Successful grant recipients in 2015 included the City of Ballarat, Golden Plains Shire, Pyrenees Shire and Ararat Rural City, which used $75,000 for the development of a community education and behavioral change program to reduce kerbside waste and improve recycling with the aim of reducing council costs and helping the environment.

The program provides grants of up to $75,000 to allow councils to work together to develop sustainable projects and initiatives across council boundaries.

The money can be used to develop business cases or feasibility studies to find innovative solutions that are good for the environment and improve the council’s bottom line.

Last year, sixteen councils shared in $270,700.

Joint-council proposals were invited for initiatives which provided innovative solutions to procurement or shared services delivery, invested in more socially, economically and environmentally sustainable technologies, supported councils to reduce waste and support innovators in the waste management and recycling industry.