Ku-ring-gai Council announces $100,000 in environmental grants

Published on 24 July 2024

A range of community-based projects will benefit from the grants, which were approved by the Council at its July meeting this week.

A total of $100,000 will be distributed for the 26th round of Ku-ring-gai’s Environmental Levy Grant program. Of the 21 projects funded by this round, five will help deliver a ‘net zero carbon emissions’ future and 16 will deliver important conservation outcomes.

Highlights for this year include:

• $23,777 to establish the community garden on three parcels of land purchased by the Council to form a new park at Bedes Forest in St Ives.
• $21,509 for educational and interpretive signage projects, including for the Richmond Park, Turramurra Oval, Killara Park and Darri Track bushcare groups, and the Friends of the Ku-ring-gai Environment. The Turramurra project will also include the installation of a native bee hive.
• $11,480 for projects focussed on bee conservation, namely $1,500 for Holy Family Primary School to establish a bee ‘hotel’, $4,988 for Sydney Bee Rescue to trap and relocate feral bees and $4,992 for Macquarie University research on pesticide exposure to native stingless bees.
• $8,299 for bush regeneration, including $3,300 for weed clearing at a native vegetation site at Minns Rd at Gordon, and $4,999 for vine removal at Princes Park at Lindfield.
• $5,450 to a research project which trials biodegradable cardboard pods in three of Council’s bushland reserves following planned hazard reduction burns. The Macquarie University project will investigate which species seek shelter in the pods and their effects on regeneration of vegetation. Ku-ring-gai residents will have the opportunity to get involved in monitoring the pods.
• $5,247 to the Western Sydney University to research the response by mycorrhizal fungus after hazard reduction burns. This fungus is typically located in the plant root system and plays an important role in plant nutrition and soil biology.
• $4,200 for Electrifying Bradfield Inc to purchase and install two 'cool seats', which are outdoor seats which also have a composting system. The seats will be installed as a trial in two apartment buildings and/or street communities.

Mayor Ngai said it was exciting to see such a wide of projects, ranging from research projects through to educational and hands-on endeavours being funded by the grants.

“Ku-ring-gai is renowned for its local bushland and environment and commitment to sustainability, and these grants will help us to achieve even better outcomes in this space,” Mayor Ngai said.

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Media enquiries: media@krg.nsw.gov.au or 9424 0000.