Applications for VicTrack’s latest round of community grants are now open, providing support for not-for-profit groups to manage and maintain land, buildings and other assets they lease from VicTrack to benefit local communities.
The grants program has been expanded for this 2026 round to include regional and rural councils in fire-affected parts of Victoria that hold community leases with VicTrack.
A total of $400,000 is being offered through the community grants.
Eligible groups
Groups eligible to apply include those with a VicTrack community lease, tourist and heritage (T&H) railway operators and static museums, and groups who lease VicTrack assets from their local council for community purposes.
As with previous years, funding can be used to refurbish buildings, land, or other assets leased from VicTrack, which could include carrying out painting, gardening, landscaping or other small projects.
Groups can also use the grants to help them meet regulatory obligations, as many groups are subject to environmental and heritage regulations relating to the assets they lease.
Community groups and eligible councils can apply for up to $5,000 each. Tourist and heritage rail groups can apply for up to $15,000 each. The program is jointly funded by VicTrack and the Department of Transport and Planning.
This is the third year the community grants program has run. Previous rounds of funding have seen more than $1 million allocated to community groups and tourist and heritage railway organisations.
Applications can be made on the Community Grants page and will close at 9am on Monday, 14 September 2026.
Community leases
Underused land and buildings are made available to community organisations through the community leasing program.
Some of VicTrack’s large portfolio of former railway buildings and assets are used for a range of community purposes including public open spaces, art galleries, museums, libraries, tourist and heritage railways, creative spaces, and community hubs.
