Australian Bushland Program – New Indigenous Protected Areas

he Australian Government is inviting applications via a targeted process to apply to deliver services under Program 2.1 Conserve, protect and sustainably manage Australia's natural environment through a nature positive approach. The Australian Bushland Program – New Indigenous Protected Areas will run over 2 years from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2028.

This program is funded as part of the $250 million Australian Bushland Program (ABP) Budget measure. The ABP supports implementation of the National 30 by 30 Roadmap, to protect and conserve 30% of Australia’s land by 2030 (30 by 30). Indigenous Protected Areas (IPAs) are the largest contributor to the 30 by 30 target on land.

The program objective is to strengthen the conservation and protection of Australia’s environmental and cultural values through establishing and managing IPAs. The program also contributes to social and economic benefits for First Nations people.

he Australian Government is inviting applications via a targeted process to apply to deliver services under Program 2.1 Conserve, protect and sustainably manage Australia’s natural environment through a nature positive approach. The Australian Bushland Program – New Indigenous Protected Areas will run over 2 years from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2028.

• Australia’s National Reserve System (NRS) has increased and the condition of Australia’s environment across land and sea has improved
• First Nations people are empowered to fulfil their custodial obligations over land and sea Country and achieve environmental, cultural, social, and economic benefits
• enhanced collaboration between First Nations people and partners and strengthened governance for the protection, conservation and sustainable management of Australia’s land and seascapes.

To be eligible to apply for this grant opportunity you must satisfy all the eligibility criteria outlined in sections 4.1 and 4.2 of the Grant Opportunity Guidelines.

Grant Activity Timeframe:
Assessment of applications - May 2026

Approval of outcomes of selection process - June 2026

Notification to applicants - July 2026

Negotiations and award of grant agreements - July 2026

Earliest start date of grant activity - August 2026

End date of grant activity - 30 June 2028.

Instructions for Application Submission:
To apply, you must:

meet the eligibility criteria (see section 4)
complete the online application form on GrantConnect
provide all the information requested
address all eligibility criteria and assessment criteria
include all necessary attachments
submit your application/s to the Community Grants Hub by 9:00 pm AEDT on 11 March 2026.