More than $315,000 awarded to boost resilience and preparedness in disaster-impacted communities
FRRR and its partner Suncorp Insurance are providing $316,822 in grants to support disaster-affected communities as they continue to recover and consider future preparedness and prevention solutions.
The funding, which is through the Rebuilding Futures grant program, seeks to support communities affected by disaster events between 2019 and 2024 to strengthen their resilience to significant disasters by undertaking a wide range of medium to long-term community-led projects for community benefit.
The program encourages communities to build back better to reduce the impact of future disasters on community wellbeing and physical infrastructure.
This is the first round to offer two streams of funding. The first stream will see more than $227,000 shared between 14 projects that focus predominantly on building knowledge and skills or investing in critical equipment and infrastructure.
Some of the projects funded through Stream 1 across remote, rural and regional NSW, VIC, SA and WA include:
- A one-day event, with a series of practical training such as using a UHF, sandbagging, chainsaw safety, and information about flood-resilient home retrofitting, solar energy and regenerative design, which will build confidence of the community and create a culture of flood preparedness in Main Arm, NSW.
- Empowering the community of Brukunga, SA with practical fire resilience solutions, create a safe and welcoming public space, and enhance the town’s connection to its fire-prone landscape, while promoting recovery and preparedness.
- A series of disaster preparedness workshops, emergency planning and development of resources for local sports clubs in VIC’s Goulburn Valley to build knowledge, increase awareness of local risks and share critical information to be better prepared for disaster events.
- A mural celebrating local first responders in Pingelly, WA, which will encourage and engage new volunteers
Nina O’Brien, FRRR’s Disaster Resilience and Recovery Lead, said these projects are strong examples of the different ways that community groups are building their preparedness for disasters and highlight the ongoing need to support recovering communities.
“The thing that really jumps out for me is how these projects reflect each community’s unique context and their future thinking on responding to challenges with support that connects and equips their communities with skills, knowledge and resources. That’s why this kind of flexible funding is so important, as it means community groups can tackle issues identified and prioritised on a local level. We are grateful to Suncorp for recognising the importance of providing this type of funding, as needs emerge and evolve over time,” Ms O’Brien said.
Lisa Harrison, Suncorp Chief Executive Consumer Insurance, said Suncorp was proud to once again join FRRR to help support community-led resilience.
“As we’ve seen over the past few years, these grants make a real difference to the lives and livelihoods of communities impacted by disaster,” Ms Harrison said.
“The diverse range of projects funded reinforces the need for this program and underscores its broad effectiveness.
“Grassroots organisations do such important work to build resilience and disaster preparedness in their communities. We’re proud to support them to recover faster and be better prepared for future extreme weather events, ensuring funding reaches the groups and services that really need it.”
A further three projects will receive both funding and expert resilient building advice through a second stream of the program. This is intended to help community organisations to upgrade small-scale, community-owned infrastructure to better withstand the impacts of future disasters through the provision of improved skills, knowledge and connection to expertise. These projects will share funding of nearly $150,000.
The Ellendale Community Hall in Tasmania will receive $49,000 through Stream 2 funding to enhance its infrastructure, so it can better support the community during emergencies such as bushfires, storms and floods. This will see upgrades to internet access, laundry and bathroom facilities, bedding, weatherproofing and insulation, and purchase of a freezer.
Ms O’Brien said this approach is designed to encourage communities to build with resilience in mind, using the latest advice, technology and materials.
“Facilities like the Ellendale Hall are critical community infrastructure and they need to be fit-for-purpose, sustainable and resilient.
“We’re excited to provide grants to enable these improvements, and we hope to share learnings for other communities across remote, rural, and regional Australia,” Ms O’Brien said.
