The Urban Forest Fund provides matched-funding grants for new greening projects, where the funder will match successful applicants' investment dollar-for-dollar. 

As part of our mission to make Melbourne the garden city and facilitate community greening, we're running a super-sized round of our Urban Forest Fund. In 2026, we're looking to support more projects than ever before, with up to $1 million of total matched funding on offer for a wide range of greening projects.

The Urban Forest Fund will support a wide range of projects, including:

• creation of new green spaces
• tree plantings
• biodiversity-focused plantings
• green roofs, walls and facades
• Water Sensitive Urban Design that incorporates planting
• improvements to below-ground soil conditions to support healthy vegetation
• laneway greening projects, for example, in privately owned laneways that provide public pedestrian access.

In 2026, we are offering matched-funding grants under two streams:

• Stream 1 - high-impact greening (this record): grants of $30,000 to $100,000 to support high-impact greening projects on private property with public benefits.
• Stream 2 - community greening: grants of up to $10,000 to support smaller scale, community-led greening projects on private property or Council footpaths that have a Greening Melbourne permit.

To be eligible, your project must:

• Be located within the City of Melbourne.
• Be primarily focused on creating new green space or infrastructure.
• Demonstrate community and environmental benefits.
• Be completed by 31 July 2027
• Have demonstrated environmental benefits.
• Have demonstrated community benefits.
• Be publicly accessible or visible to many people.
• Have a clear plan for long-term maintenance, for a minimum of five years
• Have determined if a planning permit is required, and if so, a permit application must have been submitted.
• Be located on land owned by the applicant, or, where greening is to take place on private property not owned by the applicant, a secured lease for at least five years is required, along with written consent from the property owner.

• Phone: (03) 9658 9658
• Email: urbanforestfund@melbourne.vic.gov.au