Community Investment

Community Grants Program applications are now open. In partnership with 42 local neighbourhood houses the program seeks to fund proven employment and education pathway programs. Find out more in the fact sheets on this page.

We are committed to working with, supporting and fostering the development of our communities.

In response to the social and economic needs of the communities surrounding Melbourne Airport, much of our investment focuses on supporting young people to achieve their education and career aspirations.

We are also proud to support local environmental initiatives to protect Victoria’s most endangered mammal and the national parks located right on our doorstep.

We are proud to work with the following organisations.

WESTERN CHANCES

Melbourne Airport will help hundreds of young people achieve their academic and career goals through funding approximately 500 scholarships in a new three-year partnership with Western Chances valued at $440,000.

Announced in August 2018, the new partnership builds on the decade-long relationship between Western Chances and Melbourne Airport, which has supported more than 500 scholarship opportunities since 2008 for motivated and talented young people in Melbourne’s west.

Western Chances scholarships enable, nurture and celebrate the unrealised potential of youth living in Brimbank, Hobson’s Bay, Maribyrnong, Melton, Moonee Valley and Wyndham.

The highly practical scholarships are tailored to each young person, but commonly include text books, laptops/internet access and myki cards, as well as tools and materials for those undertaking vocational or artistic education pathways.

Western Chances’ Board member and scholarship alumna, Celia Tran, praised Western Chances for enabling her to thrive in high school.

“Western Chances gave me the financial support needed to succeed in my studies. When I received my scholarship I felt really proud and I was happy to be able to relieve my family of stress associated with purchasing text books, a laptop and participation in excursions,” she said.

BANKSIA GARDENS COMMUNITY SERVICES (Broadmeadows)

In 2015 Melbourne Airport committed $150,000 to the Banksia Gardens Community Services (Broadmeadows) to fund their Aiming High and Study Group programs for three years – assisting more than 150 students every week in the afterschool groups.

Aiming High provides talented but disadvantaged youth with specialist support to achieve outstanding results in VCE.

The Study Group programs provide afterschool homework and social supports for a broad range of primary and secondary school students from the Broadmeadows area.

Melbourne Airport also funds eight secondary school transition scholarships in partnership with Banksia Gardens Community Services. Nominated by the principals of Holy Child and Gladstone Views primary schools, the annual scholarships are awarded to four high-performing students from each school.

CONSERVATION VOLUNTEERS - EASTERN BARRED BANDICOOT

Melbourne Airport is working to save the Eastern Barred Bandicoot, Victoria’s most endangered marsupial, by partnering with Conservation Volunteers Australia to deliver the Healthy Habitats program.

The Healthy Habitats program has seen the development and maintenance of a predator-proof sanctuary for the bandicoots at Woodlands Historic Park – located right on Melbourne Airport’s back fence.

Since 47 bandicoots were released into the sanctuary in 2013, they have been breeding and building up their numbers. There are approximately 500 animals now roaming free within the 230 hectare sanctuary, enabling other sanctuaries to be created across Victoria.

See the video for a snapshot of the Eastern Barred Bandicoot Program at Woodlands Historic Park.

CROSS-CULTURAL VOLUNTEER PROGRAM AT ORGAN PIPES NATIONAL PARK

A community volunteer program to enrich the lives of adult migrants and refugees living in Melbourne's north-west. Working within Organ Pipes National Park - just four kilometres away from Melbourne Airport, the program works to improve the waterway health and biodiversity, while assisting participants with their language and social skills.

The Cross-Cultural Volunteer Program will run for three years and aims to encourage the region's multicultural community to participate in environmental projects, while gaining language and social skills.

The program will run once a month at Organ Pipes National Park, where participants will assist in environmental restoration activities ranging from plant revegetation and maintenance of new plantings to the monitoring of animal populations and water quality. Conservation volunteers will be working with key community groups such as Brimbank City Council, Parks Victoria and Banksia Gardens Community Services to bring the program to life.

To register for the Cross-Cultural Volunteer Program visit: www.conservationvolunteers.com.au

THE SALVATION ARMY

We have supported The Salvation Army for more than 10 years, including significant financial donations to The Salvation Army’s Christmas Appeal and Asylum Seekers Support Services from our internal fundraising.

We have been long-term supporters of the Salvation Army's Jacana Centre which provides assisted accommodation to families, couples and pregnant women and is an outreach service for homeless men and women.

Every year we invite The Salvation Army to sing Christmas carols inside our domestic terminals. Funds raised from carolling go straight back into community support services and programs across Australia.

Visit their website here.

MOVING TOWARDS CARBON NEUTRALITY

To prevent, control and reduce our production of greenhouse gas emissions and consumption of non-renewable resources we have implemented a number of environmentally friendly measures.

We support the Rural China Grouped Small Hydro Project to offset the greenhouse gas emissions created by our vehicles and staff flights.

The Rural China Grouped Small Hydro Project offers ongoing social benefits to local communities and is located close to our sister airport in China, Chengdu International Airport.

This innovative project provides stable, clean electricity to rural areas and creates local jobs. It has funded education programs for children and runs agricultural training sessions to teach local farmers about growing and managing fruit tree plantations.

See here to learn more about the project.