Record number of community groups receive grants
September 27, 2018
More community groups have received grants from Colac Otway Shire Council this year than ever before after a further $68,839 was awarded to 12 applicants last night.
Councillors endorsed the new grant recipients under round two of its new-look Community Grants Program. It follows round one grants announced in June when over $230,000 was awarded to 77 applicants.
Mayor Joe McCracken said a number of grants in category 2 (Community Events & Support Program), 3 (Small Grants Program) and 4 (Building Façade Improvement Program) had also been awarded recently under delegation with less than $4000 remaining of the program’s $317,400 budget to be finalised soon.
Cr McCracken said officers were finalising the allocation of the remaining program budget and once that was done exactly 100 community groups would have received grants this year – more than any other year.
“By anyone’s assessment, our new Grants Program has been an outstanding success this year and as a Council we are rapt with the number of applicants - and that we’ve been able to fund the vast majority,” he said.
“The 12 Community Grants approved last night will assist in improving economic and community development across the Shire for community groups, progress associations, sporting clubs, arts groups and environmental working groups.
“It’s once again really pleasing that a lot of the grants are going to our small towns. Last night, $51,319 of the $68,839 allocated went to community projects in small towns.”
Cr McCracken said the following grants were successful;
- $10,000 for Forrest and District Historical Society: ‘Creation of Otways Discovery Centre Exhibition’
- $10,000 for Apollo Bay Scouts: Start up assets for the group
- $9,164 for Red Rock District Progress Association: Cororooke Open Space, preparation project
- $8,582 for Birregurra Golf Club: Kitchen Refit
- $7,920 for Colac Golf Club: Replace Clubhouse Roof
- $7,600 for Colac Otways Pop-up Arts Space: Pop-up Gallery and Studio Space
- $3,688 for Warrion Cricket Club: Cricket Bowling Machine
- $2,860 for Birregurra Landcare Group: Meander Project (revegetation adjacent to Barwon River)
- $2750 for Apollo Bay Surf Life Saving Club: Upgrade to Multipurpose Room
- $2,275 for Apollo Bay Kendo Club: Competition Ready
- $2,000 for Cororooke Tennis Club: Red Rock Region Community Website
- $2,000 for Colac & District Cricket Association: Purchase iPads for electronic scoring
“When the remaining grants are finalised under delegation in the near future, that will round out a wonderful 2018/19 Community Grants Program for Colac Otway Shire Council,” Cr McCracken said.
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