Community Stewardship Grants are available for community-based projects that help conserve, restore, rehabilitate or enhance a local natural area, conserve WA’s biodiversity and maintain or build the capability of NRM community groups across the State.
In 2019, $7 million is available for the 2019 Community Stewardship Grants round. The 2019 Community Stewardship Grants program involves two components: a small grant round and a large grants round.
· sustainable management of land resources
· maintain and enhance water assets
· protect and enhance the marine and coastal environment
· conserve and recover biodiversity
· enhance skills, capability and engagement
· deliver high quality planning that leads to effective action.
Their respective features include:
· Small grants:
- valued between $1 000 - $35 000
- commencing on or after 1 January 2020 o for up to 12 months duration
- intended for more strategic, complex projects
- valued between $35 001 and $450 000
- commencing on or after 1 January
- for up to 36 months duration.

Rosewood is on the Alert List for Environmental Weeds, a list of 28 non-native plants that threaten biodiversity and cause other environmental damage. Although only in the early stages of establishment, these weeds have the potential to seriously degrade Australia’s ecosystems. Where it grows Rosewood, sometimes referred to as Tipuana tree or racehorse tree, is native to southern Bolivia, northern Argentina, southern Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay.
Key points
• Planted for its ornamental, shade and cattle fodder value in Australia, rosewood has become a threat by escaping street and garden plantings into the natural environment.
• It is drought resistant, salt and frost tolerant, and grows in most conditions, allowing it to invade native vegetation.
• It seeds and germinates prolifically. Preventing its spread will protect both natural and other areas.
• Any new outbreaks of rosewood should be reported to local Councils or State Weed Management Agencies.
Rosewood grows well in most conditions and has been widely planted by pastoralists and householders. Why we need to be ‘alert’ to Rosewood is that it is reported as being invasive, noxious and naturalised in South Africa. With similar climate and soils to South Africa, Australia needs to be concerned with the potential of the tree to become an even more widespread weed than it is currently.
Legislation
There is no legislation to control rosewood but it is on the Federal Government’s Alert List for Environmental Weeds, meaning that it is marked for eradication and should not be imported into Australia or used as a street or garden plant. Rosewood has been declared an environmental weed in some shires within Queensland.
Two well-known public sites where this weed has been planted in Dumbleyung Townsite are Margaret Charter’s garden and the corner garden near the CRC.