Nature in the City: Cooling Your Suburb Grants

About the program

Grants of up to $50,000 are available for projects that will benefit the community by:

• making the hottest areas of our city cooler and providing more natural shade
• retaining and/or reusing rainwater to grow plants and recharge ground water
• making the ground able to absorb more water
• trying new ways to make urban areas cooler
• being sustainable in the long term

Projects could include:

• installing a combination of shade structures and plants,
• installing green trellises,
• replacing hot materials with plants and natural materials, or
• making swales to retain water.

Priority will be given to locations that:

• have lower than average tree canopy cover and/or
• are hotter than other parts of Canberra on hot days

Who can take part

You can apply for the grant if you are:

• an individual
• an incorporated or non-incorporated organisation
• a business.

You'll need an ABN and public liability insurance to apply.

You also need to show that you have permission to use the land on which the project is located. Read the Land use approvals factsheet [PDF 525.0 KB] for more information.

How to apply

Applications for Round 6 of the Nature in the City grants program are closed.

Round 6 included a total of $150,000 in funding, with $10,000 to $50,000 available for projects and up to $10,000 available for feasibility studies.

Read the Nature in the City - Cooling Your Suburb Grants Guidelines [PDF 1.6 MB] for more information.

Cost

It's free to apply for the grant.

Why it's important

Climate change is already affecting Canberra. On average, the ACT's climate is becoming hotter and drier. Impacts include higher temperatures and longer and more frequent heatwaves.

As a result, Canberrans are increasingly suffering from the "urban heat island effect". This occurs when surfaces such as pavements, roads and buildings absorb the sun's heat and radiate it back. This can increase surface temperatures by up to up to 10-15 degrees Celsius, day and night.

Along with many other benefits, living infrastructure can help reduce this heat island effect, supporting our city to cope with the impacts of climate change and extreme weather events. As Canberra continues to grow , it is important to support projects that will keep the city cool.

Previous funding rounds

Round 5 projects 2023-24

Four successful projects in Round 5 received a total of $150,000.

Three Mills Bakery received $50,000 to install canopy trees, plants and planters on public land near their café in Woden.

The Climate Factory, in conjunction with SEE Change, received $48,000 to construct a climate-cooling native microforest in Dunlop.

Woodlands and Wetlands Trust received $42,000 install a rainwater irrigation system, new trellis walls to grow native plants, and permeable paving. They will also install a monitoring system and interpretive signage.

Stepping Stone Social Enterprise Ltd received $10,000 to conduct a feasibility study investigating the benefits of installing a green wall outside their café in Dickson.

Earlier rounds

For details of previous funding rounds please refer to Environment Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate (EPSDD) annual reports.