$400,000 available for resilience and preparedness in disaster impacted communities

FRRR and insurer Suncorp, today launched the latest round of grants aimed at supporting community groups in remote, rural and regional Australia to build back better after extreme weather events.

Community groups and not-for-profit organisations (NFPs) in regions affected by declared disasters or extreme weather events between 2019 and 2024 are invited to apply for funding to reduce the impact of disasters and prepare for future weather events.

As extreme weather events increase in frequency and severity, the Rebuilding Futures program has strengthened its focus on supporting communities to be prepared and resilient.

This latest round of funding will provide grants across two funding streams for projects that can mitigate risks by adapting physical infrastructure, enhancing social connectedness or building the capacity of NFPs.

The two funding streams include:

A small number of grants are available for local community places, such as community halls or meeting places, that play a critical role in disaster response and recovery. These grants will be focused on strengthening the ability of the wider community to be resilient to future declared disasters and extreme weather events.

Nina O’Brien, FRRR’s Disaster Resilience and Recovery Lead, said the Foundation knows that many small, grassroots community groups struggle to access funding and expertise for projects that they know will help their community to prepare or recover, beyond the bricks and mortar.

“People often only see the physical damage from disaster events but it’s important to take a holistic approach to supporting community recovery through a balanced focus on strengthening  both built  and social infrastructure, which is critical to longer-term community wellbeing.

“These events take a huge emotional toll on the community. It can really knock people about. Resilient, functional and well-resourced community meeting places are a critical component of the complex community recovery process, and we are incredibly pleased to be working alongside Suncorp to help local community organisations be better prepared for the future.” Ms O’Brien said.

Suncorp Chief Executive Consumer Insurance, Lisa Harrison, said helping communities to build back better after disasters was crucial.

“We are proud to partner with FRRR to provide increased support to communities affected by disasters to recover faster and be better prepared for future extreme weather events,” Ms Harrison said.

“This funding is aimed at rebuilding essential community infrastructure, such as local meeting places, which are vital for fostering connection and growth within communities.

“This critical community infrastructure needs to be built to last, and it’s exciting to see significant advancements in technology and materials for mitigation infrastructure, which will greatly enhance our communities’ resilience to extreme weather.

“We look forward to reviewing the applications submitted during the second stream of the ‘expressions of interest’ process, aimed at building back better.”

Applications are now open for the Rebuilding Futures program. Expressions of interest (EOIs) for the Stream 2 grants (up to $50,000) must be lodged by 25 February 2025. Full applications for both streams close 5pm AEDT, 3 April 2025. Funding will be awarded in June 2025.

GRANTSEEKER WEBINAR DETAILS

FRRR’s ‘Rebuilding Futures’ Grantseeker Webinar – Tuesday 11 February 12.30pm -1.30pm AEDT. Click here to register.

Learn more about eligibility criteria and what’s required in the application on the Rebuilding Futures program page.

The townships of Loxton and Waikerie are the main service centres in the Riverland of South Australia, around 200 kms north‐east of Adelaide. In 2021, the Riverland was drought declared, with population, economic and environmental challenges evident.

Little Town Productions saw an opportunity to leverage the annual Loxton Lights Up Festival to bring new people to town to boost the local economy, as well as connect and engage locals, while also building skills, especially among the young people in the region, and having some fun.

The District Council of Loxton and Waikerie received a $55,859 Tackling Tough Times Together (TTTT) grant on behalf of Little Town Productions, enabling them to bring their ideas to fruition.

Coinciding with the 30^th anniversary of the Lights Up Festival, Little Town Productions created and coordinated a spectacular and innovative illuminated production featuring a unique animated projection mapped to the façade of the historic St Peter’s church. The first of its kind in Loxton and the Riverland region, SHINE ran for eight days in the lead up to Christmas and drew thousands of visitors from Adelaide, regional South Australia and interstate.

