Media releases: 19 February 2024
$950,000 dedicated to the long-term sustainability of community organisations
Three Victorian not-for-profit organisations (NFPs), working in places impacted by the 2019-20 bushfires, have been awarded grants in the closing round of FRRR’s Bushfire Recovery Fund. These grants will enable multi-year projects to be undertaken by key community groups, providing sustainable support for the long-term recovery of fire-affected communities.
The Bushfire Recovery Fund was established in 2021, in partnership with the Helen Macpherson Smith Trust and the Sidney Myer Fund, seeking to reduce the stress and burnout of NFPs playing a central role in the recovery of fire-impacted communities in North East Victoria (Alpine and Towong) and East Gippsland (including Far East Gippsland).
The Bushfire Recovery Fund grants awarded in this final round are:
- Yoowinna Wurnalung Indigenous Healing Service Ltd – Lakes Entrance/Bairnsdale/Far East Gippsland –Healing our Heart, Healing Our Mind – Building the capacity of Yoowinna Wurnalung to continue delivering services, programming and partnering that has demonstrated value for the recovery of Indigenous people in East Gippsland impacted by the 2019-20 bushfires. $100,000/2 years
- Cann Valley Bush Nursing Centre Incorporated – Cann River and surrounding communities – Governance, Capacity Building and Sustainability Program – Enhancing the delivery of the bush nursing services in the community through training and strategic development consultancy for the Bush Nursing Manager and Committee of Management. $92,076/2 years
- Sarsfield Community Association – Sarsfield – Sarsfield Volunteer Support Worker – Burn Out Circuit Breaker - Providing staff to enable the execution of both large and small recovery projects that contribute to the development of essential infrastructure, foster community engagement, and deliver positive environmental outcomes. $105,122/2 years
In 2021, Corryong Neighbourhood House (CNH) was awarded a two-year grant of $103,340 to improve organisational efficiency and capacity. To continue to meet the needs of their community, grow youth programs and build on social enterprise development, CNH has been awarded an additional $16,232.
In total, the Bushfire Recovery Fund has supported nine NFPs, with a total of $950,000 awarded via multi-year grants. The funds will go towards projects that address organisational needs, identified by each group, so that they can provide the services or programs that support their communities’ recovery from the Black Summer bushfires.
Nina O’Brien, Disaster Resilience and Recovery Lead, FRRR, said that despite the challenges of COVID restrictions, compounded by impacts of additional natural disasters, local groups have shown true determination to sustain operations in order to support community recovery.
“With the first round of grants awarded in 2021, we have already begun to see how these NFPs are building their resilience and capacity so that they can do what they do best, and help their community to heal, for the long-term.
“Having worked with each organisation over multiple years, FRRR is inspired by their ability to leverage the strengths of local knowledge, experience and care for the community and Country, which are critical for the future of these human and environmental landscapes,” Ms O’Brien said.
Like FRRR, Helen Macpherson Smith Trust and the Sidney Myer Fund are dedicated to ensuring that the impact of these grants is lasting and transformative, aiding the sustainability of the organisations to better support long-term recovery and resilience of the communities in North East Victoria and East Gippsland.
Leonard Vary, CEO, Sidney Myer Fund, said awarding core support grants over longer periods to organisations was vital to strengthening the process of community-led recovery.
“The Bushfire Recovery Fund recognises the criticality of communities having a sense of control over and a direct say in their recovery and rebuilding. The Fund offered grantees both certainty of funding and time to identify their needs, plan strategically and implement effectively.”
Debra Morgan, CEO of Helen Macpherson Smith Trust, said the resilience and tenacity of the supported communities is evident in the projects we are seeing delivered with support of the Bushfire Recovery Fund.
“The grant funding, together with the embedded support and guidance from FRRR, is resulting in positive outcomes for the bushfire affected communities, and we hope will set them on a path to a strong future.”
As at 13 October 2023, FRRR has awarded $14.6 million in grants to support 757 response, recovery and preparedness projects in remote, rural and regional communities affected by the 2019-20 bushfires.
The full list of grant recipients and their projects are below.
| Organisation | Project | Location | Grant | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Round 1, 2021 | ||||||
| Mallacoota Community Health Infrastructure and Resilience Fund Incorporated | Mallacoota Bushfire, Health, Recovery and Resilience Project Boost the organisation's capability to support the community through bushfire recovery by funding additional skilled resourcing for the Mallacoota region. | Mallacoota | $113,230 (2021-2023) | |||
| Corryong Neighbourhood Centre Inc | Building for the Future Boost the organisation's capacity to support the community through recovery from natural disaster by providing additional staffing resources at the Corryong Neighbourhood Centre. | Corryong | $103,340 (2021-2024) | |||
| Alpine Valleys Community Leadership Program | Building Recovery Capacity Through Community Leadership Development in NE VIC Boost skills and knowledge of local community leaders in activities to support recovery from natural disasters. | Corryong | $90,000 (2021-2024) | |||
| Mount Beauty Neighbourhood Centre Inc | Building a Prepared and Resilient Community Bolster the organisations ability to support the community through Bushfire recovery by providing additional staff to assist in the development of community centric recovery activities and events. | Mount Beauty | $100,000 (2021-2024) | |||
| Round 2, 2022 | ||||||
| Jaithmathang Traditional Ancestral Bloodline Original Owners First Nation Aboriginal Corporation | Beginning the Journey to Cultural Healing on Jaithmathang Country Building capacity of Jaithmathang Traditional Aboriginal Bloodline Owners Organisation (TABOO) to practice cultural healing, fire preparedness and care of country in Falls Creek. | Falls Creek | $120,000 (2022-2025) | |||
| Round 3, 2022 | ||||||
| Swifts Creek Bush Nursing Centre Inc | Sustainable Remote Community Health Services Build the capacity of Swifts Creek Bush Nursing Centre to implement a roadmap to secure future sustainability of health care delivery and support of local community needs. | Swifts Creek | $110,000 (2022-2024) | |||
| Round 4, 2023 | ||||||
| Yoowinna Wurnalung Aboriginal Healing Service Limited | Healing Our Heart, Healing Our Mind Build the capacity of Yoowinna Wurnalung to continue delivering services, programming and partnering that has demonstrated value for the recovery of indigenous people in East Gippsland impacted by the 2019/20 bushfires. | Bairnsdale | $100,000 (2023-2025) | |||
| Round 5, 2023 | ||||||
| Cann Valley Bush Nursing Centre Incorporated | Governance, Capacity Building and Sustainability Program Build the capacity of the Bush Nursing practice’s staff and committee of management with governance training and the consultant support to develop a sustainable strategic plan to benefit the Cann River community. | Cann River | $92,076 (2023-2025) | |||
| Sarsfield Community Association Inc | Sarsfield Volunteer Support Worker – Burn Out Circuit Breaker Build community capacity by employing a project officer to support the volunteer-run Sarsfield Community Association in community development and recovery activities. | Sarsfield | $105,122 (2023-2025) | |||
| Corryong Neighbourhood Centre Inc | Building for the Future - Year 3 A supplementary grant to continue funding staff resources at the Corryong Neighbourhood Centre to boost organisational capacity for supporting long term community recovery. | Corryong | $16,232 (2023-2024) | |||
