The Natural Heritage Trust (NHT) is the Australian Government’s key investment platform for achieving its natural resource management, sustainable agriculture and environmental protection outcomes.
Through the NHT the Australian Government has established the $302.1 million Climate-Smart Agriculture Program over five years from 2023-24. This program will drive agricultural sustainability, productivity, and competitiveness. It supports the following program outcomes:
- The agriculture sector is adopting practices to reduce emissions and build resilience to climate change.
- The agriculture sector is supported to harness carbon and biodiversity incentives and implement industry sustainability frameworks.
- Farmers are supported to drive agricultural growth, while adopting sustainable natural resource management practices that protect and conserve natural capital and biodiversity.
The Climate-Smart Agriculture Program is comprised of the following investment streams:
Partnerships and Innovation Grants
Partnerships and Innovation grants are comprised of up to 2 rounds of open-competitive grants with a total of $45 million available over 4 years (2024-25 to 2027-28) for medium to large scale projects to drive the development, trialling, adoption and roll-out of climate-smart, sustainable, innovative tools and on-ground farm practices that increase the agriculture sector’s productivity and profitability.
Round 1
The first round of the Partnerships and Innovation grants is now closed. A second grant round may occur if the $45 million is not fully allocated in this round.
Round 1 opened for applications on 22 February 2024 and closed 9.00pm 8 April 2024.
Capacity Building
Capacity Building grants are providing up to $15 million in funding over 4 years (2024-25 to 2027-28) through 2 rounds of open-competitive grant opportunities. These grants focus on increasing community capacity and capability for climate-smart, sustainable agriculture and natural resource management practices in Australia to drive on-ground adoption. The grants will build on the success of existing climate-smart, sustainable agriculture projects, initiatives and information sources.
Round 1
The first round of Capacity Building is now closed. Up to $9 million in funding was made available through this round.
Round 1 opened for applications on 22 February 2024 and closed 9.00pm 28 March 2024.
Round 2 is expected to open in 2025.
Small Grants
Small Grants are providing up to $13 million in funding over 4 years (2024-25 to 2027-28) through up to 4 rounds of open-competitive grants for on-ground focussed projects led by a range of community groups, Landcare groups, First Nations groups and research organisations. These small grants will support the adoption of climate-smart, sustainable agriculture best-practice that improves management of our natural resources, supports response to climate change and increases on-farm productivity.
Round 1
Applications for the first round of Small Grants are now closed.
Round 2 is expected to be advertised in 2025.
Soil Capacity Building
The Soil Capacity Building grants are comprised of two grant rounds:
- $6.26 million for a team of Regional Soils Coordinators (closed non-competitive)
- $2.14 million for a National Soils Community of Practice (restricted-competitive).
These grants are supporting networks for researchers, primary producers, and community groups to work together, and provide a forum for soil practitioners to share the latest soil science information and tools.
The targeted application process for both grant opportunities opened on 7 February 2024 and close on 5 March 2024.
Soil Health Information
The government is also continuing to invest in soil through:
- $21.6 million for a National Soil Monitoring Program to understand the condition and trends of soils nationally. The data will support stakeholders to make evidence-based decisions to improve soil health at a range of scales and will be made available publicly through the Australian National Soil Information System.
- $6 million to enhance Australian National Soil Information System (ANSIS) to provide improved access, sharing, and use of nationally consistent soil data and information to help sustainably manage our soil, and to support decision-making and policy outcomes.
Regional Delivery Partners and Landcare
The Climate-Smart Agriculture Program also recognises the vital role that Regional Delivery Partners and National Landcare organisations provide in achieving sustainable agriculture and natural resource management outcomes. The following investment streams will support this:
- $8.6 million for Supporting National Landcare Organisations - operational funding – to support our National Landcare Organisations to maintain their capacity, and ensure they are primed to deliver NHT outcomes efficiently and at scale.
- $27.1 million for Regional Delivery Partner operational funding – to support the operational capacity of a national network of Regional Delivery Partners to deliver NHT outcomes efficiently and at scale.
- $85.6 million for Regional Delivery Partner project funding – for Regional Delivery Partners to initiate practical, on-ground, climate-smart, sustainable agriculture projects across 52 regions in Australia.
- $40.7 million for Sustainable Agriculture Facilitators – to provide a national network of facilitators employed by each of the Regional Delivery Partners. The facilitators will connect farmers, landholders, community groups and agriculture industries to relevant information and programs on climate-smart, sustainable agriculture practices; facilitate partnerships and connections; and support the delivery of sustainable agriculture projects in their region.
These investments will also strengthen First Nations engagement and participation to enable the agriculture sector to draw benefits from traditional knowledge and support First Nations agricultural enterprise.
Through the program’s effective on-ground projects, the government will support farmers to manage climate risks and invest in their on-farm natural capital and effective natural resources management, helping the sector to respond to climate change, better withstand future bushfires, floods and droughts and protect its productivity.
Further information
- Joint media release: Funding to landcare groups to support sustainable agriculture | Ministers
- Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry's opening of the Small Grants Round 1 grant opportunity April 2024
- Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry’s opening of Partnerships and Innovation and Capacity Building grant opportunities February 2024
- Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry’s Climate-Smart Agriculture Program announcement October 2023
- Climate-smart sustainable agriculture 2023-24 Budget factsheet
- Environmental and joint components of the NHT, including the Panel of Regional Delivery Partners
The previous phase of the NHT was comprised of $1 billion for Phase 2 of the National Landcare Program, which funded a range of natural resource management projects to June 2023.
This webpage will be updated regularly over the duration of the Climate-Smart Agriculture Program (current phase of the NHT).