The management team was very focussed on utilising and developing local talent, with a view to building skills and training that lead to career and employment pathways for young and unemployed people. The project provided the opportunity for these people to work alongside a key partner – world renowned illumination creative artists Illuminart, who advised on creative design, direction and animation services, immersive and interactive concepts. They also mentored young people and others in the community on technical and creative installation, and conducted training workshops to help build skills to seek employment in animation, theatre, leadership, music, digital sound and technology and production management.

The creative team was set up and led by a local 19-year-old and included other local artists, musicians and representatives from Loxton High School. Several year 11 and 12 students, and their teachers, played a key role in creating the animations, projections and filming of the event. Five of the seven artists who created the background illustrations for the animation were from the Riverland, and three of these were from Loxton. With input from the creative team, two 2020 Loxton High School graduates undertook the storybooking of the animation, working closely with and being mentored by Illuminart animators and illustrators. They were both subsequently offered contracts with Illuminart to work on similar projects while at university.

The local input extended to the music, with all the music in the production composed and recorded by Loxton’s Karyn Skewes. Others involved included the Loxton Community Choir and the Lead Principal of Opera SA. Many of Loxton’s service clubs, community groups and residents were involved and contributed in various ways, including an enthusiastic group of older ladies who created a floral display inside the church, one of the key venues. Artworks related to the project, as well as other art produced by members of the local community, were displayed in Peace Hall on all the nights of SHINE, showcasing the amazing talents of the community.

All this work was captured by Six Foot Productions, who worked with and mentored the town’s young people to create a mini-documentary of the project from start to finish, with behind-the scenes footage capturing the passion and enthusiasm of all involved. The file was posted online a week after the event, reaching 30,000 people, with 12,700 views on Facebook, 264 likes and was shared 89 times.

The TTTT grant, which was funded by the Australian Government, contributed to engaging local companies to provide event equipment – audio, filming, lighting, security, event hire, container and marquee hire and contributed towards creative design by Illuminart.

Andrew Waters from DCLW said that there was no doubt that SHINE was an outstanding success, both for the local community and for the people it drew to the town to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Loxton Lights Up. While COVID presented challenges with restrictions, capacity limits and check-ins, it wasn’t a huge factor, given the event was held outside. A plus to come from it was that the organisers were able to obtain a relatively accurate count, with the registration app indicating that more than 6,000 people were present within the church grounds during the eight days of SHINE!

Andrew said, “On the final two nights we reached a near COVID-capacity of 1,000 people at any one given time. Total numbers on these nights would have been greater, as people came and went throughout the night. The project provided new opportunities to showcase the talents of local artists, musicians, actors and dancers and provided greater opportunity for the community to access the arts… a visual and auditory masterpiece.”

Beyond this, the project addressed the economic decline and disadvantage brought about by extended drought conditions across the Riverland Region. It was a celebration of creative and cultural experiences that are the lifeblood of the region, and was a key driver in re-activating the Riverland arts and entertainment industry. The project directly benefitted the region’s businesses that had been economically impacted by drought, injecting an estimated $1.8M into the local economy and creating new jobs in hospitality, retail and the arts.

As thousands of Australians continue to be impacted by floods in Victoria and Tasmania, FRRR is seeking donations to meet the recovery needs of the remote, rural and regional communities that will need help and support in the coming months and years.

Natalie Egleton, CEO of FRRR, said that the Foundation has already seen local people and organisations once again step up and come together to support one another in the lead up and, as waters start to recede in some places, with the long road to recovery that they have ahead of them.

“The people and places in flood affected regions throughout Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania will continue to feel the impacts of what’s unfolding for months and years to come. We really can’t stress enough just how big the long term social and economic consequences can be as a result of these kinds of natural disasters.

“Many of these regions, particularly those in Central Victoria, have been through this kind of disaster before, making the current floods all the more traumatic. Many members of the FRRR team themselves have spent the last few days evacuating, helping loved ones to evacuate or have been out sandbagging in their local communities.

“In the last 20 plus years, FRRR has built strong networks and relationships with the people and the community organisations that are being impacted right now and, as always, we’ll be waiting and ready to support them throughout the medium to long term recovery process. Donations to our flood appeal will help to rebuild infrastructure in these areas, address the physical and mental health challenges that occur as a result of this disaster, build the capacity of community groups and strengthen community-led recovery efforts,” Ms Egleton explained.

People can support FRRR’s Flood Recovery Appeal by donating to the Disaster Resilience and Recovery Fund, the Central Victorian Fund or the Strengthening Rural Communities: Prepare & Recover program.

Donations to the Disaster Resilience and Recovery Fund are pooled and invested to ensure that remote, rural and regional communities affected by natural disasters can access flexible, fit-for-purpose funding to support local preparedness and recovery efforts, when it’s needed. For those specifically wanting to support Central Victoria, FRRR also offers the Central Victoria Fund, which continues the legacy of the Central Victoria Community Foundation and focuses solely on that region.

Alternatively, donations can be made to FRRR’s Strengthening Rural Communities: Prepare and Recover program, with FRRR offering one-off, flexible grants through this program to support community organisations in these flood-impacted regions.

FRRR has supported remote, rural and regional communities across the country prepare for and recover from natural disasters since 2006. To date, FRRR has distributed around $46 million for community-led disaster recovery and resilience initiatives.

If you’d like to provide immediate assistance, below is a list of some local organisations that are helping to coordinate support in affected areas:

• Tomorrow Today Foundation – Benalla
• Border Trust – Albury Wodonga Region Community Foundation
• Greater Shepparton Foundation
• Into Our Hands – North East Victoria
• Shepparton FoodShare
• Home – Bendigo Foodshare
• Neighbourhood Houses
• GIVIT
• Rural Aid
• Spontaneous Volunteering – Maribyrnong, Seymour, Rochester, Shepperton and Echuca

Finally, if you would like to volunteer, BlazeAid is currently in the process of recruiting and assembling crews of volunteers.

Nearly half of the funding to go towards COVID-19 recovery

Thanks to FRRR’s Strengthening Rural Communities (SRC) program, 130 projects across remote, rural and regional Australia will share in $1,663,531 in grants.

These projects are all community-led initiatives that will have a direct benefit to the people living in the local area.

For the first time, the SRC grant recipients have been divided into three streams: the Small & Vital stream, 2019/20 Black Summer bushfire recovery and a new Rebuilding Regional Communities stream, which focuses on recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic in remote, rural and regional Australia.

Funding to support COVID-19 recovery

In this round, 50 of the projects receiving funding are helping to support their community’s ongoing recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the RRC stream, these projects will share in $834,892. This includes initiatives like the Texas Country Music Festival, which will receive funding that will help to bring community members together again and improve social connectedness after extended periods of isolation.

Black Summer grants

This round will also see 25 projects receive funding to support the ongoing recovery from the 2019/20 Black Summer bushfires. These projects will share $410,519, with organisations like Kingscote Men’s Shed using the grant for a project focused on empowering the men of the bushfire impacted region, as well as a coastal habitat rehabilitation.

Small & Vital stream

Through the Small & Vital stream, 55 initiatives will share $418,120 in grants. This stream funds projects that locals prioritise to take advantage of opportunities, address gaps in services or generally enhance the vitality of remote, rural and regional communities. For example, the Akurra Walking Trail will get bilingual signage, which will expand opportunities to learn about First Nation’s history, language and connection to the environment.

Jill Karena, Place Portfolio Lead at FRRR, said that this round of applications really highlighted the need for initiatives to tackle the negative impacts of the pandemic.

“This is the first SRC round where we’ve received applications for COVID recovery support through the RRC stream and there were some obvious trends. A large majority of the applications we received were related to mental health issues and social dislocation, which is a strong indicator of how remote, rural and regional Australia is faring in the wake of the pandemic and successive disaster events including fires, floods and drought. This is often exacerbated by the housing crisis and increased costs of living.

“We also clearly saw the impacts of COVID on the sustainability of these backbone organisations, with 30 percent of applications seeking support to ensure they can continue their day-to-day work, providing critical services and support, often to the most vulnerable members of the community.

“When it came to the Bushfire Recovery stream this round, a lot of the applications were focused on reducing the burden on volunteer, whereas in previous rounds we’ve seen more of a focus on infrastructure. This aligns with the findings of our Heartbeat of Rural Australia survey, which showed that volunteers in rural Australia are feeling more fatigued than ever. There was also a strong trend toward greater community connection, with projects to help bring the community together to share their experiences and support one another in their ongoing recovery.

“Meanwhile, in the Small & Vital stream, we continued to see a focus on projects that address food security, although many now also incorporate multiple community-building aspects, such as a community garden also acting as the base for training horticulture students, boosting vocational skills and employment readiness.

“The fact that we’re seeing such distinct and varied trends in each stream of the SRC program really speaks to how important it is that rural communities have access to more flexible funding that can be used as local groups see fit,” Ms Karena said.

Some more of the 130 projects funded include:

• ShoreTrack Ltd – Nambucca Heads, NSW – ShoreTrack Recovery – Improve employability and civic participation levels of disengaged youth through work experience with the SES and RFS, including gaining essential qualifications. $25,000 (Bushfire Recovery)
• Isolated Children’s Parents’ Association Alice Springs Branch – Alice Springs, NT – First Aid Training for Home Tutors – Upskill home tutors and station workers in remote communities with first aid training. $5,000 (Small & Vital)
• Steaming on the Downs Inc. – Oakey, QLD – Community Skills Workshop / Mechanical Skills Demonstrations – Gazebos and Banners – Expand organisational capacity by purchasing a trailer and three teardrop banners, enabling wider social engagement and broader mechanical skill development. $4,110 (Small & Vital)
• Copley & Districts Progress Association Inc – Copley, SA – Copley Bicycle Repairs Program – Boost physical health and community engagement, and foster new skills in young people through the delivery of a bicycle repair program in a very remote region. $7,886 (Small & Vital)
• Squid Theatre Incorporated – Wynyard, TAS – Saturday Radio Theatre 2023 Season – Sustain the creative activities of a community theatre company by supporting a weekly radio drama, providing a vital point of connection for isolated community members. $2,842 (Rebuilding Regional Communities)
• Culgoa Development Group Inc – Culgoa, VIC – “Reconnecting Culgoa” – Reduce social isolation and foster a more resilient Culgoa through establishing a landscaped outdoor space for community gatherings and events. $50,000 (Rebuilding Regional Communities)
• The Nintirri Centre Incorporated – Tom Price, WA – Midwife Services – Sustain antenatal and postnatal care and support for very isolated remote communities in the Pilbara. $10,000 (Rebuilding Regional Communities)

A full list of grant recipients can be found below.

The SRC program is collaboratively supported by many generous donors, which are acknowledged on FRRR’s website.

This program always accepts applications. Local NFPs and community groups are encouraged to review the expanded program guidelines and apply. More information about the SRC program is available at www.frrr.org.au/src.

To support grants like this through FRRR, make a tax-deductible donation at frrr.org.au/giving/.

Applications are now open for ANZ’s Seeds of Renewal program, with grants of up to $15,000 available for not-for-profit organisations in remote, rural and regional areas to support the ongoing prosperity of regional Australia.

Celebrating 20 years in 2022, the program is administered by the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR) and has provided more than $5 million to more than 800 community groups to help build vibrant and sustainable communities.

This year, the ANZ Seeds of Renewal program is offering a share of $250,000 to community organisations in remote, rural or regional locations for projects aligned to four focus areas: 

• Environmental sustainability: initiatives that restore and conserve the natural environment or which contribute to lower carbon emissions, water stewardship and waste minimisation;
• Financial wellbeing: particularly for under-represented and disadvantaged people in the community, including initiatives that improve economic participation. For example, building financial literacy and vocational skills and providing access to meaningful work;
• Housing access: initiatives and programs that support those experiencing or at risk of homelessness or that provide supports for people living with disability; or
• Projects that assist local communities to thrive.

ANZ Head of Agribusiness Mark Bennett said: “Now in its twentieth year, the ANZ Seeds of Renewal program has provided hundreds of groups in regional and rural Australia with funds to deliver projects to help their communities thrive. We are incredibly proud of the partnership and the contribution it has made to regional Australia,” Mr Bennett said.

FRRR CEO Natalie Egleton said: “It’s been a particularly tough year for many rural communities, with the impacts of COVID on top of fires, floods and drought. Programs like ANZ Seeds of Renewal offer funding to help the local groups that are the backbone of their communities address local needs, issues and opportunities in a way that will help create stronger places to live and work.,” Ms Egleton said.

Last year, ANZ and FRRR provided grants to 21 community groups for projects including: upgrading a facility that improves financial outcomes for indigenous women and girls in Port Lincoln; improving community meeting space for people with a disability in Atherton; and educating students in Coffs Harbour on career opportunities in bee propagation and environmental sustainability.

Applications open on 5 July and close 5pm AEST, 3 August 2022.

A grantseeker workshop will be held online from 1 – 2pm AEST, 14 July 2022.

For more information about ANZ Seeds of Renewal, to apply for a grant or to register for the webinar, please visit FRRR’s website.

A much-loved playgroup is going from strength to strength in the Flowerdale community in Victoria, following the engagement of a qualified facilitator to assist parents to develop their skills and confidence to support their child’s wellbeing and development. More than 20 families now participate in the facilitated weekly program, after the Flowerdale Community House received $26,000 from FRRR via the Grants for Resilience & Wellness (GR&W) Kinglake Ranges program in 2020 to engage a qualified Early Childhood Educator to plan and deliver the program. Previously, families who wished to access these services would have had to travel more than 30 km to either Kinglake or Yea. 

While there were a few hiccups due to COVID lockdowns, the program has bounced back and is once again supporting children and families across the Kinglake Ranges. Led by experienced educator Jill, the program provides opportunities for parents to learn about local services, to meet with other parents for support and friendship and to build social support networks in the communities in which they live. It also provides the space for the participants, both children and adults, to forge new friendships and have fun. 

“We know that relationships and community connectedness is at the heart of our community’s ongoing recovery. Playgroup plays a vital role in all communities to bring parents together, to share experiences and break down isolation; this is even more important here [in Flowerdale] as our town stretches a long distance, so meeting in the street is not a likely option as people need to travel by car to get to locations,” said Flowerdale Community House coordinator Rebekah Grant. 

“The children and parents respond very well to Jill’s calm and gentle nature, and the way she is delivering advise to sooth and encourage the children is very well received.” 

The Community House is an ideal location for the supported playgroup to operate from, as they are able to sustain this group long term. Now with a facilitator on board, they can provide more support to all families, as well as vulnerable and socially isolated families, to engage with others and the service.

More than half of the funding to go towards bushfire recovery

Sixty-seven projects across remote, rural and regional Australia will share in $776,583 in grants thanks to FRRR’s Strengthening Rural Communities (SRC) program.

These projects are grassroots initiatives run by organisations led by local people that will strengthen their communities and have direct benefits for those living in them.

In this round of funding, 26 of the projects receiving funding support ongoing recovery from the 2019/20 Black Summer bushfires. These initiatives, which will share $444,552, include purchasing fit-for-purpose health equipment for three divisions of St John Ambulance NSW – all of which were directly involved in the 2019/20 Black Summer bushfire response.

There are also 41 projects being funded through the Small & Vital stream of the SRC program, which will share in a total of $332,031. These grants range from $1,455 to upgrade the NSW It’s Heaven website to make it more accessible for those who have a disability, to a $10,000 grant for the Northern Australian Aboriginal Charitable Trust that will help to deliver three new, free-of-charge laundromats to remote Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory.

Jill Karena, Place Portfolio Lead at FRRR, said that a noticeable trend emerged in this latest round of applications.

“Interestingly, we saw a strong interest for community gardens in this round. With the cost of living rising on top of the food shortages that are happening as a result of the pandemic and natural disasters like drought and floods, there are growing concerns in rural areas about food security and the lack of access to nutritious, affordable food.

“This is why flexible programs like SRC are crucial. The funding from this program can be used where community leaders see the greatest need. Our climate and our economy are rapidly evolving and these grants can be used to support a broad range of community-led, grassroots initiatives that are helping to address very current issues in real time,” Ms Karena said.

Some of the 67 projects funded include:

• OpenField Arts Festival Inc – Berry, NSW – OpenField Arts Festival – Facilitate community and social connection through a multidisciplinary arts festival. $10,000 (Bushfire Recovery)
  
• Riding for the Disabled in the Top End – Palmerston, NT – Optimisation of Volunteer Management at Riding for the Disabled in the Top End – Improve the management, rostering and training of volunteers by installing a database program and employing a volunteer coordinator. $9,948 (Small & Vital)
  
• Girls from Oz Ltd – Kowanyama, QLD – Helping to Keep Language Alive in Kowanyama – Support language revitalisation and student engagement through a performing arts project in a remote school. $9,212 (Small & Vital)
  
• Fat Farmers: Rural Health Initiative Incorporated – Cummins, SA – Eyre Peninsula Expansion Project – Enhance physical and mental health by promoting a community fitness group at a local social event. $8,500 (Small & Vital)
  
• Fingal Valley Neighbourhood House – St Helens, TAS – Building Blocks: Play and Learn Together – Support delivery of playgroups, early learning and parenting support programs in rural areas through the purchase of a vehicle. $25,000 (Bushfire Recovery)
  
• Dunsborough Yallingup Chamber of Commerce – Dunsborough, WA – DYCCI Skills Development and Capacity Building Workshops 2022/23 – Boost and strengthen the local economy by running a series of workshops to help community members improve their business skills. $9,994 (Small & Vital)
  
• Country Fire Authority Corryong Country Fire Brigade (CFA) – Corryong, VIC – Corryong Fire Station Kitchen Modernisation – Improve capacity of Corryong Fire Brigade to support bushfire recovery and preparedness by upgrading kitchen. $24,040 (Bushfire Recovery)

A full list of grant recipients is available on FRRR’s website.

The SRC program is collaboratively supported by many generous donors, which are acknowledged on FRRR’s website.

This program always accepts applications and thanks to recent support from the Australian Government, there is now a COVID-recovery stream – Rebuilding Rural Communities. Local NFPs and community groups are encouraged to review the expanded program guidelines and apply. More information about the SRC program is available at www.frrr.org.au/src.

To support grants like this through FRRR, make a tax-deductible donation at frrr.org.au/giving/.

The full list of grant recipients and their projects are below.

Black Saturday funding for community-led initiatives

FRRR today announced that the final round of grants to assist Kinglake Ranges communities to rebuild, reconnect and recover from the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires will open soon.

While a lot has changed in the 13 years since the fires, FRRR knows that the impacts are still being felt. This funding, thanks to the Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund, will help to address those needs, particularly around mental health and wellbeing.

Through the Grants for Resilience & Wellness (GR&W) Kinglake Ranges program, funding will be 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 will need to be discussed with FRRR before being lodged.

The GR&W Kinglake program has a focus on community-strengthening and resilience-building projects, and recognises that recovering communities need support to re-connect, share experiences, enhance wellbeing and resilience, and build capacity for the future.

Nina O’Brien, FRRR’s Disaster Resilience and Recovery Lead, said that this is a great opportunity for the local community to ensure that important projects get the resources and support they need.

