The Victorian Government has earmarked $87 million in funding from the State Budget to reduce the risk of bushfires, improve the health of coastal and bay areas and maintain the state’s parks and forests.

State Minister for the Environment, Peter Ryan, said that the Budget will include funding for projects and programs aimed at maintaining healthy biodiversity and management initiatives of public land.

“This year the Victorian Coalition Government will invest more than $7 million over a four-year period as part of our A Cleaner Yarra River and Port Phillip Bay Action Plan to establish new partnerships with community, local government and businesses,” Mr Smith said.

“Through these partnerships we will identify litter hotspots, improve the accessibility of water quality information and pilot a business partners program to encourage private sector investment to protect the health of Port Phillip Bay and the Yarra River.”

“The Victorian Budget will also deliver more than $9 million over four years for the new Coastal Environments Program supporting on-ground coastal risk management works. This will extend the grants to open coastal communities, not just those around the bay. 

“Building on the Coalition Government’s Environmental Partnerships statement we will provide $16 million over two years in grants to landholders and regional organisations to protect key environmental assets, native vegetation and threatened species.

The funding will also deliver $33 million over the next two years to expand the planned burning program, one of the key recommendations of the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission.