Green Adelaide’s Cooler, Greener, Wilder Grants for round 5 are now open!

Eighteen metropolitan councils can now apply for a share of up to $1.5 million through Green Adelaide’s Cooler, Greener, Wilder grants program, supporting projects that will help transform neighbourhoods across greater Adelaide through urban greening, biodiversity and climate resilience initiatives. 

Now in its fifth round, the program is helping councils deliver projects that cool suburbs, expand urban tree canopy, create habitat for native wildlife and improve the liveability of public spaces for local communities. 

The grants form part of ongoing efforts to realise a cooler, greener and more resilient Adelaide, supporting projects that combine urban greening with water-sensitive and biodiversity-sensitive urban design. 

Recent projects funded through Round 4 were: 

• City of Burnside's Cooler, Greener, Wilder Penfold Park
• City of Charles Sturt's Grange Green Rail Corridor and West Lakes Boulevard
• City of Charles Sturt's Rewilding Bulahdelah Reserve
• City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters' Greening Felixstow
• City of Onkaparinga's Clearwater Crescent Reserve
• City of West Torrens' Development of a Verge Greening Demonstration Site
• City of West Torrens' Urban Greening for Cooler Streets and Spaces

These projects aim to increase tree canopy, improve biodiversity, reduce urban heat impacts and create more inviting green spaces for residents and visitors. 

Green Adelaide Presiding Member, Professor Chris Daniels said councils were vital partners in building a more climate-resilient Adelaide.

"Creating a cooler, greener and wilder Adelaide takes a collective effort, and local councils are helping lead the way by delivering practical projects that benefit both people and nature."

"The projects we continue to see through this program demonstrate how urban greening can transform local spaces, making our neighbourhoods cooler, healthier and more enjoyable places to live."

"Whether it's creating wildlife habitat, planting more trees, improving streetscapes or capturing stormwater to support greener landscapes, these projects deliver lasting environmental and community benefits."

Councils can apply for matched funding of up to $500,000, with successful projects given up to four years to complete project delivery. 

The grants support integrated projects that demonstrate benefits across:

• Urban greening
• Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD)
• Biodiversity Sensitive Urban Design (BSUD) 

Eligible projects may include:

• Planting trees, shrubs and grasses to increase urban canopy and biodiversity at site, streetscape or precinct scale.
• Delivering water-sensitive urban design infrastructure, including rain gardens, tree pits, permeable paving, constructed wetlands and other stormwater solutions that contribute to greener, cooler urban environments. 

Applications for Round 5 of the Cooler, Greener, Wilder Grants Program are now open and close on 21 December.