The full list of grant recipients and their projects are below.
| Organisation | Project | Location | Grant | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STREAM 1 (Grants up to $20,000) | ||||||
| NEW SOUTH WALES | ||||||
| Broulee Surfers Surf Life Saving Club Inc | Urgent Refurbishment of Fire Pump Restore the fire safety system at the Broulee Life Saving Club to improve safety and disaster readiness of a community hub accessed during emergencies. | Broulee | $5,580 | |||
| Burringbar District Sports Club Ltd | Kitchen Improvements Upgrade the kitchen and install new equipment at this key community hub and evacuation centre to better support community during emergencies and everyday use. | Burringbar | $20,000 | |||
| Main Arm Disaster Recovery Inc | Flood Smart: Practical Skills for Rising Waters Support community activities that build emergency preparation skills and connections, helping people better prepare for and recover from disasters. | Main Arm | $9,400 | |||
| Mullumbimby Sustainability Education and Enterprise Development Inc | Northern Rivers Communities of Care: Changemaker Support Network Build a community-of-care network to support those working towards disaster resilience in their communities and facing mental health challenges. | Mullumbimby | $15,000 | |||
| Nambucca Valley Council | Expanding Knowledge - Know Your Risks - Fire & Flood Create and install fire and flood emergency signs with clear evacuation information for residents and visitors to use in the event of an emergency. | Taylors Arm | $19,510 | |||
| Ngaarr Thawun Rural Ag And Environmental Sustainability Corporation | Restoring Resilience: Winter Dung Beetles for Flood Recovery Boost the land's disaster resilience by introducing a year-round dung beetle population to improve soil water infiltration and reduce future flood damage. | Wee Waa | $10,000 | |||
| Regional Counselling Ltd | Stronger Together: Gatekeeper Support & Coordination for Disaster Recovery Employ a co-ordinator to sustain engagement in disaster recovery and preparedness efforts, deliver crisis response training, and strengthen local networks. | Mudgee | $20,000 | |||
| Walbundrie Building Committee Inc | Smart Irrigation System Installation at Walbundrie Recreation Ground Implement a 'smart' irrigation system to create a safer, better-prepared environment for the community and their rural fire service. | Walbundrie | $7,859 | |||
| SOUTH AUSTRALIA | ||||||
| Blinman Sports Club Inc | Construction of Country Fire Service (CFS) Brigade Facilities to Improve Disaster Preparedness and Resilience in the Blinman Community Support the construction of a multi-purpose facility that houses both a community club and the local fire service, enhancing community disaster preparedness. | Blinman | $19,856 | |||
| Brukunga Community Association Inc | Brukunga Fire-Resilient Garden for Community Safety and Wellbeing Establish a fire-resilient demonstration garden to serve as a community learning hub for disaster preparedness and rehabilitate fire-affected land. | Brukunga | $20,000 | |||
| Edithburgh Sporting & Community Club Inc | Rain Water Storage Enable on-site water storage by purchasing a large water tank to support green space maintenance and provide an emergency source of water. | Edithburgh | $20,000 | |||
| VICTORIA | ||||||
| Goulburn Valley Sports Assembly Inc | Building Future Resilience and Preventative Planning for Sporting Clubs Conduct disaster preparedness workshops in collaboration with relevant groups to educate volunteers on disaster risk, and emergency management procedures. | Shepparton | $20,000 | |||
| Tomorrow Today A Foundation for Rural Community Development | Restore Our Roofing Prevent water drainage issues by installing an improved guttering system on a community facility used for workshops that support family education and wellbeing. | Benalla | $20,000 | |||
| WESTERN AUSTRALIA | ||||||
| Shire of Pingelly | Pingelly's Emergency Services Heroes - Giants Among Us Promote the emergency volunteer service by creating a mural in a prominent community space to honour and celebrate the vital role of these volunteers. | Pingelly | $20,000 | |||
| STREAM 2 (Grants up to $50,000) | ||||||
| NEW SOUTH WALES | ||||||
| Pappinbarra Progress Association | Readying Our Hall to Withstand Ember Attack Prepare a community hall to withstand ember attacks, ensuring the community has access to a well-protected facility that offers safety during fire events. | Pappinbarra | $23,639 | |||
| SOUTH AUSTRALIA | ||||||
| Southern Yorke Peninsula Community Hub Inc | Sparks on the YP Support local disaster planning through preparedness workshops and a community asset audit, with information made available in an accessible offline format. | Yorketown | $16,978 | |||
| TASMANIA | ||||||
| Ellendale Hall Committee Inc | Rebuilding Ellendale Enhance disaster preparedness by upgrading a Hall's facilities to ensure a safe, functional, and well-equipped space for residents during disasters. | Ellendale | $49,000 | |||