“This funding has always been earmarked to support the medium to long-term recovery of communities across the Kinglake Ranges, which we know were so badly affected by the 2009 fires. The focus is on improving mental health and wellbeing – of the community and individuals, and especially young people. There has been a lot of change in the community too, so the funding can help strengthen community connectedness and assist in rebuilding a sense of place and community identity.

“But now it’s up to the community to identify just what the projects are that will be put forward. We know that the best projects will be those that are community-led and which have broad community buy-in. We have supported Kinglake Ranges Neighbourhood House to host a series of facilitated community conversations and some smaller ‘kitchen table’ talks to explore key priorities and grant ideas to inform the final round of funds, so we encourage you to make sure that you get involved.

“If you have an idea, we’d also love to speak to you about it. Karly and Brooke from our team plan on visiting the region during July, and will be available to meet with community groups to discuss applications, and answer questions you may have. We’re really excited about what these grants can do to support Kinglake’s ongoing recovery and I look forward to reading the applications,” Ms O’Brien said.

Applications for GR&W Kinglake will open 5 July, and 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/ .

Projects must 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.

To get involved in the local community discussions you can email krftalks@gmail.com. To book a time to meet with the FRRR team and discuss potential applications, community members are encouraged to email recovery@frrr.org.au.

To date, through GR&W Kinglake, FRRR has awarded over $1.1M to 35 projects run by local groups in the Kinglake Ranges, which is assisting communities to re-connect, share experiences, enhance wellbeing and resilience, and build capacity for the future.

This included the Dindi Arts Trail, which received more than $150,000 to support the delivery of the art trail, featuring 11 public murals on concrete water tanks, which enhances local connectedness and will help attract more visitors to the region. The grant funded the employment of a project officer to coordinate the project.

Any community impacted by 2009 bushfires and not located in Kinglake Ranges region can apply for support through FRRR’s Strengthening Rural Communities program.

Three regional communities to take part in multi-year initiative

FRRR’s Disaster Resilient: Future Ready (DR:FR) Victorian program continues to build steam, with three regional communities selected to partner with the Foundation to strengthen the resilience and preparedness of their regions.

Korumburra, Myrtleford and Whittlesea township and surrounds will receive support as part of a multi-year, community-led program that is supported by a number of philanthropic organisations.

Nina O’Brien, FRRR’s Disaster Resilience and Recovery Lead, said that the DR:FR initiative works to better prepare communities to address the impacts of climate change, natural disasters and broader disruptions that affect the sustainability, vitality and resilience of remote, rural and regional communities across Australia.

“This is a place-based initiative, whereby FRRR works at a hyper-local level with grassroots organisations and community representatives who are interested in collaborating and leading initiatives to increase community preparedness and strengthen resilience capacity.

“The model is designed to help communities identify and then enact solutions that are held in local knowledge and the intersections of people and place. It creates space, facilitates processes, builds relationships and provides resources for community-generated resilience conversations and initiatives to be held at a pace and style that is appropriate for each local community,” Ms O’Brien explained.

Community driven

Late last year community representatives were invited to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) to become partner communities. Over the past eight months, FRRR’s DR:FR Program coordinator has engaged with representatives from the shortlisted communities, listening and learning about what is unique and important to each place and exploring their readiness, willingness, and capacity to participate in this intensive process.

This process helped FRRR understand their shared aspirations, what they believe is important about their community and demonstrated the commitment and interest in participating in the program.

“The emphasis is on the communities being actively engaged and involved in the process. Our aim is to empower local people to build and adapt the strengths, tools and resources that already exist in each community to further strengthen the resilience and preparedness of each place. It will be community-led and tailored to each community, with support and resources provided to allow them to identify, create and sustain their own resilience-building approaches,” Ms O’Brien said.

