Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (WSROC) and the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure have announced the opening of Round 2 funding for the Cumberland Plain Conservation Plan (CPCP) Caring for Country Council Grants Program.
The program supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities ‘on country’. The grants program is open to nine councils in the Cumberland Plain area: Blacktown, Blue Mountains, Camden, Campbelltown, Fairfield, Hawkesbury, Liverpool, Penrith and Wollondilly.
Funded by the NSW Government, the Caring for Country Council Grants Program allows each participating council to apply for up to $27,000.
The Plan enables new housing, jobs and infrastructure in the Western Parkland City, while protecting important biodiversity. It does this by offsetting impacts to native vegetation through a network of conservation lands across Western Sydney.
“One of the most important outcomes of the Plan is to support economic participation for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people,” said WSROC President and Blacktown City Mayor, Brad Bunting.
“The aim of the Caring for Country Council Grants Program is to promote Aboriginal culture and knowledge and help enable Aboriginal communities to maintain their distinctive cultural, spiritual, physical, and economic relationships with land and waters in Western Sydney,” said President Bunting.
“In addition to the equal allocation of up to $27,000, the participating councils may also submit an optional Expression of Interest (EOI) outlining additional work they could undertake should any allocated funds become available.
“To achieve the grants program outcomes, the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure has co-developed the Caring for Country Aboriginal Outcomes Strategy 2024-33 with Western Sydney’s Darug, Dharawal and Gundungurra Traditional Custodians and the wider Aboriginal communities.”
The Strategy forms a road map for delivery over 10-years (2024-33).
The Strategy aims to:
- Improve the health and wellbeing of Country,
- Promote Aboriginal culture and knowledge,
- Help enable Darug, Dharawal, Gundungurra and other Aboriginal people maintain distinctive relationships with the land, waters, and sky in Western Sydney, including ongoing and genuine access to Country, and
- Support economic participation for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
“WSROC are especially proud to be participating in such a forward-looking, productive and empowering program with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people leading the way,” said President Bunting.
For further details about Round 2 of the Cumberland Plain Conservation Plan (CPCP) Caring for Country Council Grants Program, and to apply, go to https://wsroc.com.au/projects/cumberland-plain-conservation-plan-program/project-caring-for-country – or email caringforcountry@wsroc.com.au.
Applications close on 30 April.
