More than $190,000 will be dished out to deserving community groups and local organisations through Port Macquarie-Hastings Council’s allocation of the 2011/12 Community Grants Program.
The allocations were agreed at last week’s Council meeting and see a total of 48 groups and organisations receiving money across the four grant categories of Environmental, Christmas / New Year Grants, Non-Council Owned Rural Halls and the largest category, Community Development Grants.
The largest grant allocations of $10,000 were made to the Port Macquarie Art Society for the upgrade of toilets at the heritage art gallery and Reap Port Macquarie Hastings for equipment for their regional food rescue program.
Council’s Administrator Neil Porter believes the Grant Program is an initiative that has a significant and positive social impact for the community.
“Non-profit community groups and organisations are vital for improving the quality of life and well being of the people of the Hastings. Through this sizeable grant program Council can ensure that general rate funds are distributed directly to these organisations.
“Looking through the list of recommended allocations everything from Landcare, to community Christmas events to youth services and a forum on social media run by Lifeline is represented, which means there would be very few people across the Hastings that won’t be able to participate in an event or activity supported through this Grant Program,” said Mr Porter.
Administration of the Grants Program has undergone best practice assessment in recent years with improvements made to the application process, information pack and management.
“The Community Grants Program is now administered through an online grants management system called ‘Smartygrants’ which has greatly improved the review and acquittals process. With 70 applications received in total it’s pleasing to see that the community groups have embraced this management system,” said Lesley Atkinson, Director Community and Cultural Development.
The grant allocations will be awarded to successful groups and organisations at a specific ceremony scheduled for September 15.
Grants fast facts:
n70 applications were received in total across the four streams of funding
n48 applications have been allocated funding which is an increase on the number of individual groups who received allocations in 2010/11
nThe total amount requested across the four streams was $348,175
n19 applications totalling $108,357 were assessed as ineligible for funding
nThe Grant allocations were spread across the LGA. $91,6161 of the General Grants allocation was for programs that extend throughout the LGA, $29,956 was allocated for Port Macquarie based activities with $20,610 allocated for Wauchope and rural programs.
nThe non Council owned community halls allocations were all for rural facilities including Comboyne, Hollisdale, Kendall and
Kindee.
nEnvironmental levy grants have a focus on bush regeneration works on public land, with maximum allocations up to $5,000.