The program will start in the next month, beginning with a series of activities to bring interested community members together and start engaging with the broader community around aspirations for the future. In addition to the facilitation support from FRRR, the communities will have access to funding for community activities that support community engagement activities and a seed funding pool to engage a local community connector and activate priority actions identified through the DR:FR journey.

More communities waiting in the wings

“While three communities have been selected, there is strong interest from other places to participate in this program,” Ms O’Brien said.

“We have several communities keen and ready to jump on board and we would love to work with them. Our hope is to expand this program to at least one other Victorian community, and we also have groups in other states wanting to be involved.

“But this requires further funding, so we and our partners can work alongside and support local leaders to create meaningful and lasting change that means they can endure, adapt and evolve from disruptions and disasters more quickly, positively and strongly.

“We are grateful to our current partners for making the Victorian DR:FR program possible. We’d love to hear from others with the capacity to partner with us to expand the program,” Ms O’Brien said.

The DR:FR initiative is kindly supported by the following partners: Sidney Myer Fund, Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation, Maple-Brown Family Foundation, Simon Kucher and Partners, Ronald Geoffrey Arnott Foundation, H & L Hecht Trust, Suncorp, Pinnacle Charitable Foundation and the Doc Ross Family Foundation.

For more information about the program, visit https://frrr.org.au/drfr-victoria/.

Significant funding to rebuild and recover from COVID

The Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR) has welcomed a significant boost to its flagship Strengthening Rural Communities (SRC) grant program, following an investment of more than $5 million from the Australian Government.

This funding, which will be available over the next two years, recognises the significant and long-lasting impacts of COVID and the localised effort needed to recover and rebuild vibrant remote, rural and regional communities.

From today, community groups and not-for-profit organisations in remote, rural and regional communities can apply for funding to support the recovery process, reduce social isolation, foster stronger, more resilient communities, or sustain these vital local organisations in their work.

The Australian Government’s support means that there will be $800,000 available in this round of SRC grants specifically for COVID-related projects. The COVID stream will have two tiers of funding  – one will offer grants of up to $10,000 to groups working in communities of fewer than 50,000 people, while a second tier will offer grants of up to $50,000 for groups in remote, rural or regional communities (as defined by Australian Bureau of Statistics’ Australian Geography Standards).

Natalie Egleton, CEO of FRRR, said that the Australian Government’s investment is sorely needed and will be greatly appreciated by local organisations that have been struggling with raising funds, and coping with the effects of volunteer fatigue.

“At the end of last year, FRRR commissioned the Heartbeat of Rural Australia study, which confirmed that the pandemic has weakened the ability of community organisations to play their various roles in the community, at a time when, for many, demand for their services has increased.

“Many community groups that took part in the study – especially grassroots organisations with revenue of less than $50,000 – saw significant reductions in income as a result of not being able to run fundraising events and income-generating activities and, in some instances, funders redirecting their support. It’s also impacted the number of people able to volunteer, meaning that those remaining have been called on to do more, for longer. It’s no wonder people are exhausted.

“This program will help to rebuild rural communities by funding projects that respond to the ongoing impacts of COVID and will help communities get back on their feet.

“We’ve deliberately kept the SRC program flexible, as we know needs will be different from place to place, and from group to group. Projects eligible for funding could include supporting, training or attracting volunteers; running events; enhancing community facilities; developing services that assist people experiencing disadvantage; or purchasing equipment or resources that strengthen local organisations. We are very grateful for the Australian Government’s support and the commitment that they are showing to strengthen and rebuild rural communities,” Ms Egleton said.

In addition to the COVID funding stream, the SRC program still has grants available to support communities affected by the 2019/20 Black Summer bushfires. There is $650,000 available this round, through grants of up to $25,000. A third, more general stream of funding offers Small & Vital grants of up to $10,000 for initiatives that strengthen and support communities of 15,000 or fewer in remote, rural or regional areas.

To learn more about the program, and to apply, visit https://frrr.org.au/SRC. Applications close 31 May 2022 at 5pm AEDT.