By Mikayla van Loon
Yarra Ranges Council’s partnership grants have been given to a number of Yarra Ranges organisations help support programs and outreach over four years.
Having received 27 applications for the Connected and Healthy Communities grants, as well as 25 for the Creative Communities grants for the 2023-2027 period, it saw 22 and 18 respectively approved for consecutive yearly payments of varying amounts.
An independent panel made the recommendations, tallying $558,000 for year one and a total of $2.2 million over the four years, an annual increase of $59,500 to better address the needs of the organisations.
“This year we’ve done something that in my memory on council we probably haven’t done before, that the panel had recommended some groups got less than they perhaps needed,” Councillor Fiona McAllister said.
“We’ve increased the funding pool by an additional $60,000 to make sure those groups who need it most are supported.”
Cr McAllister said having looked through the applications, it became clear the grants would be supporting a diverse cross-section of community groups and not-for-profits.
“I feel our partnership grants and the work we do with so many organisations across the municipality has never been more critical than it is now,” she said.
“We’re talking substantial amounts of money. We’re talking of commitments of over half a million dollars each year to support an incredible range of groups who deliver such incredible benefits for everyone in our community.”
Across the two streams, grants recipients included Eastern Community Legal Centre, Yarra Valley ECOSS, Mooroolbark Umbrella Group, CIS Yarra Ranges, Outer East Foodshare, Anchor, Holy Fools, Mount Evelyn Township Group, 3MDR, Caladenia Dementia Care, Yarra Valley Singers, The MISFIT Project and Celebrate Mooroolbark.
“Not only is it supporting creative activities, but supporting relief services, legal support, support for the homeless, social connection, township groups, incubation of small businesses, environmental groups, and the list goes on and on,” Cr McAllister said.
“Every corner of our municipality in every walk of life is represented in these incredible groups that really punch above their weight.
“Small amounts of money that we can give, and they’re not tiny but they are small in the scheme of things, delivers such incredible benefit and some respite to the number of volunteers that really bring these groups to life.”
Councillor Andrew Fullagar said this was probably the council’s “premier grant scheme” helping to keep some of the larger partners funded to ensure essential work and events can be carried out.
“$560,000 per annum sounds like a lot of money but when you divide that over 40 partners, it’s an average of $14,000 per year,” he said.
“It is a substantial amount of money but when you consider the leverage that we gain, the enormous goodwill and energy, the volunteer commitment providing services and running events the council would never put on otherwise year after year, it’s an absolute bargain.”
Knowing the applicants who were unsuccessful in this round of funding would be disappointed, Cr Fullagar wanted to acknowledge their submissions.
“We are sorry but it doesn’t diminish our respect and admiration for the work that you’ll continue to do,” he said.
The motion to approve the grant funding, the annual increase and a one off supplementary $20,000 grant to the Dandenong Ranges Music Council was approved unanimously on Tuesday 28 March.
“This is an incredible way to be spending $2 million of our budget over the next four years,” Cr McAllister said.
