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ANZ Seeds of Renewal grants give boost to rural, regional and remote Australia

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Media releases: 28 November 2019

Bendigo, 3 December 2019: The Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR) has today announced the 21 community groups that will share in $250,000 in grants through the ANZ Seeds of Renewal Program.

ANZ has contributed $250,000 in funds and in addition, its technology partner Lenovo has contributed more than $16,000 in IT equipment to four community groups. These grants will go towards building vibrant and sustainable rural communities and ensure regional Australia’s ongoing prosperity.

Now in its 17th round, the ANZ Seeds of Renewal program will this year focus on helping communities in rural, regional and remote Australia address environmental sustainability, financial wellbeing and housing initiatives.

These three issues clearly resonated with small communities, with most applications coming from places with fewer than 3,000 residents.

FRRR CEO, Natalie Egleton said that this program allows local leaders to apply for funding to support priorities they identify as important to their community.

“People living in rural and regional areas often wear multiple hats for their community. This round, we saw several groups looking for ways to build on their existing skills and knowledge to help them tackle key issues in their community – and several grants will do just that.

“Projects acting on environmental challenges and opportunities proved popular, with around a third of applications seeking support to create a greener, more sustainable future for their communities.

“There is a significant focus on the health of our planet at the moment, and so it’s not surprising that at a local level, communities are looking to do what they can to improve the health of the environment around them,” said Ms Egleton.

ANZ General Manager Business Banking Jenefer Stewart said that she was impressed by the ingenuity shown across the community groups.

“The creativity of the projects illustrates a genuine passion by local community groups to build and strengthen communities in rural, regional and remote Australia. Fundraising in smaller communities can be a hard task, so we’re pleased to be able to provide vital support that will help these local communities thrive,” Ms Stewart said.

Some of the locally-led projects funded this round include:

  • The Wheen Bee Foundation Limited – Bee Sanctuary – Saving Australia’s largest and iconic Green Carpenter bee on Kangaroo Island, SA – $15,000: Provide artificial nesting materials for the Green Carpenter bees on Kangaroo Island after their habitat was destroyed by fires in 2017. This is part of an interim conservation strategy to support threatened bee populations until the local native Banksia flora recovers to pre-bush fire levels.
  • The Shift Project Byron Inc – The Linen SHIFT, NSW $14,265: A laundry service that will provide training, employment and support to women experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Funds requested will purchase an ironing roller to contribute to laundry operations.
  • Cocos (Keeling Islands) Shire Council – 58 Plants, WA $15,000: Re-establish a community garden space and refurbish an ageing nursery to propagate 200 native tree seedlings via cuttings or seeds. Established trees around the two islands will be labelled to assist with identification and community education of the native species. A series of educational sessions will be conducted with local school children engaging them in the propagation process.
  • Northern Gulf Resource Management Group Ltd – Bush Business: Resilience, Growth and Connection, QLD $15,000: Free business workshops for 45 participants across three locations to build economic renewal and improve skills and capacity for local community members recently affected by drought and then flood.
  • Murray Human Services Inc – Design for Access and Mobility, VIC $13,200: Upgrade the ramp at Burke House, a residential service offering 24/7 care to up to six residents. The new ramp will be compliant with regulations, ensuring the facility meets contemporary standards, and is accessible to those with wheelchairs or other mobility issues.

The full list of grant recipients is below.

Applicant

Project Title & Description

Location

Awarded

NSW

North Coast Community College Inc

Indigenous Land Management Employment Pathway
Strengthen economic participation and employment related activities for Aboriginal communities through the establishment of a training program to be run as a social enterprise.

Alstonville

$15,000

OZ Green-Global Rivers Environmental Education Network (Australia) Inc

Bellingen Riverwatch – A Pioneering Citizen Science Program and A Catalyst for Change
Develop environmental awareness and increase volunteer engagement by running an awareness raising campaign.

Bellingen

$14,909

Sustaining the Williams Valley (SWV) Inc

REPAWA (Renewable Energy Paterson Allyn Williams Area)
Reduce the environmental footprint and increase the creative capacity of the district by establishing a Community Owned Renewable Energy Cooperative.

Dungog

$15,000

Tabourie Lake Ratepayers and Residents Association Inc

Tabourie Lake Waterwatch
Improve organisational capacity to deliver community-based environmental programs through the purchase of a water testing kit.

Lake Tabourie

$4,980

The Shift Project Byron Inc

The Linen SHIFT
Improve health and financial well-being of women, whilst providing employment opportunities, through the purchase of equipment to establish a new social enterprise.

