Black Summer Bushfire Recovery Media releases: 12 August 2020
$970,136 in grants awarded
12 August 2020: The Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR), in partnership with the Pratt Foundation, has granted a further $241,386 to support 13 community-led projects in the Snowy Valleys region.
The Visy Tumut Region Recovery Fund was established in February 2020 to support community-led projects designed to address a diverse range of bushfire recovery needs and community priorities in the Snowy Valleys. A total of $970,136 in funding has been granted to 36 projects over the last seven months, and the program is now closed.
Anthony Pratt, Executive Chairman of Visy, said the organisation has been so pleased to have been able to support the Snowy Valleys region.
“It is wonderful to have seen how these grants have been put into action by community groups to make a real difference to the region’s recovery,” said Mr Pratt.
Natalie Egleton, CEO of FRRR, said that there have been many great projects funded through the Visy Tumut Region Recovery Fund.
“Thanks to the early response and support of the Pratt Foundation, many recovery projects in the Snowy Valleys region have already been able to get underway, such as the RegenerART project. With funds received in a previous grant round, the Tumut Art Society is running workshops in Talbingo, Adelong, Batlow and Tumbarumba to ensure that there are local opportunities to come together and enjoy learning diverse art practices.
“I’m just as confident that the local organisations that have been awarded grants for projects this final round will play a critical role in the ongoing recovery of these communities. Projects like Eastern Riverina Arts’ Woodlands Film Festival and the Sounds of Summer Camerata String Orchestra Snowy Valleys Council Tour will help to build community spirit and strengthen social connections.
“Other local organisations have been awarded grants for projects that support the recovery of their community by updating, rebuilding or developing community infrastructure, including the Ournie Fire Brigade’s shed, the Adelong Men’s Shed entrance and the Batlow Sound Shell, memorialising the Batlow Cannery lost in the Dunn’s Rd Fire. These are all great examples of local community groups playing a vital role in disaster recovery because they are on the ground and best placed to know what is needed,” said Ms Egleton.
The grant recipients are below:
| Organisation | Project Summary | Grant | Location |
| Adelong Men’s Shed Inc | Concrete Driveway Build organisational capacity of Adelong Men’s Shed with the construction of a concrete driveway to improve member access. | Adelong | $19,223 |
| Adelong Swimming Club Inc | Adelong Community Aquatic Centre Shade and Solar Improve community infrastructure and capacity, upgrading the Adelong Community Pool with adequate shading and a structure to support solar heating for increased winter patronage. | Adelong | $35,000 |
| Adelong Tennis Club Inc | Adelong Tennis Clubhouse Roof Replacement Improving community infrastructure by replacing the Adelong Tennis Clubhouse roof to support community group meetings. | Adelong | $10,000 |
| Batlow Apple Tree Learning Centre Co-operative Ltd | Outdoor Play Space Upgrade Build community capacity and resilience, upgrading the outdoor play space at Batlow Apple Tree Learning Centre to support early years learning. | Batlow | $15,000 |
| Batlow Development League | Sounds and History of Batlow Increase community capacity and support economic recovery in Batlow by constructing a sound shell to memorialise the Batlow Cannery and support local events. | Batlow | $30,000 |
| Cycle Tumbarumba Inc | Link to Mason’s Hill Trails Improving community infrastructure for local and tourist use through extending the trail bike link with a safe off-road bike path for children and adults. | Tumbarumba | $10,000 |
| Eastern Riverina Arts | The Woodlands Film Festival Build community spirit through reviving the Woodland Film Festival and presenting local stories at a landmark site for all the community to enjoy. | Pilot Hill Arboretum | $19,390 |
| Montreal Community Theatre Inc | Montreal Community Theatre Shop (Cafe/Bar) Build organisational capacity developing a café shop front at the Montreal Theatre Space to provide a retail and cultural hub for community development. | Tumut | $30,000 |
| Ournie Rural Fire Brigade | Ournie Community Recovery Project Build community resilience and connectedness by improving the Ournie Fire Brigade shed facilities to create a community meeting space and better local RFS facility. | Ournie | $10,000 |
| Snowy Valleys Council | Tooma Hall Transfer Pump and Water Storage Build community resilience by upgrading community infrastructure at the Tooma Hall with water storage for evacuation and everyday community use. | Tooma | $32,000 |
| Talbingo MTB Club Inc | Talbingo Mountain Bike Park Shelters Enhance community facilities through the installation of bike shelters to support local and tourist patronage. | Talbingo | $11,373 |
| Tumbarumba Artists on Parade Co-Operative Limited | Sounds of Summer Camerata String Orchestra Tour Enhance the cultural vibrancy of the Snowy Valleys with performances by classical musicians at local venues in Tumut, Tumbarumba and Khancoban. | Khancoban | $13,400 |
| Upper Murray Community Radio Inc. | Training of Additional Volunteers for Operation of Community Radio -3 RUM (Tumbarumba site) Build community capacity training volunteers as operators at Tumbarumba Community Radio and increasing skills for local content broadcasting. | Tumbarumba | $6,000 |
