Baw Baw Shire Council has welcomed $510,000 from the Victorian Government towards the Noojee Forestry Transition Project.
Council has received three grants from the Community Development Fund which will go towards supporting The Shaping the Future of Noojee project which is part of the broader Forestry Transition Program.
The program supports workers, businesses and the community in transitioning away from native timber harvesting.
The funding grants will go towards the following initiatives:
$410,000 for a two-year project management extension
$80,000 for a feasibility study for the proposed Noojee Multipurpose Community Hub and Education Centre
$20,000 for a free Power Usage and Needs Audit for 100 households in the region
These grants are in addition to the three grants totalling $38,500 that were announced last month by the Victorian Government.
The Shaping the Future of Noojee project comprises five key working groups that feed into the strategic direction of Noojee. These working groups are:
The Eco Tourism Working Group
The Specialised Agricultural Industry Development Working Group
The Multipurpose Community Hub and Education Centre Working Group
The Ethical Hunting and Game Processing Working Group, and
The Power and Connectivity Reliability Working Group
Baw Baw Shire Mayor Cr Annemarie McCabe welcomed the $510,000 from the Victorian Government.
"This latest funding announcement is a major milestone for Council's Shaping the Future of Noojee project, as it will really help to propel the work being undertaken and continue to support the region to transition away from native timber harvesting," she said.
"This additional $510,000 will further support the working groups to investigate long-term economic and social outcomes for the area."
