Cropping & Soil
1 February, 2026
Biofund supports local revegetation
A NEW round of landholders will soon receive Biofund revegetation grants, providing opportunities for Heytesbury district farmers to improve their productivity and their environment.
Heytesbury District Landcare Network has met to decide on a new round of Biofund applications which offer native seedlings or direct seed to local landholders who want to plant areas of their property.
The program is in huge demand, with the 2024-25 and 2025-26 offerings both being over-subscribed by 300 per cent.
In 2024-25, HDLN provided more than 13,000 native seedlings and 3.63ha of direct seed to revegetate 12.83ha across 16 properties through the Biofund grants program.
Biofund revegetation grants can be used for fire recovery, waterway protection, shelterbelts, revegetation to link existing vegetation, protecting native remnant vegetation, erosion control, salinity management, farm forestry and raising community awareness
HDLN Landcare coordinator Michelle Leech said the excellent response to the Biofund revegetation grants program once again demonstrated that landholders see the value in planting native vegetation on their land in terms of improved productivity and in better outcomes for nature.
“Shelter for stock can help with temperature regulation – which, for example, is extremely important for dairy milk production or new lambs in paddock,” Ms Leech said.
“Anecdotal evidence suggests that local farmers who have planted shelter belts are able to lamb in paddocks that were previously far too cold and exposed.”
In addition, planting native vegetation in riparian areas, including wetlands, can pay an important role in improving water quality.
The vegetation provides a buffer, keeping more nutrients and topsoil on farm where it is needed, and out of the waterways, where it can be extremely damaging to aquatic life.
Ms Leech said Heytesbury District Landcare Network was keen to work with local landholders to develop best-practice natural resource management practices on farm.
The network offers one-on-one farm visits, project funding opportunities, events, groups and resources to support a sustainable agricultural industry in the district.
Anyone interested in finding out can email admin@heytesburylandcare.org.au.