SUPPORTING COMMUNITY ACTION FOR SUSTAINABLE NEW SUBURBS IN OUTER MELBOURNE

SOcial Impact Advisory & Strategy • Engagement & COMMUNICATIONS design

Amplifier’s Matilda Langley and Steven Weir worked closely with the Community Enterprise Foundation (Bendigo Bank) to develop a new ‘green grants’ program for Lendlease, targeted towards new communities in and around their master-planned estates on Melbourne’s outer edges. 

The grants program was designed in accordance with both Lendlease’s own Sustainability Framework and aspirations, as well as linking closely to the Green Building Council of Australia’s Green Star Communities accreditation for the various projects - driving behaviour change initiatives for these new and emerging residential communities.

By driving outcomes with clear sustainability targets, community members were given opportunities to link with existing organisations driving environmentally focused programs, where they could connect, share their project ideas and be auspiced to apply for funding. With a designated pool of funds for each master-planned community ($20,000 per community), a total of 12 projects were funded, with each’s acquittal processes able to clearly articulate where they had been able to contribute to organisational targets - and in turn driving a huge reputational return on investment for Lendlease.

The internal grant assessment committee was also designed to foster capacity building by being comprised of internal team and project staff with previously limited exposure to the organisation’s social impact aspirations. Asking these diverse professionals to be involved in the decisions was a way of demonstrating the value of the social impact function and also showing them the amazing things the community is capable of when you empower them.

The grants were also designed to foster community development - with the projects required to have community building components included. The funded projects ranged from community gardens for neighbourhood houses, through to sustainability education, recycled furniture for a local community venue, a volunteer water ways management project, a youth climate change community problems solving program, local shared composting project through a neighbourhood house.