Unitywater Executive Manager Strategic Engagement, Joshua Zugajev, said the grants program was designed to empower local organisations and community groups to deliver Initiatives that protect, support and strengthen our local communities and environment.
“Through the Healthy and Thriving Community Grants Program we’re investing in initiatives that deliver practical benefits today while helping create a more sustainable future for generations to come,” Mr Zugajev said.
“This year’s recipients are delivering projects ranging from protecting vulnerable turtles, to restoring populations of the endangered Mary River Cod, to creating biodiverse forests and supporting First Nations cultural connections,” he said.
SevGen Indigenous Corporation will use its grant to support its Superfood Forest, ‘Galeru Mangga’, a living community space where Indigenous ways of being bring people together to learn, grow and care for Country.
SevGen CEO, Terri Waller, said the name SevGen reflected an Indigenous way of thinking – that the actions we take today can shape the lives of seven generations to come – something that came to life through native food, environmental stewardship, cultural knowledge and community connection.
“With support from Unitywater, we can strengthen this special place, improve the way we care for our native food orchard and continue sharing knowledge and bringing people together,” Ms Waller said.
The Bribie Island Environmental Protection Association (BIEPA) will continue protecting endangered loggerhead and green turtles nesting along Bribie Island’s remote northern beaches, with Unitywater’s grant helping to support the surveillance and care of vulnerable turtle nests during nesting season.
The Caboolture Stanley Fish Stocking Group will use the funding to help restore populations of the endangered Mary River Cod, one of South East Queensland’s most important native freshwater species. The project will support healthier aquatic ecosystems, with 4,000 fingerlings being released into local river systems.
Barung Landcare’s ‘Small Forests, Big Solutions’ initiative will transform underused spaces into dense, biodiverse native micro forests, designed to establish quickly and deliver environmental benefits early.
Mr Zugajev said the four projects highlighted the important role organisations play in responding to local challenges in the community and environment.
“Supporting projects like these helps lead to a healthier, greener environment and a stronger community, and we look forward to seeing these initiatives come to life over the next 12 months,” he said.
Find out more about Unitywater’s Healthy and Thriving Community Grants Program at www.unitywater.com/grants
