Council Awards $54,446 in Community Grants and Environmental Levy Fund
Published on 28 June 2024
Photo credit: Arts Council of The Dorrigo. Easter Arts Galley 2024
The Bellingen Shire Council is thrilled to announce the recipients of the Community Grants and Environmental Levy Community Program for Round 1 of the 2024/25 financial year. At the recent Ordinary Council meeting, Council approved a total of $54,446 in grant funding across four categories: the Community Support Fund, Community Event Sponsorship Fund, Creative Placemaking Fund, and the Environmental Levy Community Program.
Mayor Cr Steve Allan expressed his enthusiasm for the program, stating, "It is a very rewarding process to be a part of. I am really pleased to see the spread of different community groups across our Shire both geographically and of different interest groups. A lot of the outcomes achieved through these programs are at the vanguard of delivering on the Community Vision. These are the programs that our community is putting forward to us as what they see as important, and it's great to be able to support them.
“This year, the Community Grants program was oversubscribed by over $30,000, and the Environmental Levy by over $15,000, which shows the breadth of engagement from our community in the process. It is great that our Council is able to support these projects which will assist in advancing our community’s creativity, connectedness, and sustainable ingenuity."
Community Support Fund
Council has awarded a total of $11,341 to the following successful applicants:
- Urunga Surf Life Saving Club: $2,066 for the purchase of training equipment to enhance lifesaving services.
- Neighbourhood Centres of Bellingen Shire: $3,525 to replace the shade sail at Urunga Neighbourhood Centre.
- Bellingen Readers & Writers Festival Incorporated: $2,500 for the Schools Program to engage students with authors.
- Purple Card Project: $1,250 for the Conscious Christmas workshops promoting textile and waste upcycling.
- Bellingen Community Arts Council: $2,000 for the Bellingen Shire Arts Trail Weekend.
Community Event Sponsorship Fund
A total of $13,140 has been awarded to the following events:
- Bellingen Youth Orchestra Inc: $4,000 for the family concert "Peter and the Wolf: Orchestral Magic for Young Hearts".
- Taranta Arts Inc: $1,500 for the Taranta Festival Bellingen 2024.
- Camp Creative: $2,640 for children’s scholarships.
- Dorrigo Folk & Bluegrass Festival Inc: Grant funds for essential facilities at the festival
Photo credit: OzGreen -Youth RiverFest 2024
Creative Placemaking Fund
Council awarded $4,965 in this category to support the following projects:
- OzGREEN: $1,500 for the "Our River, Our Future" event at Bellingen Skatepark.
- Bellingen Readers and Writers Festival Inc: $3,465 for the "Fringe" program to provide inclusive and accessible activities.
Environmental Levy Community Fund
Council has allocated $25,000 to six innovative projects:
- Northbank Community Garden: $4,700 for invasive weed management.
- Dorrigo Community Nursery: $4,700 to plant and maintain 200 native plants along the Bielsdown River Walk.
- Bellinger Landcare Inc: $3,762.96 for bush regeneration and weed control.
- OzGreen: $2,500 for the Bellingen Riverwatch River Connection Project.
- Dorrigo Plateau U3A: $5,000 for a clothing swap and repair café to tackle textile waste.
- OzGreen on behalf of Zenzi Rutter-Grace: $4,337.04 for a textile upcycling and recycling event in Bellingen.
Mayor Cr Steve Allan applauded the successful recipients; "A big congratulations to all the successful applicants of the Community and Environmental Grants! We're really excited to see these projects come to life over the next few months. Thanks to all who applied, these projects help protect our natural beauty, celebrate our heritage, and encourage shared creativity, which is what makes the Shire such a great place to live."
These grants reflect the Council's commitment to supporting local initiatives that foster community engagement, creativity, and sustainability.