ANZ, in partnership with the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR), today announced the recipients of the 2025 Seeds of Renewal program.
Now in its 23rd year, Seeds of Renewal is a long-standing partnership between ANZ and FRRR, committed to fostering vibrant, sustainable rural communities and ensuring the ongoing prosperity of regional Australia.
A total of $250,000 in grants has been awarded to 19 not-for-profit and community organisations, supporting locally driven projects that address the unique needs of rural and regional Australia.
Grants of up to $15,000 will fund initiatives across four priority areas: improving access to housing; increasing financial wellbeing; advancing environmental sustainability; or helping communities to thrive.
ANZ Associate Director, Agribusiness Research, Alanna Barrett said: “For more than two decades, Seeds of Renewal has supported rural and regional communities to build resilience and create sustainable futures. These grants enable local organisations to turn ideas into action – delivering initiatives that make a tangible difference for people, businesses and the communities they call home.”
FRRR Head of Granting, Jill Karena, said: “The Seeds of Renewal program recognises that even a modest grant can unlock significant impact by amplifying the efforts of local volunteers. We prioritise projects that are deeply rooted in their communities: locally designed, locally driven, and with the potential to grow and create vibrant, resilient and sustainable places to live and work.”
Examples of the projects funded this year include:
Improving access to housing
- Yarredi Services – Healing Spaces: Transforming the outdoor area of a crisis accommodation centre into a safe, therapeutic space to support trauma recovery. (Port Lincoln, South Australia)
- Lockington and District Bush Nursing Centre – Essential Threads: Upgrading a laundry facility to increase capacity and better meet the needs of vulnerable residents. (Lockington, Victoria)
Improving environmental sustainability
- Yallambee Aboriginal Culture & Community Advancement Inc – Wairra Muntu Youth Rangers: Empowering Aboriginal youth to lead environmental action, care for Country, and become leaders in cultural land care. (Mount Isa, Queensland)
- Amaris Wildlife Sanctuary – Room to Roam: Addressing the urgent need for sustainable food and water access for orphaned and injured wildlife. (Tenterden, Western Australia)
Improving financial wellbeing
- Regional Financial Counselling NSW – Growing Financial Futures: Delivering inclusive, strengths-based financial wellbeing workshops and resources for supported workers and young people living with disability in the Mid-Coast region. (Taree, New South Wales)
- Dunn Lewis Youth Development Foundation – Youth Music Network: Supporting young people to develop music skills through improved rehearsal spaces, performance opportunities, and education on managing the financial aspects of performing. (Ulladulla, New South Wales)
Assisting local communities to thrive
- Community Learning Euroa Inc – Voices of Connection: Addressing social isolation, lack of representation, and barriers to inclusion by enhancing an existing podcast training project and featuring it within the community radio program. (Euroa, Victoria)
- Thamarrurr Youth Indigenous Corporation – Tarangka Wurnangat – “Clean and Strong”: Creating economic opportunities and fostering cultural knowledge by delivering bush medicine workshops to produce personalised hygiene products, enabling micro-enterprise opportunities. (Wadeye, Northern Territory)
The full list of grant recipients and their projects are below.
