Jennifer Marohasy

The impression from the media over the last week has been that green groups are now only going to get a maximum of $10,000 each year in funding from the government

The reality is quite different.

Some groups will have their federal government funding cut. The Queensland Conservation Council, for example, received $92,000 in funding under the Grants to Voluntary Environmental and Heritage Organisations Scheme (GVEHO) and will now receive a maximum of $10,000 under this scheme.

But the organization will continue to pick up government money from other sources.

Tax payer’s money is also likely to keep rolling in to WWF. This organization received over $15 million in federal government grants over the period 1996-2003. (See Australian Institute Report by Clive Hamilton and Andrew Macintosh titled Taming the Panda).

Not only will WWF continue to be funded by the federal government, but WWF is actually in-charge of providing federal government funding to community groups.

Through the WWF-administered, government-funded Threatened Species Network Community Grants program WWF provides funding of up to $50,000 per annum to green groups. This is part of the billion dollar Natural Heritage Trust Fund.

There is also the $1.4 billion National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality.

As part of the Federal Government’s $2 billion Australian Water Fund, $200 million will be available over the next 5 years for community grants of up to $50,000 to save and protect water resources through practical on-the-ground work.

And the list goes on, and on and on.