Small Environmental Projects Fund

Small Environmental Project 2021

Inspiring Environmental Awareness & Sustainability in the Community

Cowra Shire Council’s Environmental Sustainability Committee manages a Small Environmental Projects Fund that provides financial support to local projects that enhance or create a sustainable environment and actively educates and engages the community in positive environmental outcomes.


Proposals are encouraged from the community that support environmental health and practices that engage, inspire and educate the community in:

  • Sustainability and waste reduction
  • Protecting and enhancing local biodiversity, habitats and ecosystems
  • Delivering positive and measurable environmental outcomes
  • Improving water and energy efficiency
  • Increasing community awareness, education and participation in environmental initiatives

The program commenced in 2014 and has assisted the community in building edible gardens, restoring natural environments and providing educational tools. Since inception the program has provided total funding assistance of $27,195.78 to 25 projects.

Past projects that have been funded include:

  • Vegetable Gardens
  • Weed Control
  • Compost Bins
  • Tree plantings
  • Native plantings to manage erosion
Council encourages the successful applicants to support local businesses by sourcing all materials and labour locally and to use native plants endemic to the local area where possible.
 

Application Details

Applications are currently OPEN, closing   May 2026

Click below for an application form.


- (Word Version) Small Environmental Fund Application Form(DOCX, 96KB)
- (PDF Version) Small Environmental Fund Application Form(PDF, 194KB)

For more information contact Cassandra Gailey on (02)6340-2048 or council@cowra.nsw.gov.au

Past Projects

Below is a snip of some of our past projects that received funding through the Small Environmental Projects Fund: 
  • St Raphael's Catholic School - stabilisation of steep bank within school grounds using native grasses. Final Report(PDF, 2MB)
  • Mid Lachlan Landcare - interpretive sign at Belleview Hill Reserve on Conserving Grassy Woodlands. Final Report(PDF, 913KB)
  • Darbys Falls Progress Association - restoration of 3 gardens within the village of Darby’s Falls. Final Report(PDF, 983KB) 
  • Cowra Early Childhood Centre - Created an edible raised garden for the kids to learn about sustainable living. Final Report(PDF, 200KB)
  • Rotary Club of Cowra - Enhanced the riparian zone of Waugoola Creek at Europa Park to stabilize and and improve wildlife habitat along the creek bank. Final Report (PDF, 152KB)
  • Cowra Public School - Created a native garden and an avenue of trees and bushes to provide shade and screening from the adjoining road. Final Report(PDF, 2MB)
  • Cowra Lady Golfers - Revegetated and rehabilitated areas suffering tree loss with a variety of Bottlebrush and Gums. Final Report(PDF, 319KB)
  • Cowra Early Childhood Centre - Created a sustainable nature playground and dry riverbed with native shrubbery and grasses. Final Report(PDF, 2MB)
  • St Raphael's Catholic School - Constructed a productive food garden where students are learning through real-life experiences about planting, nurturing and harvesting seasonal produce. Final Report(PDF, 3MB) 
  • Cowra Information & Neighbourhood Centre - Created a 'Community' vegetable garden to educate families in the benefits of sustainable food growth practices. The produce from the 'Growing Gardeners Family Garden' project will go towards CINC programs and be offered to clients and volunteers. Final Report(PDF, 473KB)
  • Cowra Public School - Extended the avenue of native trees and bushes along the northern boundary of the school and created a native garden in the Primary Playground. Final Report(PDF, 275KB)
  • Mulyan Public School - Created an 'Outdoor Garden learning Space' to educate the students on how plants grow, plant identification, composting, worm farming and cooking and eating fresh food. It is also used as a schoolyard classroom where students reconnect with the natural world and understand the true source of their food.
  • St Raphael's Catholic School - Expanded their productive food garden for the Secondary Students by creating raised vegetable wicking gardens. Final Report(PDF, 1MB)
  • Carinya Early Childhood Services - Created a Bush Tucker Garden 
  • Cowra Show Society - Revitalised the Pavilion Garden at the Cowra Showground
  • Gooloogong Public School P&C - created a sustainable Food Garden
  • Mulyan Public School P&C - created a sustainable Living Garden 
  • St Raphaels Catholic School P&F - restored natural gardens to create a Patchwork of ecosystems 
  • PCYC Cowra - installed a native Healing Garden 
  • St Raphaels Catholic School P&F - installed Compost Tumbler Bins for the vegetable gardens

 

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