Noosa Biosphere Reserve Trust for the Future Tide - 2027 Noosa Youth Climate Summit; ii. $12,899.06 to Zero Emissions Noosa Inc. for the Swap the Drive: Supporting Modal Shift From Cars To Bikes program;
  6. $10,000.00 to the Noosa Integrated Catchment Association Inc. for the Get Climate- ready with Noosa Native Plants project; and
  7. $10,000 to Zero Emissions Noosa Inc. for the Solar on Low Income Homes project.

Report

Environment Project Grants The Environment Project Grants Program is funded by the Environmental Levy and supports the implementation of the Noosa Environment Strategy, as well as Council’s other key environment strategies and plans. The Environment Project Grants Program is designed to enable collaboration with the community in initiatives that work towards the outcomes and targets identified in the Noosa Environment Strategy. All initiatives funded by the Environment Project Grants Program must have tangible and measurable outcomes. The current total FY26/27 budget for the Environment Project Grants is $35,000. Nine applications were received for the current round for a funding request totalling $162,282. In accordance with the Environmental Grants Guidelines each application was assessed by a panel of three officers against the following criteria:

Climate Change Response Grants Climate Change Response Grants are included under the Environment Grant Policy to assist in the implementation of the Climate Change Response Plan, the Coastal Hazards Adaptation Plan and the Regional Climate Action Roadmap. The current total FY26/27 budget for the Climate Change Response Grants is $50,000.00. Unlike the Environment Grants program, the Climate Change Response Grants are funded by general rates. Nine applications were received for the current round for a funding request totalling $145,753. It is noted that the calibre of grants received in this round was strong and represented both actions to reduce emissions (which cause climate change) and adapt to the growing impacts by building resilience. The projects all reflected well against the themes of the Climate Change Response Plan. In accordance with the Climate Change Grant Guidelines each application was assessed by a panel of three officers against the following criteria: Applications for both grant streams were open from 9 February 2026 until 23 March 2026. Promotion for the grants included: • Social media advertising • Specific email to all non-for-profit community groups previously applied for the grants or may be interested in applying for the grants • Direct conversations with NRM Groups, sustainability groups and community groups to ensure awareness • Details published on Noosa Council’s website Both grants required the applicant to engage with a relevant Council officer prior to submitting the application. This round of grants introduced more robust governance enhancements to improve defensibility, objectivity and transparency of the evaluation process. To ensure the integrity of the program, the assessment methodology was executed in four phases: • Phase 1: Probity and Conflict of Interest (COI) Screening Upon receipt of applications, all assessing officers from the Strategy & Environment o directorate completed mandatory COI declarations. To eliminate any real or perceived bias, officers with a declared COI, or those who had engaged with applicants prior to submission, were strictly excluded from the assessment process. • Phase 2: Technical Expert Review Before panel evaluation, subject matter experts conducted an initial technical appraisal o of each application. This ensured all proposed projects were rigorously vetted for technical validity, execution capacity, quality, relevance, and risk management. • Phase 3: Cross-Disciplinary Panel Evaluation To maximise objectivity, independent three-member panels were established for each o grant category, deliberately structured to include cross-branch representation. The Environment Project Grants panel comprised two Environment Services officers and one Strategy & Sustainability officer, while the Climate Change Response Grants panel reversed this ratio. Including an evaluator from outside the core subject area prevented siloing and provided independent, critical scrutiny. • Phase 4: Independent Scoring and Executive Moderation Panel members scored applications individually and independently against the o established criteria. These scores were subsequently collated and subjected to a formal moderation review by leadership staff within the Strategy & Environment directorate to ensure scoring consistency, fairness, and alignment with strategic objectives.

Recommended Projects for Funding A summary of the grant assessment recommendations are provided below: Environment Project Grants • Fully fund two applications received totalling $24,129.16. • Partially fund one application receive totalling $10,870.84 For further information regarding the applications and individual funding recommended refer to Attachment 1. Climate Change Response Grants • Fully fund four applications received totalling $48,869.06. For further information regarding the applications and individual funding recommended refer to details below along with Attachment 2. Four projects have been recommended for funding based on thorough assessment against the evaluation criteria, community benefit and Council priorities. Staff have also identified a number of minor conditions that would be required for each successful applicant to implement during project delivery. Council staff will reach out individually to the five unsuccessful applicants in this program and work with them on their projects to improve identified gaps in their applications and see how they can be supported through other existing programs and opportunities to meet the need that has been articulated. Overall, most applications scored highly against the relevant grant criteria and Noosa Council was grateful for the time invested by applicants to apply for the Environment Project and Climate Change Response Grants.

Report details

Index: 26.04 - Environmental Grants