Nelson Bay project in Port Stephens among $1m Healthy Cities Landcare Grant recipients

newy.com.au – A community environmental project in Nelson Bay in the Port Stephens region has been named among 28 initiatives sharing $1 million in 2025 Healthy Cities Landcare Grants to restore and green urban areas across Australia.

Landcare Australia and health and care company Bupa have announced the national grants program recipients, with funding to support community groups to plant 96,500 native trees, shrubs and groundcovers and rehabilitate local bushland, waterways and urban reserves. The program aims to back practical projects that encourage people to get outside, improve biodiversity and strengthen community connections.

Now in its second year, the Healthy Cities Landcare Grants Program is funded through Bupa’s Healthy Cities Challenge, which Landcare Australia said has generated more than $1 million for environmental restoration projects in Australia and New Zealand off the back of billions of steps logged by participants.

The 28 successful projects cover a wide spread of suburbs and regional centres, including locations in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania. In NSW, funded sites include Nelson Bay and Tuggerah along with Castle Hill, Earlwood, Dubbo and Rhodes, while other projects are based in communities from Caboolture and Cairns to Footscray, Geelong, Busselton, Victor Harbor and Dodges Ferry.

In Castle Hill, Greater Sydney Landcare will work with the local community to restore a key habitat corridor along The Ponds Creek. Mid Lachlan Landcare Inc in Dubbo will plant trees to shade a popular pathway, helping people stay active during hot summers while also improving river health.

Queensland projects include Friends of Lagoon Creek Group Inc in Caboolture, which will expand its bushcare and community tree planting program, and Brisbane Intrepid Landcare, which plans to rehabilitate a highly degraded urban site in Herston to support a healthier mix of plants, animals and insects.

Other funded initiatives will see Biodiversity Victor Harbor Inc revegetate and improve habitat around the much-loved Bluff (Rosetta Head) in South Australia, and Southern Beaches Landcare enhance the beach entrance to Primrose Sands at Dodges Ferry in Tasmania so it can be better used and enjoyed by local residents.

In Victoria, Maribyrnong City Council will revegetate areas in Footscray to create more wildlife habitat, expand planting zones and support a healthier natural environment, while Goulburn Murray Landcare Network in Shepparton will engage the community in planting native wetland species to restore habitat, increase biodiversity and promote health and wellbeing.

Western Australian projects include City of Busselton working with Traditional Owners and the community to protect high-conservation bushland in recreational reserves around Dunsborough, and Friends of Jirdarup Bushland Inc planting out degraded areas on the edges of Kensington Bushland as housing and other development increases nearby.

Landcare Australia chief executive Dr Shane Norrish said the program showed the strength of community-driven efforts to improve both environmental and human health. “It’s truly exciting to partner with Bupa and extend this funding for another year,” Dr Norrish said. “These initiatives not only restore local environments but also create spaces that can be enjoyed by the wider community for years to come.”

Bupa Asia Pacific chief sustainability and corporate affairs officer Roger Sharp said there was a direct link between the grants and the everyday actions of Healthy Cities Challenge participants. “As a health and care company, we recognise that the wellbeing of people is inseparable from the health of our planet,” Mr Sharp said. “That’s why we’re thrilled to see the billions of steps taken through our 2025 Healthy Cities Challenge unlocking vital funding for transformative environmental projects that will make a tangible and positive impact on local communities.”

Landcare Australia is a national not-for-profit organisation that supports the landcare community with funding, capacity-building, on-ground projects and programs spanning sustainable agriculture, nature-based carbon solutions, First Nations partnerships, young adults, Junior Landcare and Coastcare.

Bupa Asia Pacific operates health insurance, aged care and a range of dental, medical, optical and hearing services in Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong, employing more than 22,000 people and supporting about 7.3 million customers in the region.

Landcare Australia said the full list of 2025 Healthy Cities Landcare Grants recipients, including the Nelson Bay project in Port Stephens, along with project summaries and an image library, is available on its website for community members wanting to learn more or get involved.