Eco grants up for grabs

Applications for the City of Sydney’s environmental grants program close on April 16.

The grants are awarded twice a year and aim to support not-for-profit groups in achieving the vision of Sustainable Sydney 2030.

Money from the grant must be used to reduce greenhouse gases, improve water efficiency and quality, improve air quality, deal with waste more efficiently, and protect flora and fauna as well as the environment.

Grants have been available since 2007 and have benefited a diverse range of projects such as “Envirohouse”, an environmentally sustainable demonstration home for people with intellectual disabilities.

Other grants include the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) behavioral change strategy that aims to improve the interactions between bicycle riders and bus drivers.

City of Sydney resident, and UTS student Georgina Smith criticised this particular grant.

“[Council] rates are so expensive,” she said.

“We’re paying for common sense and all we’re getting is more bureaucracy.”

The council said environmental grants “support projects that provide a clear environmental benefit to the City community by delivering services, activities or resources that result in direct environmental improvements and/ or develop knowledge, skills and confidence in the community to encourage environmental improvement.”

By Christopher Harris