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In a boost for community climate initiatives, two Northern Territory organisations have been awarded grants through the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR) Community Led Climate Solutions program.
This national initiative supports rural and remote communities to develop locally driven projects that reduce emissions and build climate resilience.
The Wilya Ajjul Janta Aboriginal Corporation in Tennant Creek has secured $75,000 to pilot a housing project that integrates traditional ecological knowledge with sustainable building practices. This initiative aims to create culturally appropriate and environmentally friendly housing solutions to strengthen climate resilience in the region.
Women’s Environmental Leadership Australia has also received $20,000 to support First Nations women in the Top End. This funding will help develop skills and networks, empowering women to take leadership roles in community-led climate action projects.
These grants are part of FRRR’s broader commitment to supporting 27 climate-focused projects nationwide. Funded initiatives span areas such as sustainable energy, waste reduction, knowledge-sharing, and climate risk adaptation, each tailored to meet the unique challenges of regional communities.
Sarah Matthee, FRRR’s Climate Solutions Portfolio Lead, highlighted the growing demand for community-driven climate solutions:
“Local NFPs and community organisations want to play a bigger role in creating sustainable and enduring climate solutions for their communities. This program responds to that need, which is why it continues to attract more and more applications.
“The intent is to empower and enable communities to lead change, by innovating and responding to local opportunities and challenges.
“The 27 projects funded showcase a diverse range of future-focussed, community-led climate solutions, including addressing energy supply, reuse and recycling, distributing knowledge and climate risk adaptation. This diversity reinforces the fact that each community’s experience of the social, economic and environmental impacts of a changing climate is unique.
“So too are the ways that communities want to respond to those circumstances. For example, more than half the projects funded in this round are designed to develop awareness, knowledge and skills. This perhaps also reflects that community groups are at different points in their journey – and each application reflected this,” Ms Matthee explained.
The Community Led Climate Solutions program offers two grant streams:
Engage and Deliver – Up to $20,000 for projects that promote or implement practical climate solutions.
Scaling – Grants from $20,001 to $75,000 for initiatives that expand existing community-led efforts and address socio-economic challenges.
These grants highlight the importance of local leadership in addressing climate change, ensuring that regional and remote communities have the resources and support needed to build a sustainable future.
Read more about these initiatives: https://frrr.org.au/blog/2025/01/29/clcs-r2-recipients/
Image: Women’s Environmental Leadership Australia via Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR)