Augusta is a town in south-west WA, 40km from the nearest town of Margaret River, which is a larger service centre. Whilst traditionally a town with a reputation for having a high proportion of retirees, numerous young families have returned to Augusta where they grew up, or have taken a sea-change post-COVID.

When the only childcare centre closed in Augusta, families were faced with lengthy travel times to Margaret River, and this has had a flow-on impact on employment, limiting opportunities to access work, and for employers’ to fill staff vacancies.

A group of committed parents, local business owners and early childhood educators got together to set up an incorporated association to open a community-run, not-for-profit centre with 24 places to meet the urgent need for childcare. They successfully navigated the requirements and approvals of the Education Care Regulatory Unit and the Federal Government Childcare Subsidy program however, increased building costs compounded by development approval delays means the new centre is yet to open.

The best laid plans of mice and men…

Initially the project intended to purchase resources to outfit the new centre. Instead FRRR was able to work with the group to progress a variation to the original project, to help them adapt to their changing circumstances.

The group instead launched a vacation care service for children, kindy to 12-year-olds, filling a gap in the community’s childcare needs. They used a $10,000 Strengthening Rural Communities grant, funded by FRRR, to purchase educational resources that are of a higher quality and more durable than the donated and second-hand older toys and cheaper equipment that had previously been used.

These resources will last longer and extend the children’s imagination, and have added real value to the program and been much loved by the children. They will also be able to used by the new childcare centre when it eventually does open.

Kylie Lucas, Treasurer of the Augusta & Districts Childcare Centre, noted in their acquittal: “We are very grateful for the donors and team at FRRR for enabling our project to be delivered with better resources, and it has made a real difference to the kids, working families and community members in our little town. The committee appreciated FRRR’s flexible and supportive approach.”

On Djiru Country

In far north Queensland, 150 km south of Cairns, the Mission Beach Historical Society (MBHS) is a fledgling association – two years young and dreaming big.

Last month our QLD programs manager visited the MBHS and invited them to write a story to let everyone know about their great work to curate a historical photographic exhibition.

Before the advent of the MBHS in late 2020, Mission Beach had no effective means of making histories and images easily accessible to residents and visitors of this region.

For the two last years, MBHS members have captured and documented some of the Mission Beach histories, having made a bright start with that endeavour. The society’s growing challenge was to find effective ways to share and exhibit MBHS collections. Being without a museum or a building, MBHS relies heavily on online presence and displays. Despite such hurdles, a range of interesting and innovative projects have been undertaken. One of these projects was to present a photographic exhibition.

In 2022, MBHS partnered with Community for Coastal & Cassowary Conservation Inc to receive an $8,925 Strengthening Rural Communities grant, funded by the Tim Fairfax Family Foundation, to develop a photographic exhibition ‘Echo of the Past – Historical photographs from Mission Beach, 1890s – 1950s’ and present a series of historical photographs and Djiru cultural objects – coinciding with the anniversary of the 1918 cyclone which devastated the area.

The exhibition project aimed to facilitate cultural connection and transmission of culture of and with Traditional Owners through community engagement, cultural expression and on Country experiences.

The exhibition project was led by MBHS president, Dr Valerie Boll, anthropologist and curator, who worked with Djiru Traditional Owner, Elder and artist Leonard Andy and the Warrangburra Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC – PBC, to source and document Djiru history and photographs. Mission Beach residents were also able to bring in old photographs to be scanned and used to illustrate stories that had been researched by MBHS members. The provided material was then collated.

Like many plans during the last few years, the start of the project was delayed due to COVID. Sadly, the project was also put on pause in the first half of 2022 because of ‘Sorry Business’. Another hurdle for the MBHS volunteers to overcome was the lack of adequate IT equipment. Regardless of this impediment, the efforts of the team came together, and the opening day approached fast.

An enthusiastic crowd (over 100 people) gathered on the 10March for the opening of the exhibition ‘Echo of the Past’, at the Art Print Frame Gallery and was enjoyed by the wider community until the exhibition close earlier this month.

A smaller version of the show is now on display at the Mission Beach library and there are plans for the exhibition to travel around the region for the rest of the year.

Grants awarded to 176 community groups for COVID recovery, climate-related impacts and Small & Vital projects

FRRR has awarded $2,309,331 in grants to 176 community projects across remote, rural and regional Australia as part of the Strengthening Rural Communities (SRC) program.

This is the largest SRC round on record in terms of both funding awarded and the number of projects being funded.

Collaboratively funded by a number of donors, this program gives small communities across rural Australia access to funds for a broad range of initiatives that directly and clearly benefit the local area and people. The program is split into three streams: Small & Vital (S&V), Prepare & Recover (P&R) and Rebuilding Regional Communities (RRC), which supports recovery from COVID-19.

Small & Vital stream

In total, $527,636 in grants have been awarded to 61 grassroots organisations and NFPs through the S&V stream. Grants of up to $10,000 will support initiatives that local leaders and community members feel are a priority when it comes to strengthening the community.

An example of an organisation being funded in this stream is the Cervantes Community Men’s Shed in WA. They will use their $10,000 grant to develop the group’s new shed site, which will support and service the community.

Prepare & Recover grants

The SRC program has long supported disaster recovery, most recently through the 2019/2020 Black Summer Bushfire Recovery stream. However, with disasters affecting more of the country, the program has been renamed the Prepare & Recover stream. It offers grants of up to $25,000 to support projects that prevent and prepare for future climate related impacts, or recover from existing disasters in the medium to long-term. In addition to ongoing recovery from Black Summer fires, this round supports recovery from flooding in 2021/22, as well as some other storms and flood events across the country.

A total of $883,940 will be shared among 62 initiatives through this stream. An example is the Victoria based Boort Resource & Information Centre’s initiative to support flood recovery and boost local connections by bringing the people together to share a free community meal.

Rebuilding Regional Communities – supporting COVID-19 recovery

Funded by the Australian Government, the RRC grants are divided into micro grants, which are up to $10,000 and larger grants, which are up to $50,000. In this round, 53 organisations have received $897,755 funding that will help remote, rural and regional communities recover from the impacts of the pandemic.

Among the recipients in this stream is the Regional Food Security Alliance, who will use a grant of $47,050 to develop resources that will support volunteer recruitment and retention at food relief agencies across regional Victoria, after demand for their services has been exacerbated by COVID-19.

Jill Karena, Place Portfolio Lead at FRRR, said that this record-breaking SRC round is a clear indication of the level of support that remote, rural and regional Australia needs.

“In the history of the SRC program and its predecessors dating back to 2000, we’ve never awarded this amount of money or this many small grants. That in itself speaks volumes about the need for resources and support in rural communities around the country.

“What we saw in the applications in this round, across each of the streams, was a strong emphasis on individual and community health and social wellbeing. This is a reflection of how the last few years have impacted remote, rural and regional areas. Back-to-back natural disasters, the pandemic and now the cost-of-living crisis have left people with limited resources when it comes to prioritising their wellbeing.

“We also saw a high number of applications for creative and wellbeing activities, like festivals and community events. These initiatives are wonderful to see because not only are they helping to bring people together and giving them a creative outlet, but they also often provide a boost to the local economy.

“Similarly, we continue to see a demand for support in maintaining or upgrading community spaces, halls and hubs. This kind of infrastructure is so important when it comes to keeping small communities connected, particularly during the ongoing recovery and resilience-building process that rural Australia is currently facing,” Ms Karena said.

Some more of the 176 projects funded include:

• Gainmara Birrilee Preschool Association Inc – NSW – Enhance the COVID-19 recovery of 117 Brewarrina Aboriginal families by providing practical assistance, building social connections and cultural identity, wellness activities and a community garden. $46,092 (Rebuilding Regional Communities stream)
• MacDonnell Regional Council – NT – Prepare youth for leadership roles through the expansion of the council’s youth app to include governance and project management information and functions. $9,702 (Small & Vital stream)
• FNQ Aviation Museum Ltd – QLD – Build young people’s job readiness for careers in engineering industries by constructing a new hanger at the aeronautical museum to run a program with students restoring vintage airplanes. $10,000 (Small & Vital stream)
• Bridge to Nowhere Arts Association Incorporated – SA – Enhance the process of recovery from the pandemic and encourage greater participation of seniors in activities by providing a comfortable environment at a local community arts facility through heating and cooling upgrades. $7,405 (Rebuilding Regional Communities stream)
• Surf Life Saving Tasmania – Central Coast Marine Rescue – TAS – Enhance community safety and boost volunteer capacity through expansion of training and lifesaving equipment. $9,383 (Small & Vital stream)
• Upper Murray Performing Arts Inc – VIC – Encourage community connection and generate economic growth by delivering a creative dance festival that will increase tourism in a township recovering from bushfires. $10,000 (Prepare & Recover stream)
• Shire of Carnamah – WA – Improve the community’s resilience for future emergency responses during cyclones by upgrading the medical centre’s electrical switchboard, enabling connection to back up generators during power outages. $10,000 (Prepare & Recover stream)

The SRC program is collaboratively supported by many generous donors, who are acknowledged on the FRRR website under each of the SRC grant streams:

• Small & Vital donors
• Prepare & Recover donors
• Rebuilding Regional Communities is supported by the Australian Government

This program always accepts applications. Local NFPs and community groups are encouraged to review the 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.

According to Beyond Blue, one in seven Australians will experience depression in their lifetime. For people living in remote, rural and regional areas, access to adequate physical and mental health care can be tricky. In fact, getting people to talk about mental health issues can be just as hard as finding the appropriate support.

Organisations like Active Farmers are working hard to breakdown the stigma surrounding mental health and raise awareness and understanding of the benefits of regular exercise and healthy eating. One way they do this is by hosting events like the Active Farmers Games.

In 2019, the inaugural Active Farmers event was held in NSW, and again the following year. Both events were a total success with people travelling from all over the country to attend. Post-event feedback strongly endorsed running it again, but suggested it should head to Western Australia.

The small town of Torbay, located in the Great Southern region, was selected to host the Games. The region is dominated by farmland, which produces livestock, dairy, wool and grows crops. Known as one of the most productive cereal grain and pastoral areas of the state, they have also been severely impacted by drought, bushfires and of course COVID-19. On top of this, the population of the Great Southern area of WA is predominantly aged over 50 years, with the proportion of adults aged over 65 years projected to increase by 54% over the next five years. For people in this age group, physical health concerns can often be managed by regular physical activity and exercise. This demographic also has a large population that lives in regional Australia, where they may lack access to health and wellness services due to remoteness.

The one-day event involved traversing a 3.5km farm-inspired obstacle course (think hay bales, tyre stacking and fence climbing!). The aim was to raise awareness of the importance of physical and mental health and to promote connectedness in the bush. The course was designed to symbolise real life obstacles and how we are able to better overcome these obstacles if we have a team of people around us.

In total, there were 30 obstacles that 150 participants had a go at. There were three teams that consisted of men, women and children. The course was designed to accommodate everyone with the youngest participant being six years old and the oldest participant in their 70s. The event was also a tremendous show of community participation with 40 volunteers to help things run smoothly and another 90 spectators who came to cheer the participants along.

Using a $6,340 Strengthening Rural Communities (SRC) grant, funded by FRRR, Active Farmers were able to host a successful event that fostered a strong sense of connection and joy within the community and surrounding areas.

They were also able to raise much needed funds to establish the Active Farmers group fitness classes in up to six additional locations in WA. Check out this fantastic video that showcases the day’s activities.

Earlier this year, one of FRRR’s long-term supporters, the Pratt Foundation, made a generous $250,000 donation to FRRR’s Flood Recovery Appeal to support Victorian areas affected by the flood.

Over the last two months, FRRR has leveraged its networks to make ‘quick response’ grants to 23 community groups and not-for-profit (NFP) organisations in flood-affected areas of Victoria. The grants are helping to meet short-term recovery needs and help communities as they begin to get up and running again following the flooding events of this past summer.

Anthony Pratt, Chairman of the Pratt Foundation, said the work of the flood-affected not-for-profit groups is admirable and critical to recovery.

“The organisations that have benefitted from these grants are key to the recovery of these communities following the floods. We are very happy to be able to assist their efforts to provide support to the most vulnerable in the community, by providing the resources they need to start building back,” Mr Pratt said.

Sarah Matthee, FRRR’s Acting CEO, said the projects receiving funding will be crucial to the recovery process in the coming months.

“The Pratt Foundation’s generous support has enabled FRRR to work closely with communities across flood-impacted areas of Victoria to identify organisations who are playing key roles in recovery, by responding to local priorities.

“These grants are supporting a range of projects, including many neighbourhood and community houses, who are acting as key hubs to support community members, particularly vulnerable people. The funding will also help communities to build capacity, through activities such as mental health first aid training, so that they are better able to navigate disaster response and recovery challenges that they are likely to face in the coming months. Other grants focus on the repair of critical infrastructure, such as local community radio facilities, and providing immediate aid, such as distributing insect repellent to reduce the risks of mosquito borne diseases.

“This funding will not only help to address short-term challenges these flood-impacted communities are facing, but will also contribute to the long-term social and economic recovery of these areas,” Ms Matthee said.

Three of the 23 projects funded are listed below:

• Rochester Community House Inc – Rochester, VIC – Rochester Community Flood Recovery – Boost ability of a community house to provide emergency assistance through additional staffing hours. $10,000.
• International Association for Psychiatric Nurses – Shepparton, VIC – Mental Health First Aid Training – Support community recovery from flood events with mental health first aid training to build awareness, healing and recovery skills. $10,000.
• Gnarly Neighbours – Seymour, VIC – Supporting Youth Programs – Boost organisational capacity and support young people impacted by flood events to access youth programs. $10,000.

The full list of projects funded can be accessed on the FRRR website.

The Prepare & Recover stream of the SRC program is accepting applications to support disaster-impacted communities. More information is available at https://frrr.org.au/src-prepare-recover/.

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

Around three hours drive from Adelaide, along the beautiful coast, the Southern Yorke Peninsula Community Hub (SYP) is a central organisation that offers a range of services to its community.

From faxing, to printing, to car and boat licenses, the Hub provides tourist information and is home to the local Salt Lakes Gallery. With a role as big as this in the community, it makes sense that the Hub would be crucial during emergencies.

In November 2019, bushfires occurred in isolated rural areas along the Peninsula, putting many towns at risk. The community of Yorketown was in the fire path until a wind change moved it along to then endanger the township of Edithburgh. The fires impacted power supplies, road closures and communications for prolonged periods. The SYP Community Hub supported the community as a response centre throughout this event.

Since the 2019 bushfires, SYP Community Hub has been heavily involved in coordinating disaster recovery services. This included purchasing a custom-built trailer, the first in the Yorke Peninsula Council area. Using a $24,950 Strengthening Rural Communities (SRC) grant, funded by a private donor, the trailer has become a multipurpose community resource.

During emergencies, the trailer will enable deployment of supplies such as food, water and basic first aid. It will also assist in distributing supplies to volunteers and act as a rest station during incident response. The versatility of the trailer also means that it can be used during community-led events.

The impact the trailer has had on the community has been exceptional. “The response from residents is one of pride in its completion and the feeling of readiness should they once again be faced with an crisis like the 2019 bushfires. The community is better prepared, trained appropriately and with a strong band of volunteers.”

Like many plans during the last few years, the start of the project was delayed due to COVID. Materials were in short supply and the engineering firm responsible for building the trailer was hit by COVID and forced to close for a period of time. But once they were able to safely get back to work, the trailer came together nicely.

Ramingining, an Aboriginal community home to around 870 people, is situated on the edge of the Arafura Swamp in Arnhem Land, approximately 560 kilometres east of Darwin in the NT. The community is made up of mainly Yolngu people.

Ramingining artists and community members, through the Bula’Bula Arts Centre, wanted to provide more activities that strengthen the community’s connection to their cultural roots, knowing this is integral to people’s health and wellbeing. They also wanted their young people to learn to practice and celebrate their culture from Elders.  

Following Cyclone Lam in 2015, the community successfully lobbied for a new cyclone shelter. The completed shelter has multiple uses including as recreation centre, a space for youth programs, a basketball stadium and the occasional movie theatre. The concrete block building was practical but somewhat bland, without representation of the local Yolngu culture.

Thanks to a $9,973 Strengthening Rural Communities grant, funded by the Bertalli Family Foundation, the Bula’Bula Arts Centre was able to bring together the older and younger generations of Yolngu people to commemorate their culture through the creation of two large public murals on the outside walls of the cyclone shelter.

Yolngu culture is built on a kinship system that consists of two moieties, Dhuwa and Yirritja, and these are the foundations of the skin systems, totemic relationships, storylines, songlines and more. Each mural, approximately three by five metres, honours one of the two moieties. The murals are a huge achievement visually depicting 20 unique stories. Twenty-one Bula’Bula artists, alongside about 20 Ramingining youth, created the murals over several sessions during the January 2022 school holidays.

The painting sessions were observed by many other community members, who came along to see what was happening. The murals have been highly welcomed by the community, bringing smiles and words like letchu (awesome), manymak (great) and yolngu rom (our culture).

The younger people have developed a better understanding of their culture, and the broader community has a greater sense of pride and self-esteem from the creation of a more culturally appropriate meeting place. The murals also act as a teaching tool, with many families coming to show their children and tell the culturally significant stories.  

The Bula’Bula Arts Centre is a locally governed, owned, and operated Aboriginal Corporation situated in the heart of the community and plays an important role supporting more than 150 artists to maintain and strengthen their cultural practices. It also offers training, education, career pathways and enterprise opportunities, along with providing social services contributing to the social and physical health of the community.

The most successful and proudest part of the project for the Bula’Bula Arts Centre was the engagement of Yolngu people from the initial concept to execution and finally, the outcome and ongoing nature of keeping culture strong.

Dhuwa wall artists included: Gary Smith, Dorothy Djampilil, Daniel Warrulukuma, Evonne Rraraypum, JB Fisher, Joy Borruwa, Billy Black, Joy Burruna, Lisa Gurrulpa and Shannon Ashley.

Yirritja wall artists included: Joanne Mombuyngu, Selena Munguluma, Peter Gambung, Romeo Gaykamangu, Bobby Bununggurr, Andrew Malibirr, Johnny Malibirr and Evonne Gaywrri.

Artist helpers and art workers: Selena Galang, Kylie Pascoe, Steve Malibirr, Ross Dhaparuwuy and Jasmane Malibirr.

The East Arnhem Regional Council authorised the creation of the murals and also provided staff time in-kind to assist with the project.

Grants support COVID recovery, Black Summer bushfire recovery and Small & Vital projects

FRRR has awarded $1,448,968 in grants to 121 projects across remote, rural and regional Australia as part of their Strengthening Rural Communities (SRC) program.

This program awards grants to community-led initiatives that directly benefits those living in remote, rural and regional Australia. There are three streams of funding: the Small & Vital stream, 2019/20 Black Summer bushfire recovery and the Rebuilding Regional Communities (RRC) stream, which supports recovery from COVID-19.

Small and Vital stream

Through the Small & Vital stream, $368,227 in grants will be awarded to 43 community groups and NFPs. This stream funds grassroots initiatives that locals in remote, rural and regional areas feel are a priority when it comes to strengthening their community. One example of a project being funded in this stream in this round is the Meandarra Primary P&C Association in Queensland, which is using their grant to boost community wellbeing and encourage socialising by opening the school pool to the community free of charge.

Black Summer grants

Also included in this round are 44 grants that will go towards initiatives that are supporting the ongoing recovery from the 2019/20 Black Summer bushfires. These projects will share in $792,136, with initiatives like the Country Fire Authority’s Yackandandah Fire Station Readiness being funded to increase the capacity of volunteers to support bushfire preparedness by installing a workstation and storage units.

Rebuilding Regional Communities – supporting COVID-19 recovery

In this round, 34 grants will go towards recovery from the pandemic. Funded by the Australian Government, the Rebuilding Regional Communities (RRC) grants total $288,604. Among the recipients in this stream is (It’s no) drama, a physical theatre ensemble for people living with and without disability. This community group will reduce social isolation in South Gippsland, Victoria by delivering an accessible community dance project designed and facilitated by disabled and non-disabled artists.

Jill Karena, Place Portfolio Lead at FRRR, said that the diversity of projects put forward by communities highlights the importance of offering flexible funding that can respond to local needs and priorities.

“More than half of the funding in this round is going towards recovery from the 2019/20 Black Summer bushfires which really highlights the need for ongoing support to disaster-impacted areas. Three years on, it’s clear that community groups and local NFPs need additional resources to continue showing up for their communities to the best of their ability.

“Many of these bushfire-impacted communities have also been affected by flooding, drought or the mice plague in recent years, on top of COVID, so the physical and emotional toll of these multiple events is making the recovery process even more difficult.

“When it came to RRC this round, we started to see more focus on the recovery process and rebuilding, alongside mental health and social isolation as the focus. This is an encouraging sign as it indicates that remote, rural and regional communities are increasingly looking towards the longer-term.

“Elsewhere, in the Small & Vital stream of the program, we continue to see a focus on food security and energy efficiency with requests for funding for solar installation, energy efficient equipment in local amenities and support for community gardens. These recurring themes are no surprise given the current cost of living crisis,” Ms Karena said.

Some more of the 129 projects funded include:

• Workways Australia Limited -Clarence Valley, NSW – Cool (Mosaic) burning in the Clarence Valley – Build resilience in the Taloumbi community by teaching locals to use the cool (mosaic) burning land management practice, a tool to reduce future bushfire risk, promote biodiversity, build resilience, and regenerate habitat for endangered native species. $20,456 (Bushfire Recovery)
• MJD Foundation Limited – Ngukurr, NT – Development of MJDF ‘in place’ service – phase 1 – Enable people to live well ‘on Country’ by developing a plan to establish a permanent medical support presence in community for people impacted by Machado-Joseph Disease. $10,000 (Small & Vital)
• Atherton Performing Arts Inc – Atherton, QLD – 12 Air purifiers to protect our performers, audiences and others – Enhance the process of community recovery from COVID-19 by improving public safety at the theatre with the purchase of air purifiers to remove airborne pathogens. $7,103 (Rebuilding Regional Communities)
• Snowtown Centenary Park – Snowtown, SA – Centenary Park Mural – Improve the appearance of a public amenity, and boost tourism and community engagement in Snowtown through the installation of a mural. $10,000 (Small & Vital)
• Lower Barrington Community Hall – Lower Barrington, TAS – Lower Barrington Hall: Disability Friendly Bathroom Project, Stage 2 – Increase community access for all abilities and enhance social engagement opportunities by improving disability access at a local hall. $10,000 (Small & Vital)
• Tatura Civic Halls Committee – Tatura, VIC – Mechanics’ Hall Floor Rejuvenation – Preserve local heritage and provide a comfortable facility for community members to connect by replacing flooring that is beyond repair. $10,000 (Small & Vital)
• Marribank Aboriginal Corporation – Marribank, WA – Marribank Mission Cleanup – Create a space for healing of Noongar people and past residents of the old mission through the rejuvenation of the site into an Aboriginal managed training and cultural learning centre. $10,000 (Small & Vital)

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. 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.

On Ngadju Country

Late 2019 / early 2020 saw 13 bushfires devastate approximately one million hectares of Ngadju country in southern WA, including large tracts of the Great Western Woodlands, the largest temperate woodland remaining on Earth. It is estimated that the extent of the area of Ngadju country impacted by the fires was equivalent to about half the size of Victoria. The bushfires burnt tracts of old growth forest, overran spiritual sites and destroyed the habitat and nests of threatened species.

Ngadju Conservation Aboriginal Corporation (NCAC) works with the Ngadju community to increase the understanding of conservation and land management opportunities and assist in building capacity to achieve them. Ngadju Rangers use cultural knowledge, refined over thousands of years, to care for the environment and work on Country to manage fire, feral animals and weeds, and to protect mijalkarru (rockholes), the Granites, water places and the flora and fauna of the Great Western Woodlands and the Nullarbor plains.

Following the fires, NCAC received a $25,000 Strengthening Rural Communities grant funded by IKEA Australia through FRRR to help the Ngadju Rangers to both repair the damage and undertake work to protect the environment and cultural sites from the devasting impact of the bushfires. Their approach involves a detailed program of cultural burning to protect sites, old growth and water trees. The mosaic effect of landscape-scale burning benefits biodiversity by reducing the extent and severity of large-scale fire and creates a range of vegetation growth stages and habitats that suit different species. Prior to a burn, Ngadju Rangers and Elders walk through the planned burn site to survey for cultural and environmental values. However, access to the tracks leading to these sites were heavily impacted by the recent fires and also from years of neglect.

NCAC used the grant to commission a specially fabricated trailer with hydraulic tipping for use with their tractor to help the Rangers clear the tracks, enabling safe access to undertake their important cultural and environmental work. This improved access will also allow other Ngadju community members to attend sites and undertake voluntary maintenance and management, which will help them reconnect with Country and transfer knowledge across generations.

Helen Langley, NCAC’s CEO, said that the project wasn’t without its challenges.

“The challenge was the amount of time it took for the trailer to be fabricated and then wired. It took eight months for the trailer to be built and we have only recently received delivery. We are developing Safe Operating Procedures and have organised training for the Rangers so that we can commence clearing tracks and making fire breaks around areas of mosaic burns.

“We are proud that the Ngadju Rangers can now access their Country for cultural burning and they can use machinery to make fire breaks. The project has assisted in rebuilding the Ngadju community and provided healing for community who are mourning the loss of Country.”

For more inspiring stories like this, head to our FY 2021/22 Annual Review.

On Yued, Amangu, Badymia and Widi Country

Carnamah is a town and farming community 300 km north of Perth in WA. Located on Carnamah’s main street, The Exchange is a repurposed heritage building that has been transformed into a multipurpose community and visitor centre. Run by North Midlands Project Inc, it is a not-for-profit arts, culture, history and heritage organisation working towards happy, healthy communities and vibrant, connected towns. They deliver activities across the North Midlands – the seven regional local government areas of Carnamah, Coorow, Mingenew, Morawa, Perenjori and Three Springs.

The Exchange is used on a weekly basis as the home of a local painting group, writing group, youth coding club and the regional Five Gums Scout Group. The space is also utilised for the delivery of many other community workshops and events facilitated by North Midlands Project – all of which are provided to the community free of charge to ensure they are accessible.

North Midlands Project received broad community feedback that people loved The Exchange, especially its welcoming vibe, but that it got too hot in the back section of the building during the warmer months. On occasion, Carnamah is the hottest place in WA, with summer temperatures averaging 36 degrees. This heat renders the space unusable for the best part of four months in the year.

The management committee received a $10,000 Strengthening Rural Communities grant, funded by Australia Post, to contribute to the cost of installing two large air conditioning units in the back section of The Exchange. This has transformed the space into one that is now utilised by the community for workshops, events and other activities right throughout the year.

David Bright, Executive Director of North Midlands Project, said that they are very happy with the outcome.

“Our many, many thanks to FRRR and Australia Post. The grant is enormously appreciated and will have an ongoing impact to our broader community.”

For more inspiring stories like this, head to our FY 2021/22 Annual Review.