Apply for a weed control grant

About weed control grants

Weed control grants are available to help landowners and community groups control noxious and environmental* weeds on private property, both in areas of high environmental and agricultural value.

The grant is available to residents (maximum amount $350 inc. GST) and community groups (maximum amount $750 inc. GST) doing weed control work in Cardinia Shire. Community groups may include Landcare and ‘Friends of' groups, or larger community and neighbourhood projects.

Cardinia Shire uses the online platform SmartyGrants to manage the Weed Control Grant Program, and no longer accepts paper applications.

Eligibility criteria

Applications must be for works that control noxious and/or environmental weeds in areas of high biodiversity, such as in or near bushland, or areas of high agricultural value. Works must be undertaken within Cardinia Shire Council.
Only one grant is available per applicant (even if you own several properties).

Activities that are eligible include:

• purchasing herbicide
• disposing of weed material, i.e. tip passes or skip hire
• hiring of equipment, for example sprayers, mulchers etc
• hiring contractors - please refer to conditions below

Activities that will NOT be funded include, but are not limited to:

• weed control conducted in areas that are not of high biodiversity or agricultural value
• weed control that does not control noxious and/or environmental weeds
• work that is for amenity purposes, e.g. lawn mowing, general garden maintenance

Weed control needs to take place in this financial year. Receipts that are submitted for reimbursement must be dated in the current financial year. If your receipts do not meet the criteria. funding will not be provided. 

Receipts and progress report/payment request forms must be submitted via SmartyGrants in order to be reimbursed by Council.

Council may choose to audit grant applications to ensure compliance with the requirements of each individual grant program. 

Hiring a contractor

• Applicants can employ a licensed contractor; however a maximum of 50% of the cost of the contractor’s labour will be met by Council in all cases - except where there are special circumstances, which may entitle individuals to a full refund up to a maximum of $350
• Special circumstances include holders of a Disability Card, Pensioner Concession or Health Care Card. Please provide a copy of the relevant card with your application form. 

Use of chemicals

•  Always consider natural or chemical-free options first, for example – hand or mechanical removal
• The chemical must be registered for use to control the targeted weed
• The chemical must be used at the application rate and in the prescribed manner as directed on the chemical label
• Always refer to the Safety Data Sheet prior to using chemicals.
• All safety precautions should be taken, including the wearing of protective clothing, appropriate storage and disposal of the chemical and ensuring there is no off-target damage
• Choose the chemical that will do the job and be the least toxic to the operator and the environment
• Some chemicals are classified ‘restricted use’ (e.g. Grazon, Garlon) and legally require the person applying the chemical to have an Agricultural Chemical Users Permit (certificate)
• You can find more information about the use of chemicals on the Agriculture Victoria website

Application process

The application process is a two-step process.

1. Fill in details about the property where you are controlling weeds, what weed species you will control and how you will control them. You will also be asked to provide a photo of the area where you will do the weed control. Once you have submitted this information, your application will be assessed. YOu will be notified within 2 weeks if your application can proceed to step 2.
2. If your application progresses to the next step, you can complete the weed control work. Once the work is complete, you will need to submit final details, including a photo of the area where weed control was done and a receipt for the work/purchase.

Once the final details have been submitt, Council will assess again for reimbursement.

Apply

Applications for the 2022-23 weed grant progam are now open.

Apply now

*Noxious weeds and environmental weeds

Noxious weeds are weeds that are declared under the Catchment and Land Protections Act 1994 and can cause issues in both natural and agricultural areas. You can find more information about listed noxious weeds on the Agriculture Victoria website

Environmental weeds are weeds that are not listed as noxious under Victorian Government legislation but still cause issues in natural areas.  You can find a list of local environmental weeds in the Cardinia Planning Scheme

Questions?

Contact our Biodiversity Officer on 1300 787 624