Landcare SA Financial Assistance Package


The 2024 Landcare SA Financial Assistance Package is now closed.


The Landcare Association of South Australia (LASA) is pleased to be offering increased financial assistance to our members. There are two components to the Landcare SA Financial Assistance Package:

  1. The Care for Landcare Grants Program (“Grants Program”) to support member groups to purchase and/or hire equipment and materials (see Q7 below for guided list).
  2. The Landcare Insurance Fee Reimbursement Scheme (“Insurance Reimbursements”) to pay back member groups for insurance premiums that they have paid in the last 12 months (1 May 2023 – 30 April 2024).

Read the package guidelines below carefully to understand the eligibility, application and reporting requirements. Due to the opt-in nature of these funding programs, a specific dollar amount will only be advised once entries have closed.

For assistance please contact: Paula Jones (Executive Officer) – execofficer@landcaresa.asn.au or 0477 017 325 or Natalia Diaz (State Landcare Coordinator) – coordinator@landcaresa.asn.au or 0408 967 216.

The Landcare SA Financial Assistance Package is part of the Care for Landcare program funded by the SA State Government.


Package Guidelines

1. Who is eligible for the Grants Program and Insurance Reimbursements?

To be eligible for the Grants Program you must:

  1. Be a current LASA member group (membership application must be submitted before 15 March 2024).
  2. Have successfully acquitted your 2023 Care for Landcare Grant by 31 March 2024 (if relevant).
  3. Have both Public Liability and Volunteer Personal Accident insurance policies in place.

To be eligible for the Insurance Reimbursements you must:

  1. Be a current LASA member group (membership application must be submitted before 15 March 2024).
  2. Have successfully acquitted your 2023 Care for Landcare Grant (if relevant).
  3. Have had to pay for your own insurance fees in the last 12 months (1 May 2023 – 30 April 2024). This includes any relevant insurance fees that were paid for the group by a member of the group out of their personal funds.
  4. Be ineligible or unable to access sufficient free insurance through your local Landscape Board and/or Council.
  5. Not have already received financial assistance to pay for all of your insurance premiums this year.

Both incorporated and unincorporated groups are eligible for the Grants Program and Insurance Reimbursements.

The LASA Management Committee will make a final decision on funds provided to each group.

2. Does our group need to be a member of LASA to receive this financial assistance?

Yes, in order to be eligible for a Grant or Insurance Reimbursement your group needs to be a current member of LASA (membership application must be submitted before 15 March 2024).

Individual and associate members are not eligible.

3. Our group is unincorporated, are we eligible?

Yes, both incorporated and unincorporated groups are eligible for the Grants Program and Insurance Reimbursements.

Unincorporated groups will have to organise an auspicing body to manage the Grant Program funds for them if they are successful. This cannot be LASA, but we can assist your group to find an alternative auspicing body.

An auspicing body will not be needed for the Insurance Reimbursements for unincorporated groups.

4. How do we apply?

Applications for the 2024 round of Financial Assistance are now closed.

Previously, via an online form, you can opt-in to:

  1. Receive a Grant, and/or
  2. Sign up for an Insurance Reimbursement.

Completing the opt-in form is not a guarantee that you will receive financial assistance. The LASA Management Committee will make a final decision on the eligibility of each group for this package, and your group may opt-out at any time before the letter of offer is signed.

5. What will we need when applying?

To apply for a Grant, you will need:

  1. A broad idea of the type of equipment and materials that your group would like to use the Grant to purchase. This will only be used as an indication and is not binding.
  2. Your group’s ABN (if you have one) and incorporation status.
  3. Knowledge of which insurance policies your group currently holds.

To apply for an Insurance Reimbursement, you will need:

  1. Knowledge of your group’s insurance policies, including the amount your group paid for insurance out of their own funds in the last 12 months (1 May 2023 – 30 April 2024).
  2. Proof of payment for any policies that your group purchased with their own funds in the last 12 months. This can be in the form of a receipt or bank statement, and must include proof of the dollar value of insurance purchased.
  3. Certificate of insurance for any policies that your group purchased with their own funds in the last 12 months.

6. How much is a Grant?

LASA has a pool of $62,500 for the Grants Program. The specific value of the Grant provided to each group depends on the number of eligible groups that opt-in.

This year the Grants Program will provide grants of an expected minimum of $1,000 and maximum of $2,000 per group. All eligible groups that have opted-in will receive an equal amount.

In 2023, grants of $1,645 (GST exc) were awarded to 39 Landcare member groups.

