Funding, grants and income

In addition to the Crown Reserves Improvement Fund, Crown land managers may have other suitable ways to finance reserve activities.

This page gives general information about other grant programs. You will need to check your eligibility for each of these.

Find a government initiative, grant or funding program to help support your activity and improvements on your reserve. A range of funding programs that may be available to Crown land managers include the:

• Emergency Works grants.
• Community War Memorials Fund.
• Heritage Grants Program.
• Community Building Partnerships.

Visit the NSW Government Grants and Funding Finder.

Crown land managers can apply for funding for bushfire hazard reduction through local bushfire management committees. These committees fund activities to address local hazard reduction priorities. Examples of hazard reduction activities on Crown land include creating or maintaining bushfire asset protection zones, fire trails, or containment lines.

Contact the Department for more information about getting funding through your local bushfire management committee.

Our Community is an online gateway for community groups and schools. It has information about what grants are available, advice on developing a grant submission, and other general guidance on accessing community resources.

If a particular source of funding involves committing to a loan agreement or contract, you will need to seek approval from the Department.

This not-for-profit organisation lists a range of funding programs and grant-seeker resources for rural and regional Australia. For more information, visit the Foundation for Rural Regional Renewal.

The best way to guarantee ongoing income for a Crown reserve is to encourage suitable economic activities within it, while also maintaining its purpose.

Ideas for generating income

Leases and licences

You can source income from:

• short-term hire of Crown reserve venues (for example, for birthday parties)
• short-term licenses (for example, for sporting groups or a men’s shed)
• leases (such as caravan park operators or food kiosks).

Visit leases and licences for more information.

Admission fees

Charging an entry fee to visit the reserve may be appropriate. Examples include fees for tourist and heritage sites, and viewing plants and animals.

You should display fees or charges in a public place, online or on-site at the reserve. If this is not possible, offer the fee schedule on request.

You may rebate fees for certain users of the reserve if you have a set schedule that outlines all applicable rates and discounts. For example, pensioners may receive a discount of 50%.

As a Crown land manager, you have a responsibility to ensure all money you raise through the use of the reserve is spent on maintaining and sustaining the long-term use and enjoyment of the reserve.

When deciding what fees to charge, consider the costs associated with public access to reserve. Associated costs could include:

• general wear and tear of buildings/infrastructure
• use of electricity, gas and water
• rubbish disposal, sewage removal and cleaning of the reserve.

You may also charge fees for issuing leases and licenses on the reserve. For more information on fees for these tenures, visit leases and licences.

Goods and services

Selling goods and charging for services linked with the reserve not only raises money, but helps increase engagement with the reserve for Crown land managers and users. Goods may include tourist shop merchandise or produce sourced from the reserve or local area (for example, honey or plants). You could charge fees for services including guided tours, parking, and repair of materials (for example, men’s shed furniture repairs).

Sponsorship

Income from sponsorships could generate beneficial outcomes for both parties. This activity could include displaying signage of the sponsor partner on the reserve or recognising the sponsor's financial support at events on the reserve.

Other fundraising

Other fundraising activities could include social events such as trivia nights, sporting events and gifts. For general information on fundraising, visit the Fundraising Directory, an Australian listing of fundraising ideas.