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Recreational Fishing Community Grants Program
The Recreational Fishing Community Grants Program has closed.
Available funds provided by the Australian Government have been allocated through five rounds of Grants. Projects are to be completed in accordance with deadlines specified for each project.
Background information on the Program
The $15 million Recreational Fishing Community Grants Program (RFCGP), has now closed to new applications and will be wound up by 30 June 2009 to allow for finalisation of all approved grants.
The purpose of the program was to support local initiatives to enhance the recreational fishing experience, increase participation and capture the flow-on benefits to the economy, particularly smaller local economies.
The Program has sought to:
- enhance sustainable resource use and fishing practices by recreational fishers
- develop a sense of ownership, awareness and responsibility amongst recreational fishers for the sustainable use of fish resources and fish habitats
- maintain or enhance fish habitats for present and future generations
- foster partnerships between governments, the recreational fishing community, and associated industries to conserve, restore and enhance the values of recreational fisheries throughout Australia.
The Program invested in a broad range of activities, including the following areas as they related to recreational fishing:
- improvements to infrastructure, including establishing fish cleaning tables, boat wash down facilities and upgrading tracks and paths used by recreational fishers to access fishing spots
- support of local initiatives to enhance recreational fishing, such as restocking or resnagging waterways
- protection of the environment at the water’s edge by, for example, protecting sensitive habitats
- establishment and upgrade of volunteer marine rescue groups and associated infrastructure
- education and awareness raising projects such as biofouling, aquatic pest translocation, increasing survival rates of released fish, and sensitive species
- increase of the capacity of local recreational fishing groups and communities through activities such as monitoring programs, tagging projects and data collection.
There were five separate funding rounds:
Round 1 opened on 12 August 2005 and closed on 14 October 2005. 166 applications were received and 71 projects were approved for funding of up to $2.6 million.
Round 2 opened on 20 January 2006 and closed on 17 March 2006. 102 applications were assessed and 59 projects were approved for funding of up to $1.8 million.
Round 3 opened on 7 June 2006 and closed on 28 July 2006. 82 applications were received and 61 projects were approved for funding of up to $2.3 million.
Round 4 opened on 30 October 2006 and closed on 25 January 2007. 127 applications were received and 97 projects were approved for funding of up to $3.8 million.
Round 5 opened on 27 March 2007 and closed on 25 May 2007. 157 applications were received and 112 projects were approved for funding of up to $4.5 million.
The Program Secretariat will visit selected projects to verify that funds have been spent and the project activity has been carried out in accordance with the funding agreement.
State-by-State summaries of the funded projects
Of the 400 projects approved for funding, 100 originated in Queensland, 98 in NSW, 70 in Victoria, 39 in Tasmania, 34 in Western Australia, 30 in South Australia, nine in the Northern Territory and three in the ACT. Some other projects are of a national character.
- Australian Capital Territory
Word [43kb] - New South Wales Word [227kb]
- Northern Territory Word [53kb]
- Queensland Word [229kb]
- South Australia Word [98kb]
- Tasmania Word [115kb]
- Victoria Word [162kb]
- Western Australia Word [106kb]
- National Word [35kb]
- Proactive Word [66kb]
Contact Details
If you experience any difficulty accessing the above files contact: Secretariat Office or telephone 1800 665 105.
Mailing Address
Fisheries and Forestry
Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry
GPO Box 858
Canberra ACT 2601