Insights Partner Update: 4 April 2025
Our team is constantly connecting with remote, rural and regional communities through our grant programs, partnerships and advocacy, giving us a unique position from which to amplify community voices and drive meaningful change. Here’s what we’ve been hearing lately about some of the key issues facing communities:
Energy transitions
Federal Government support for community energy projects is increasing, with ARENA playing a critical role. However, access to capital and insurance remains a significant barrier. We are highlighting these challenges and opportunities to policymakers and seeking strategic partnerships to ensure that community-led initiatives can thrive. This is a complex area and often divisive. We see our role as ensuring that communities have the skills and capacity to ensure that they can play an active role in the discussions and ensure the whole community benefits.
Supporting outback and remote communities
We are witnessing a surge in small grant applications for arts and cultural programs in very remote areas, aimed at reducing isolation and strengthening social connections. At the same time, access to adequate health services remains a pressing concern, alongside the need to address gaps in mental health care. The ongoing shortage of timely GP and medical services in NSW is another significant issue, prompting frequent funding requests for first aid training in remote areas.
To deepen our understanding and inform our response, we are fostering relationships with organisations like the SA Arid Lands Landscape Board. The upcoming establishment of our Outback Advisory Board will provide further insight into the specific needs of outback and remote communities.
Disaster resilience and recovery
The second quarter of FY25 saw 14 disasters declared across NSW, Victoria and Queensland—down from 38 in the same period last year. Despite this decrease, the need for well-coordinated long-term preparedness and recovery remains. Partnering well—particularly with local government—is essential to ensuring a coordinated response to disasters.
Meanwhile, in regions like South Australia, Western Victoria and parts of NSW, drought is having an adverse effect, as reflected in applications seeking support for schools, mental health services, and social cohesion initiatives.
Through our participation in national roundtables, research collaborations and our response to the Colvin Report, we are advocating for greater support for small, locally based not-for-profits in remote areas that are disproportionately affected by disasters. Additionally, we are seeing a shift in natural resource management and land care groups towards people-centred, community-led approaches with the aim of increasing social participation.
Engaging the next generation of volunteers
A generational shift in volunteering is underway and we are seeing more organisations seeking funding to strengthen their long-term sustainability by investing in volunteer capability and succession planning.
Our Backing the Future outreach has confirmed that young people are committed to contributing to their communities but want to do so in a way that brings skills, connection and meaningful experiences. We are currently working with one of our long-term partners to do more work in this space, which will begin by listening to young people and those organisations that are engaging them well, so we can share best practice and support a shift in how volunteering is structured to better engage the next generation.
Strengthening First Nations-led initiatives
We are seeing a growing number of remote Indigenous media organisations seeking funding to improve community communications, particularly for disaster preparedness and recovery. In the Northern Territory, First Nations-led organisations comprise an increasing proportion of applicants, making up half of applications in SRC Round 22 and two-thirds in Round 23.
To ensure our work is informed by lived experience and cultural knowledge, we have engaged a First Nations consultant as part of our CLCS Round 2 Project Assessment Committee, providing invaluable insights into the challenges and opportunities facing First Nations communities.
There is much more that we could share, so if you’d like to know more about any of these comments, or are interested in a particular geography or issue, please get in touch via info@frrr.org.au.
