What is the Australian Heritage Grants?
The Australian Heritage Grants is a program which aims to improve recognition, conservation, preservation and access to the heritage values of National Heritage Listed places. The program also aims to increase community engagement and raise awareness of listed sites.
Background
The Australian Heritage Grants Program provides $5.347 million per annum with a call for applications each year. This is the third year of this program.
The Australian Government recognises the impacts that both the recent devastating bushfires, and the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are having across our nation. Work is underway to deliver a range of packages to assist in recovery efforts.
Funding through the Australian Heritage Grants program will also play an important part in these efforts. National Heritage Listed places will be supported through the protection and promotion of their listed values by strengthening the conservation, management and recognition of these sites, and through public and community engagement. Activities such as repairs to essential infrastructure impacted by bushfire, and re-establishing or maintaining activities directly impacted by bushfire or COVID-19 will be supported through this program and will aid in economic recovery.
Australian Heritage Grants funds projects that support places on the Australia’s National Heritage List through:
- improved recognition
- conservation
- preservation, and
- community engagement
Funding
The Australian Government has announced a total of $21.4 million over four years for the program from 2020-21 to 2023-24. For this grant opportunity, $5.347 million is available.
The grant amount will be up to 80 per cent of eligible project expenditure (grant percentage).
- The minimum grant amount is $25,000.
- The maximum grant amount is $400,000.
You are responsible for the remaining 20 per cent of eligible project expenditure plus any ineligible expenditure.
Eligible Projects
To be eligible your project must:
- do one or more of the following:
- maintain, protect or conserve the National Heritage values of one or more listed places
- repair essential infrastructure impacted by bushfire and severe weather events on one or more listed places
- improve engagement with, and awareness of, the National Heritage values of one or more of the listed places
- improve access to one or more listed places
- be completed by 29 February 2024
Eligible activities must be directly related to the project and can include:
- activities identified in the management plan for the protection of the values of the listed place
- developing a new, or revised management plan for a listed place, where this is not a statutory obligation under state legislation
- activities that align with strategies and priorities for the protection of the values of the listed place (where there is no management plan in place)
- essential building conservation works to restore listed place values
- activities that enhance the Australian public’s understanding of, engagement with, and access to the listed values of a listed place
- developing innovative ways to present values of a listed place (e.g. website or app interactive tours, virtual reality tours) which makes them accessible without needing to be on-site
- improving physical access to areas with the specific aim of fostering awareness of the values of the listed place without impacting on those values
- improving accessibility for people with disabilities including physical alterations (e.g. ramps, alterations to paths) as well as accessible services such as plain English or large text guides, hearing loops etc.
- improving access to a heritage site by specific parts of a community, for example developing educational program or materials targeted at people from other cultures or socio-economic groups.
Eligible Applicants
To be eligible you must either:
- be a site and land owner of one of the listed places, or have the written support of the site and land owner of one of the listed places
- have an Australian business number (ABN), unless you are not entitled to an ABN (information regarding ABN entitlement is available on the ABR website)
and be one of the following entities:
- an Australian State/Territory government agency or body
- an Australian local government agency or body
- Commonwealth corporate entity
- an entity incorporated in Australia (this includes Indigenous land management organisations registered under the Office of the Register of Indigenous Corporations)
- a registered Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander land council
- a partnership
- an individual.
If you are applying as an individual you must be 18 years of age or older.
Timing
Applications close 28 October 2021.
