The Allan Labor Government is supporting community groups to protect Port Phillip Bay's iconic marine and coastal environment.
Minister for Environment Steve Dimopoulos announced the latest round of the Port Phillip Bay Fund grants, with a $2.3 million investment to support a wide range of community groups that include not-for-profits, schools and Traditional Owner groups to deliver 25 projects to improve Port Phillip Bay's health, habitats and wildlife.
Grants of up to $300,000 were available for innovative, large-scale projects and up to $25,000 for smaller projects that directly benefit the coastal and marine environments of the Bay.
Port Phillip Bay is home to over 10,000 species of marine life with its diverse habitats, including sea grass meadows, rocky reefs and sandy beaches, providing essential breeding and nursery grounds.
In addition to being one of Victoria's most important ecosystems, Port Phillip Bay is a major tourist destination supporting recreational activities such as swimming, fishing, snorkelling and sailing.
Since 2016, the Port Phillip Bay Fund has now provided more than $17 million in grants for 215 projects such as reef restoration, marine life monitoring, water quality improvements and litter reduction initiatives.
This program delivers on the Allan Labor Government's Port Phillip Bay Environmental Management Plan 2017-2027, ensuring that Port Phillip Bay remains healthy and resilient for generations to come.
As stated by Minister for Environment Steve Dimopoulos
"We're proud to support the dedicated volunteers and community groups who are passionate about protecting one of Victoria's most treasured ecosystems."
"This funding will help groups and researchers who are working to preserve and protect the Bay for years to come."
As stated by Member for Melton Steve McGhie
"Port Phillip Bay is iconic to Victoria, and we are dedicated to ensuring long-term health of this precious natural asset for our community to enjoy for generations to come."
2024 Port Phillip Bay Fund Projects
Recipient |
Project Funded |
| Port Phillip EcoCentre | Nature for All |
| Victorian National Parks Association | Nature Stewards of our Bay |
| Mornington Peninsula Shire Council | Dune Erosion Mitigation & Coastal Process Education |
| Dromana Foreshore Committee of Management | Dromana Marine Coastal Environment and Community Engagement Project Stage 3 |
| Port Phillip EcoCentre | Baytime: Building Capacity for Inclusive, Nature-Based Youth Volunteering |
| Dolphin Research Institute | Discover Port Phillip: Water and Wildlife Stories |
| Nepean Conservation Group | Stewardship of the Bay: Conserving the Coastal Environment |
| Jawbone Marine Sanctuary Care Group | The Jawbone Sanctuary Looking Back to Learn Program |
| Borough of Queenscliffe | Community Education and Protection of Coastal Moonah Woodlands |
| Frankston Beach Association | Mile End to Allawah Ave Revegetation Project |
| McCrae Coastal Group | Healthy Bay, Healthy Foreshore, Happy People |
| Southern Ocean Environmental Link | Mud Islands Shore Keepers |
| Australian Marine Mammal Conservation Foundation | The Port Phillip Bay Marine Mammal Bioblitz |
| Safety Beach Foreshore Landscape Committee | Safety Beach Coastal Erosion Mitigation Project Stage 3 |
| Bellarine North Rotary Club | Foreshore Revegetation |
| Hobsons Bay City Council | Sandy Point Coastal Protection |
| Hobsons Bay Wetlands Centre | Involving Communities in Conserving Birdlife |
| RMIT University | Exploring Unseen Threats: Contaminant Trends and Impacts |
| Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research | Assessment and Management of Colony-breeding Birds at Mud Islands |
| Conservation Volunteers Australia | SeaToSource Port Phillip Bay |
| Deakin University | Mapping Seagrass and Kelp |
| Parks Victoria | Restoring the Underwater Forests of Port Phillip Bay |
| Odonata Foundation | Building Community Capacity for Understanding the Bay |
| Corangamite Catchment Management Authority | Swan Bay Saltmarsh Restoration Project |
| Bellarine Bayside Foreshore Committee of Management | North Bellarine Coast Cultural Conservation and Restoration Project |