7. What can our group use the Grant funds for?

Grants are to be used for the purchase or hire of equipment and materials for your group’s Landcare activities. Some examples of things that you may like to spend this money on are:

  • Plants/seeds
  • Tree guards and stakes
  • Personal protection equipment (e.g., gloves, high-vis safety vests, safety glasses, first aid kits etc.)
  • Tools (e.g., chainsaws, drills, shovels etc.)
  • Propagation materials
  • Stationery, software, office and administrative supplies
  • Signage
  • Pesticides
  • Fencing materials
  • Specialised contractor and equipment
  • Trailers and fire fighting equipment
  • Water tanks
  • Branded clothing
  • Citizen science/scientific equipment

Examples of things that you cannot use the grant funds for:

  • LASA membership (and other memberships)
  • Staff salaries
  • Purchases made before March 1st 2024
  • Insurance

Please reach out to LASA if you have any questions about what you can spend the Grant funds on.

8. Can our group apply for more than one Grant in this program?

No. This gives more groups a chance to share in the funds.

9. How much of our insurance premiums would be reimbursed?

LASA has a pool of $25,000 for the Insurance Reimbursements. The specific value of each reimbursement depends on the number of eligible groups that opt-in and the cost of your insurance premiums.

This year LASA will reimburse insurance premium fees to an expected minimum of $400 per eligible group (unless your total fees were lower than this amount), with an expected maximum of $800. In 2023, 11 groups were reimbursed for amounts between $400 and $2,500 for incurred insurance fees.

Groups that are ineligible or unable to access sufficient free insurance through your local Landscape Board and/or Council and have had to use their own funds to purchase insurance are eligible to be reimbursed for these fees. Additional relevant policies paid for by your group on top of the free policies received from Landscape Boards or Council are eligible for reimbursement (e.g., your group has public liability and volunteer personal accident insurance through a Landscape Board, but has paid for association liability insurance out of the group’s own funds).

Groups that have already received financial assistance to pay for all of their insurance premiums this year are not eligible to have their fees reimbursed.

The LASA Management Committee will make a final decision on whether the insurance is eligible to be reimbursed.

10. What types of insurance are eligible to be reimbursed?

  1. Any insurance cover purchased by a member group in the last 12 months (1 May 2023 – 30 April 2024) through the Landcare Insurance Package with Ceneta Insurance Services and Community Underwriting.
  2. Additional or different insurance cover, outside of that covered by the Landcare Insurance Package, that was purchased by a member group in the last 12 months (1 May 2023 – 30 April 2024) that is necessary for the working of their group.

Examples of eligible policies are: volunteer personal accident, public liability, association liability, general property, and others.

The LASA Management Committee will make a final decision on whether the insurance is eligible to be reimbursed.

11. Can we apply through the LASA website?

Applications for the 2024 Grants Program and Insurance Reimbursements are now closed.

12. What happens once we’ve completed the opt-in form?

Once submissions close at 11.59pm (ACST) on 21 April 2024, LASA will review all entries.

Each group will be notified by email of the outcome of their submission by 31 May 2024. This will include the value of the Grant and/or Insurance Reimbursement that your group will receive.

Each successful group will be asked to review and sign an offer detailing the terms and conditions of the Grant and Insurance Reimbursement, including reporting and acquittal requirements for the Grant.

Completing the opt-in form is not a guarantee that you will receive financial assistance. The LASA Management Committee will make a final decision on the eligibility of each group for this package, and your group may opt-out at any time before the offer is signed.

13. Do we need to provide an invoice to LASA to receive the funding?

Yes, once prompted each successful group will need to send LASA an invoice (or tax invoice if registered for GST) for the advised Grant amount and/or the advised Insurance Reimbursement amount. We are unable to process the payment without an invoice.

An invoice template will be provided to help groups who are unfamiliar with raising invoices. If your group does not have an ABN you will also be asked to complete a Statement By Supplier.

14. Will we need to acquit the Grant and Insurance Reimbursement funds?

Yes, you will need to acquit the Grant funds (see Q15 for more information).

No, you will not need to acquit the Insurance Reimbursement funds.

15. How and when do we acquit the Grant funds?

All Grant funds must be expended and acquittal completed within two months of expending the funds or by the 2 March 2025 (whichever is sooner).

An acquittal form will be supplied to each grant recipient, where you will need to advise us what your group spent the funds on and provide all invoices and/or receipts and any relevant photos.

If you do not expend and acquit the funds correctly, LASA has the right to reject your application for further financial assistance and/or membership. We will work closely with all groups to make sure this process is as simple and clear as possible.

Additional information about the grant expenditure and acquittal process will be detailed in your grant offer and contract.