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

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, matched-funding grants are on offer under two streams:

• Stream 1 - high-impact greening: grants of $30,000 to $100,000 to support high-impact greening projects on private property with public benefits.
• Stream 2 - community greening (this record): 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.

City of Melbourne is running a second intake of stream 2 - community greening grants from Monday 27 July to Wednesday 30 September 2026. They are also expanding the scope of eligible projects on approved public land to include our brand new Garden City Community Guidelines - this means that that means you could receive matched funding for creating a garden in a nature strip, tree plot or in pots and planters along footpaths and laneways in your local area. Greening Melbourne Permit and existing street garden permit holders are also eligible to apply.

The first intake ran from January to March 2026, and successful recipients were notified in June 2026. Grant recipients from the first intake are welcome to apply again in the second intake, provided the total amount of funding across both 2026 intakes does not exceed $10,000.

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