Council has awarded a total of $165,105 in Community Development Grants to 40 non-profit organisations and associations across Baw Baw Shire to assist with the delivery of a range of community driven projects.
The annual Community Development Grants program invites applications for funding to support projects that achieve positive community outcomes for Shire. Funding is available across three categories:
- Environment
- Equipment
- Minor Capital Works
This round's applications included a diverse range of local projects and initiatives including funding to support the purchasing of sporting club uniforms, renewing playground equipment and installing roadside fencing.
Each recipient will be invited to the annual presentation event in November to celebrate and formally receive their funding certificate.
2022/23 Community Development Grant Recipients:
Environment Category
- Committee for Drouin for Friends of Drouin's Trees
$5,000 to go towards their project titled "'Biodiversity of West Gippsland' booklet"
Equipment Category
- 3BBR FM West Gippsland Community Radio
$2,776 to go towards their project titled "Live music recording program including track digital mixer and recorder, live recording microphones, assorted cable and mic stands"
- Drouin Basketball Club Inc.
$5,000 to go towards their project titled "new playing uniforms - polo shirts, basketball singlets and shorts"
- Drouin Bowling Club Inc.
$2,381.01 to go towards their project titled "Low-Carbon Battery operated mower and gardening equipment which includes Li-ion battery Mower, Trimmer and Blower, Hearing protection, safety glasses and technical gloves"
- Ellinbank & District Football Netball League
$4295.45 to go towards their project for "Equipment Upgrades including a new pa, portable stage and Interleague uniforms (jumpers and shorts)"
- Ellinbank Badminton Club Inc.
$5,000 to go towards their project titled "Sweeper, scrubber to maintain our new sports surface"
- Gladiators Basketball Warragul
$3,960 to go towards their project titled "Match balls and tops"
- Knoxbrooke Inc.
$5,000 to go towards their project titled "Outdoor play equipment - A frame birds nest adult swing"
- Longwarry Cricket Club
$2,349 to go towards their project titled "Power Generator"
- Neerim Neerim South Football Netball Club
$5,000 to go towards their project titled "Portable Digital Netball Scoreboard"
- Neerim South Recreation Reserve Community Assets Committee
$5,000 to go towards their project titled "Mower upgrade"
- Olivias Place
$4,220.07 to go towards their project titled "Three bay warehouse shelving units with shelves"
- Riding for the Disabled Association of Victoria Inc. for the Warragul Branch
$4327.90 to go towards their project titled "Pole padding/ fitted saddles"
- Rotary Club of Drouin
$3,295 to go towards their project titled "Automatic operation defibrillator"
- The Scout Association of Australia, Victoria Branch for 1st Neerim Scouts
$4,160 to go towards their project titled "1st Neerim Scouts Trailer Purchase"
- Thorpdale Football Netball Club
$3,000 to go towards their project titled "Canteen fridge – a 2 door soft drink fridge"
- Thorpdale Mechanics Institute
$399 to go towards their project titled "Vapour Steam Mop"
- Trafalgar Bowls Club Inc.
$3,670 to go towards their project titled "Computer Equipment including 2 x HP Probook Laptop"
- Trafalgar Park Bowls Club
$4,436.34 to go towards their project titled "Grounds Maintenance Equipment including ride on mower gardening equipment including whipper snipper, leaf blower, pruning saw, reciprocating saw, gardening gloves, hedge shears, secateurs, broom, earmuffs, spade and rake"
- Trafalgar Playgroup Inc
$295 to go towards their project titled "Playgroup Equipment including padded floor mats and play kitchen"
- Trafalgar Victory FC
$3,172.80 to go towards their project titled "Defibrillator & soccer training equipment including assorted balls, ball bags, small and large bibs"
- U3A Baw Baw Inc.
$914.93 to go towards their project titled "Digital Piano"
- Warragul & District Netball Association Incorporated
$4,483.55 to go towards their project titled "Netball uniforms and equipment which includes custom dresses, shirts and sports bags, bibs and game netballs"
- Warragul Blues Junior Football Club
$3,312.50 to go towards their project titled "Warragul Blues Junior Football Club Uniforms and includes Plain footy shorts and Short sleeve jumpers"
- Warragul Heritage Preservation Association
$2,615 to go towards their project titled "Community Accessible Defibrillator"
- Warragul Industrials Netball Club
$3,270.20 to go towards the project titled "Fitness Equipment including Resistance bands, lateral step trainer, agility belt / poles / ladders / rings, mini hurdles, foam roller, rubber blade squeegee, carry bags and ball trolley"
- Warragul Playgroup Inc.
$5,000 to go towards their project titled "Indoor / outdoor play equipment including Indoor foam pod play circus play centre, 2 Mini Trampolines, 1 wooden gym frame with hanging toys, 2 prams, wooden and translucent blocks, cube storage cabinet and tubs"
- Warragul Pony Club Inc.
$5,000 to go towards their project titled "Safety riding vests"
- Warragul United Soccer Club
$2,450.80 to go towards their project titled "VEO Camera and Tripod"
- West Gippsland Bush Walkers Inc
$2,762.90 to go towards their project titled "Office Equipment for Club Administration which includes Laptop computer, Laptop carry bag, USB mouse and port expander and Flatbed scanner"
- Willow Rose Foundation for Diabetes
$4,840 to go towards their project titled "Portable BBQ trailer"
- Yarragon Junior Football Club
$1,545 to go towards their project titled "Laptop computer"
Minor Capital Works Category
- Baw Baw Combined Churches Food Relief - Trading as Baw Baw Food Relief
$10,000 to go towards their project titled "Cool-room"
- Hill End Community Incorporated
$8,583 to go towards their project titled "Hill End Community Centre Kitchen Upgrade"
- Hill End Mechanics Institute Hall Committee
$7,750 to go towards their project titled "New roof for the hall"
- Longwarry Recreation Reserve
$4,997.50 to go towards their project titled "Longwarry Recreation Reserve Ground Renewal Project"
- Neerim South Public Hall Reserve Committee of Management
$10,000 to go towards their project titled "Operable Walls for the Hall"
- Thorpdale Recreation Reserve
$2,706.06 to go towards their project titled "New roadside boundary fence"
- Warragul Harness Racing Club Inc.
$2,000 to go towards their project titled "Replace sprinkler system & laser light"
- Warragul Tennis Club
$6,136 to go towards their project titled "Single permanent steel shade structure"
Please follow Council's website and social media pages for announcements on future grant rounds and categories. To learn more about the program, please visit Community Development Grants.
Quote attributable to Mayor Cr Michael Leaney
"We are so pleased to grant over $160,000 to our vital and greatly appreciated community groups spread all across the Shire who deliver so much for our community at so many levels.
This annual program enables so many of our valued groups and volunteers to receive funding to support the purchase of equipment, enable projects or create initiatives that they might not have been able to achieve otherwise".
Quote attributable to Cr Joe Gauci
"The applications we receive as part of this program reflect a range of projects that are very important to our community. Each grant that has been approved has gone through the application process and has been assessed against the current criteria.
I'm looking forward to the annual presentation event and meeting some of our recipients as they are awarded with their grants".
Quote attributable to Cr Tricia Jones
"The Community Grants Program provides our community with potential access to funds that encourages collaboration between volunteer and community group members to identify projects they require.
This program also allows Council to support and build on the relationships with our community and further invest in community assets and resources for our Shire."
