15/04/2005 - Community
organisations across Australia will soon be
able to apply for grants of up to $50,000
to help save water or improve the health of
their local waterways.
Australian Environment Minister Senator Ian
Campbell and Conservation Minister Senator
Ian Macdonald today officially announced 27
demonstration Community Water Grant projects
which will receive over $1 million to help
find practical ways to improve the environment.
To establish the programme, a demonstration
round of projects has commenced. Grants have
provided the projects around Australia to
'demonstrate' that local communities can take
a broad range of practical actions adapted
to local needs.
The Australian Government's Community Water
Grants programme is part of the $2 billion
Australian Government Water Fund. The Grants
provide up to $50,000 for community organisations
to put in place practical on-the-ground solutions
to solve local water problems.
It is open to community organisations such
as schools, local governments, sporting groups
and voluntary organisations.
"In some instances the grants can be
combined to provide grants of a larger scale
to community based Non-Government Organisations.
" Senator Campbell said.
"The Community Water Grants demonstration
projects announced today show how communities
can make a big difference by employing simple
but clever solutions.
"For example the Bulimba State School
in Queensland will use the grant to install
a rainwater tank to help irrigate the school's
oval, while the North Sydney Council will
install a rainwater harvesting system to flush
toilets in their community centre" he
said.
Senator Macdonald said when the open call
for applications is fully launched in June
this year, community groups in rural, regional
and metropolitan Australia will be able to
throw their hat in the ring for funding.
"I encourage any community organisation
with a good idea regarding water or our waterways
to start thinking about how they can access
this funding," Senator Macdonald said.
"Local people have the best knowledge
to solve local problems and this programme
will help provide the resources to get the
job done."
For more information on the demonstration
round go to the Australian Government's Community
Water Grants page on the NRM web site.
