How the Project Bank turns local ideas into action
The Landcare Tasmania Project Bank is where great grassroots ideas begin.
Photo credit: Jayne Shapter, West Tamar Landcare group.
How does it work?
Launched in 2019, the Project Bank allows members to submit Expressions of Interest (EOIs) outlining projects they want to deliver - from habitat restoration to weed control, dam improvements and community education. Once approved, these projects sit in the Project Bank, with a publicly listed page on our website, ready to be matched with grants, partnerships, or new funding opportunities.
It’s an effective system that helps small ideas grow into fully funded, on-ground outcomes, while also enabling members to showcase their projects and connect with others interested in similar initiatives.
In this way, the Project Bank allows Landcare Tasmania to understand and prioritise what their members need, aggregate grassroots ideas - from small-scale plantings to bigger restoration plans - and advocate for funding on behalf of members. It also allows them to ensure that good proposals aren’t lost: if a grant application is unsuccessful, the EOI stays in the Project Bank for future funding rounds.
Photo: West Tamar Landcare group.
A great example of the impact of the Project Bank comes from West Tamar Landcare, an active community group established in 1992. One of their current projects, Restoration of Riparian Habitats – Little Supply River, Glengarry, aims to protect a 600-metre stretch of tributary by excluding livestock and large macropods from grazing using game-proof fencing. This will allow the eroded upper banks to recover through the re-establishment of native woody plants, groundcover species, wetland vegetation, and the addition of habitat features such as large woody debris and rock shelters.
The group is also tackling woody weeds such as briar rose and blackberry across the site. This work builds on previous West Tamar Landcare projects on the property, further enhancing habitat for small marsupials and birds, including the Eastern Barred Bandicoot, Spotted-tailed Quoll, Eastern Quoll, and Bettong.
Project Bank by the numbers
- Since its launch in 2019, 418 projects have been submitted into the Project Bank.
- In the financial year 2024-25, there were 375 member projects in the Project Bank.
- To date, Landcare Tasmania has managed to secure at least partial funding for over 150 of those projects.