Byron Bay

$14,265

Forbes Youth Action Team
Forbes Shire Council

Connecting the Youth of Forbes
Build organisational capacity to deliver computer-based vocational training and services through the purchase of IT equipment, improving young people’s ability to access online services and opportunities.

Forbes

$4,182

NT

Ti Tree CRC Church Incorporated.

Ti Tree Accommodation Project
Increase availability of appropriate housing and reduce overcrowding in the remote Ti Tree community in Northern Territory through installation of a septic system in a new housing development.

Ti Tree

$15,000

QLD

Central Burnett Landcare

Regenerating the Central Burnett
Improve sustainable farming practices while protecting the natural environment, through the delivery of workshops on regenerative agriculture.

Mundubbera

$15,000

Goondiwindi Aboriginal Corporation

Skilling Her…
Improve education, social and economic outcomes for Aboriginal women, their families and the wider community through the delivery of an Employment Support program.

Goondiwindi

$10,975

Northern Gulf Resource Management Group Ltd

Bush Business: Resilience, Growth and Connection
Strengthen economic participation and community resilience through a small business program for drought affected communities.

Georgetown

$15,000

Waggamba Landcare Group Inc

Skilling Her Enterprise
Build the capacity of rural Women by engaging in business training and employment related activities through a series of skill development workshops.

Goondiwindi

$10,365

SA

Jamestown Apex Club

Jamestown Community Irrigation
Strengthen environmental sustainability and community financial well-being through the development of a local irrigation system and the growing of crops, which will be sold to support local health and education initiatives.

Jamestown

$9,250

Workshop26
Kimba Community Development Group Inc

Workshop26 – Supporting the volunteers to more effectively manage and operate Kimba’s Creative Quarter
Improve levels of financial participation and well-being in the local economy by establishing a shared retail / workshop / office space for local micro-businesses.

Kimba

$14,146

The Wheen Bee Foundation Limited

Bee Sanctuary – Saving Australia’s largest and iconic Green Carpenter bee on Kangaroo Island
Support local biodiversity and environmental sustainability through the provision of artificial nesting materials for Kangaroo Island’s Green Carpenter bees and raising community awareness of the importance of bees in the environment.

Flinders Chase, Kangaroo Island

$15,000

Willunga Environment Centre Inc

Citizen Science Tree Tagging Project
Improve local environmental outcomes by building a network of knowledgeable, engaged and skilled community volunteers.

Kangarilla

$7,895

Uni Hub Spencer Gulf Incorporated

IT for Pt Augusta Uni Hub
Deliver new educational opportunities to people living in the Spencer Gulf region, through the provision of IT equipment at the study hub to be established in Port Augusta in 2020.

Port Augusta

$4,182

VIC

Bass Coast Landcare Network Inc

Building a sustainable Bass Coast through environmental activity days at the River Garden
Improve the quality and sustainability of the local environment through the delivery of a series of educational days for community members.

Bass

$14,820

Committee for Drouin

Renewal of Trees of Nations
Increase environmental awareness and sustainability through the delivery of community-led works aimed at restoring and developing a local park.

Drouin

$12,000

Murray Human Services Inc

Design for Access and Mobility
Improve availability of accessible housing in Echuca through the upgrade of an access ramp at a local residential care facility.

Echuca

$13,200

Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment Management Authority

On-ground Action for a Greener Brighter Future – Grow West Community Planting Day
Promote environmental health and sustainability by actively engaging community members in environment-based activities.

Ballan

$8,000

WA

Cocos (Keeling) Islands Shire Council

58 Plants
Improve the natural environment and amenity of the Cocos Islands through a replanting and educational program of activities involving the local community.

Cocos Keeling Islands – Home Island

$15,000

The Liebe Group Inc

Encouraging Leadership and Learning for Regional Women
Increase capacity and knowledge of agribusiness and sustainable farming practices among regional women in the wheatbelt of WA through workshops at annual Field Day event.

Dalwallinu

$4,200

Youth Involvement Council Inc

Housing for life
Support positive outcomes for young people at risk of homelessness in the Port Hedland region of WA through purchase of household items for a youth crisis accommodation facility.

Port and South Hedland

$5,995

Avon Youth Community and Family Services

The Connecting the Dots Lifestyle Program
Reduce barriers to homelessness and build information technology skills among youth in the Wheatbelt of Western Australia through the provision of three laptops.

Avon

$4,182

Country Music Club of Boyup Brook WA Inc

Make IT Happen
Improve the capacity and job readiness skills of volunteers supporting an annual country music festival in south west Western Australia through the three new computers.

Boyup Brook

$4,182