By Callum Ludwig
Yarra Ranges councillors have unanimously agreed with the recommendations for the 2024 Grants for Community program at the Tuesday 10 October Council meeting.
$500,000 is set to be distributed between local community groups for arts and heritage projects, community development and festivals and events.
Walling Ward Councillor Len Cox OAM spoke to the motion and said he thinks it’s one of the better things the Council does every year.
“We’ve put aside half a million dollars to give to various groups and individuals to do something in and for the community that Council may not do it all otherwise, and if they did, may not do it as well,” he said.
“It has been one of the great success stories, each year there’s more and more hardworking groups and individuals putting in for a grant, many of them receiving it and they covers every field of activity in our community.”
17 Arts and Heritage projects will be funded to a total value of $160,133, 35 Community development projects to a total value of $241,920 and 14 Festivals and Events to a total value of $97,805.
Ryrie Ward Councillor Fiona McAllister said in the build-up to next year’s budget, she will be pushing for Council to increase their spend on the program.
“We get a huge return on investment and even if we can only increase it by another $50,000, it does see another five or six incredible groups bring something amazing to life,” she said.
“It is a lovely patchwork of diversity of community occurrences and groups; street fairs, film festivals, history capture projects, installations and to groups as varied as primary schools, tennis clubs, skateboard associations, art entities and service clubs.”
21 projects have been funded in the Hills, 13 in the Upper Yarra, 11 in the Valley, 14 in the Urban areas and 10 are seen to have benefits for the whole region.
Lyster Ward Councillor Johanna Skelton said as a community, you don’t necessarily think about what enables community events to happen.
“You just see wonderful groups doing wonderful things and lots going on, and you see a vibrant community or you go along to a festival and have a wonderful day,” she said.
“Obviously the Council funding might be part of what enables that work to happen, but it’s largely a lot of volunteer hours or it might also be fundraising on top of that.”
Streeton Ward Councillor Andrew Fullagar removed himself from the chamber prior to the discussion of the item due to a conflict of interest.
Ms Skelton said a lot goes into making all of these things happen, but the Council is often the lynchpin or the seed that allows the other possibilities to take place.
“Half of me says ‘What can Council do to really amplify the good work we do and the warm fuzzy feeling, but part of it is just how awesome that group after group able to do these wonderful things, and that’s enough,” she said.
“No reservations at all obviously about this one before us tonight, and as always, I cannot wait to see all the events and the programs and things happen.”
The motion was carried unanimously.