| Organisation | Project | Location | Grant | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NEW SOUTH WALES | ||||||
| Bogan Gate Recreation Reserve Land Manager | Bushfire Safe Landscaping Project Improve disaster preparedness of a community's safe space by creating defensible zones using bushfire-safe landscaping. | Bogan Gate | $15,000 | |||
| CUC Mudgee Region Ltd | Studies in Sustainability: Renewable Energy and Sustainability Careers Expo Improve awareness of careers in sustainability industries by hosting a public information day that will inform and connect students and other community members with professional opportunities. | Mudgee | $9,445 | |||
| Dunn Lewis Youth Development Foundation | Youth Music Network – Growing Regional Music Futures Introduce young people to the local creative economy by activating performance spaces and educating participants on managing the financial aspects of performing. | Ulladulla | $14,100 | |||
| Fling Physical Theatre Inc. | Creative Development of FAILURE - Exploring Risk and Resilience in Young People Increase regional youth exposure to cultural activities by supporting a dance production that is co-created and performed by local young people. | Bega | $15,000 | |||
| Regional Financial Counselling NSW Inc | Growing Financial Futures: Inclusive Money Skills & Community Connection Boost financial wellbeing of vulnerable groups within the Mid North Coast region by delivering financial literacy education and providing mentoring support. | Taree | $15,000 | |||
| Third Sector Australia Ltd | Greenhouse Expansion Project - From Little Things Big Things Grow Increase community engagement while increasing access to fresh food and sustainability education opportunities by installing a greenhouse at a community garden site. | Casino | $3,417 | |||
| NORTHERN TERRITORY | ||||||
| Thamarrurr Youth Indigenous Corporation | Tarangka Wurnangat – Clean and Strong Create economic opportunities and foster sharing of cultural knowledge by delivering workshops in bush medicine to create personalised hygiene products that can lead to micro-enterprise opportunities. | Wadeye | $15,000 | |||
| QUEENSLAND | ||||||
| ClimateForce Limited | Irrigation for Impact: Smarter Systems for Regeneration and Resilience Improve quality of environmental restoration efforts by upgrading the irrigation system at a native nursery. | Daintree | $15,000 | |||
| Dawson Catchment Coordinating Association Inc | Building Climate-Smart Grazing Systems in Dawson Catchment – Soil, Carbon and Water Improve ecological resilience of a rural region by hosting a hands-on learning workshop focussed on improving environmental sustainability while maintaining productivity. | Bauhinia | $9,717 | |||
| Flexi Queensland Pty Ltd | Sustainable SILS Enhance housing and services provided by an organisation that supports people living with a disability through solar panel installation on the Supported Independent Living homes. | Ayr | $14,176 | |||
| Yallambee Aboriginal Culture & Community Advancement Inc | Wairra Muntu Youth Rangers: Empowering Aboriginal Youth to Lead Environmental Action and Care for Country Support First Nations youth to become leaders in cultural land care through on-Country hands-on learning activities. | Mount Isa | $15,000 | |||
| SOUTH AUSTRALIA | ||||||
| Balaklava Area Committee Inc | Balaklava's Silos of Sustainability Boost community pride and increase visitation by installing a mural on the town silo that celebrates the local history and culture. | Balaklava | $15,000 | |||
| Yarredi Services Inc | Healing Spaces: Crisis Accommodation Backyard Renewal Project Transform an outdoor space at a crisis accommodation centre to create a safe, therapeutic area that can assist with trauma recovery. | Port Lincoln | $12,000 | |||
| VICTORIA | ||||||
| Community Learning Euroa Inc | Tuned In: Inclusive Broadcasting for Diverse Communities Bolster community inclusion of underrepresented and diverse groups by enhancing an existing podcasting training project by featuring it within the community radio program. | Euroa | $15,000 | |||
| Lockington and District Bush Nursing Centre | Essential Threads: Building Capacity, Serving the Vulnerable Upgrade a community laundry facility to increase its capacity to better service the domestic care requirements of vulnerable local residents. | Lockington | $9,145 | |||
| Odyssey House Victoria | Stronger Grounds, Stronger Community Equip the community with a shared earthmoving vehicle to support community outdoor facilities maintenance and benefit local rehabilitation service operations. | Molyullah | $15,000 | |||
| Tongala Development Group | Bright Ideas for a Safer, Greener Tongala: Lighting the Dog Park and Future Pathway Promote renewable energy use by installing solar lighting at key local community facilities that will also facilitate extended community use. | Tongala | $13,000 | |||
| WESTERN AUSTRALIA | ||||||
| Amaris Wildlife Sanctuary Inc | Room to Roam: Building Resilience Through Edible Native Gardens and Water Storage Provide environmentally sustainable nutrition for wildlife in care by establishing a native garden and installing a water tank that enhances local volunteer efforts. | Tenterden | $15,000 | |||
| Wagin Community Resource Centre Inc | Wagin CRC Wall Restoration Project Revitalise a community resource centre that supports the community to thrive by repairing walls damaged by rising damp. | Wagin | $15,000 | |||