Cropping & Soil
1 October, 2026
Land restoration funds available
ELVIRA and Greg Hewson have seen the benefits of revegetating their land at Cudgee and they’re encouraging others to enjoy the same benefits.
Ms Hewson and her husband Greg were part of the LandLife SouthWest pilot project, adding 1000 trees and grasses and carrying out works to protect Cudgee Creek (known outside Cudgee as Brucknell Creek) which flows through the back of their five-acre block.
Now other south-west Victoria landowners can revegetate their land and start regenerative agricultural projects with LandLife SouthWest launching its first round of community grants.
Mrs Hewson said the project was a great incentive for landholders to support conservation and biodiversity on their land.
“We’re part of the Hopkins Falls Landcare Group and have been actively involved in replanting and vegetation works at the falls but when we read about LandLife SouthWest we were interested in taking it further,” Mrs Hewson said.
“We got involved for the revegetation aspect of the pilot and support for weed management, particularly to address a lot of woody weeds near the creek.
“We had quite a lot of species die during the dry summers of the past few years, so we have been able to fill those spaces with indigenous plants, which is helping to protect the creek and support biodiversity by increasing habitat.”
LandLife SouthWest was launched in May, with plans to plant one million trees and protect and restore 400 hectares of land by 2040.
An initiative of Warrnambool Coastcare Landcare Network (WCLN), LandLife SouthWest is a community-led program dedicated to restoring biodiversity, protecting vital landscapes and supporting sustainable agriculture as a major component of the regional economy.
Warrnambool Coastcare Landcare Network senior landcare facilitator Geoff Rollinson said the LandLife SouthWest project was an opportunity to create a healthier, more resilient future.
Mr Rollinson encouraged landholders to put in expressions of interest for either direct seed or seedlings for revegetation projects with native species, shelter belts, waterway vegetation, restoring wetlands or rebates for stock-excluding fencing.
To apply, people can visit LandLife SouthWest Warrnambool Coastcare Landcare Network
LandLife SouthWest aims to enhance biodiversity through a revegetation and sustainable agriculture program, improve farm productivity through regenerative agricultural practices and increase volunteer participation through planting days and workshops.
The Hewson family’s project was one of 19 successful pilot programs over the past two years.
Organisations and landholders wanting to become involved in LandLife SouthWest can contact Mr Rollinson on facilitator@wcln.org.au.
