Media releases: 4 July 2022
Final round of Black Saturday funding for community-led initiatives
The final round of the Grants for Resilience & Wellness (GR&W) Kinglake Ranges program opens Tuesday 5 July, with FRRR inviting applications from local not-for-profit groups. The program is designed to assist communities to rebuild, reconnect and recover from the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires.
Thanks to the Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund, funding is available to not-for-profit groups in Kinglake, Kinglake Central, Kinglake West, Pheasant Creek, Toolangi and Flowerdale. In total, there is approximately $570,000 available, with no minimum or maximum amount per grant. However, applications for more than $30,000 should be discussed with FRRR before being lodged.
Applications must be for new projects that directly assist those individuals and communities that were affected by the 2009 fires and must identify a specific hardship or distress caused by the bushfires, which the activity intends to relieve.
Nina O’Brien, FRRR’s Disaster Resilience and Recovery Lead, encouraged local communities in the Kinglake Ranges to apply now to fund their community-strengthening and resilience-building projects.
“We know that the fires had an immense impact across the Kinglake Ranges, and despite it now being more than 13 years ago, recovering communities still need support to reconnect, share experiences, enhance wellbeing and resilience and build capacity for the future.
“The community consultations during May and June were a great opportunity to hear directly from communities about how these grants can best support Kinglake’s ongoing recovery and we look forward to reading about the projects the community has prioritised,” Ms O’Brien said.
FRRR staff in Kinglake Ranges to chat about applications
FRRR team members Karly Smith-Whelan and Brooke Williams will be in the Kinglake Ranges area on Tuesday 5th (Kinglake) and Wednesday 6th July (Toolangi and Flowerdale) to chat to community groups about their project ideas. To book an appointment, email recovery@frrr.org.au or call 1800 170 020.
As a reminder, the GR&W Kinglake program has a focus on supporting projects that benefit the wider community, and applications should demonstrate community support and the involvement of a range of community groups or representatives.
Applications close Wednesday 16 August 2022, at 5pm AEST, with successful applicants announced in December 2022. For more information and the guidelines, visit https://frrr.org.au/grants-for-resilience-wellness-kinglake/ .
To date, through GR&W Kinglake, FRRR has awarded over $1.1M for 35 projects to local groups in the Kinglake Ranges. Any community impacted by 2009 bushfires and not located in Kinglake Ranges region can apply for support through FRRR’s Strengthening Rural Communities program.
