FRRR, in partnership with Telstra, has awarded $200,000 via 27 grants to not-for-profit organisations (NFPs). The projects will enhance the liveability of these remote, rural and regional communities by embracing new technologies and ways of working to build social capital and digital capabilities.

Funded through Telstra’s Connected Communities Grant Program, these grants will fund community-led initiatives that provide access to information, technology, education and facilities to build connected communities that are resilient, sustainable and liveable.

The projects are spread across the country and grants range from $953, which will be used to purchase back-up drives for the computers of staff at Hughenden Kindergarten in Queensland, through to $10,000 for projects like the Kimberley Digital Discovery Program, which will provide innovative digital learning kits and training to students in remote regions of Western Australia.

Loretta Willaton, Regional Australia Executive at Telstra, said Telstra’s Connected Communities Grant Program continues to meet rural Australia’s ongoing need for improved education and access to digital connectivity.

“We launched last year knowing that there was a strong demand for funding to support digital connectivity. This was confirmed by the high levels of interest and we saw similar demand this year, confirming the need for this program.

“We’re proud to be able to support these groups and their grassroots initiatives, which are improving community disaster preparedness, implementing more effective environmental practices and boosting social connection,” Ms Cliffe said.

Natalie Egleton, FRRR’s CEO, said that grant programs, like Telstra’s Connected Communities Grant Program, are key when it comes to enhancing the liveability of remote, rural and regional Australia.

“These grants aren’t just about getting people online; ultimately they’re about providing equitable access to services and boosting the overall liveability of non-metro communities across Australia – particularly remote places where there is often very limited access to digital connectivity. Digital skills and reliable connectivity improve the quality of life for people living in any city or town – it’s no different for people living in remote Australia.

“The positive knock-on impacts that these community initiatives will have when it comes to economic development and social connectedness shows us why funding for these kinds of projects is vital for a vibrant, sustainable remote, rural and regional Australia.

“These grants also highlight the critical need for accessible technologies and digital connectivity to support vulnerable people and places, especially when responding to, recovering from or preparing for disaster or crisis.

“A great example of this is Iluka Community Organisation Planning for Emergencies Inc’s Digital Resilience Initiative. This regional NSW community project will build local resilience and communication by upgrading digital equipment to improve the community’s evacuation procedures and enhance preparedness training,” Ms Egleton said.

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

Thanks to a $8,904 SRC grant supported by the Sidney Myer Fund, Telethon Speech & Hearing Inc was able purchase cutting edge screening technology to streamline its early detection and surveillance of hearing loss at early childhood centres and primary schools across the Pilbara, Kimberley and Wheatbelt regions of WA. Many children in these regions are at risk of developing chronic ear health conditions, which impact all facets of their life including social, behavioural and academic performance, if not addressed early.

The HearX apps and four digital devices have enabled screening and clinical hearing tests to be undertaken in a faster, more reliable way. The software supersedes traditional devices, so that ear screenings can be conducted with a tablet. This was particularly important for Telethon when its regular ear health clinics had to be cancelled due to COVID and a major flood in Onslow. Fortunately, Telethon’s locally based team was able to upskill early years educators, teachers and nurses to undertake the screenings and Telethon’s audiologists could then analyse data and generate reports remotely.

“We have since integrated a tele-health component into our audiology service offerings, allowing our locally based teams to screen children and liaise with our Perth audiology team in real time. This has allowed us to diversify our service delivery modalities, ensuring more frequent hearing supports than would otherwise be on offer pre-COVID.”

NFPs and local organisations can apply for up to $10,000

FRRR and Telstra are inviting applications for funding through Telstra’s Connected Communities Grant Program to provide access to information, technology, education and facilities to strengthen social capital and digital capability.

The program aims to boost support for communities across remote, rural and regional Australia to build resilience, improve environmental sustainability and enhance liveability through the power of connection.

In the second round of this program, there is $200,000 available through grants of up to $10,000 to community-led organisations.

The program aims to foster:

1. Liveable communities that have digital capability and help to equip individuals with the skills to live, learn and work in a digital society;
2. Sustainable communities that are diverse and inclusive, planning for the health, wellbeing, and prosperity of their people and the planet; and
3. Resilient communities that are well prepared and socially connected when disaster strikes, with the ability to renew and recover together.

Loretta Willaton, Regional Australia Executive and Regional Customer Advocate at Telstra said that last year’s projects are connecting communities and helping them thrive in a range of ways, both online and offline.

“We’re proud to have been able to enhance community connectedness through last year’s grants, with projects as diverse as upgrading Wi-Fi connectivity, new digital equipment, upskilling volunteers and community members in cyber security, social media and using new systems to support their organisations.

“This year, we look forward to supporting more grassroots groups as they do their important work and keep their communities connected,” Ms Willaton said.

Natalie Egleton, FRRR’s CEO, said that programs like this one help to create more equitable access to the services and support many in urban areas take for granted.

“While there have been improvements, there is still a significant digital divide for remote, rural and regional not-for-profit organisations, particularly when it comes to accessing digital resources and the opportunity to improve knowledge and skills to harness technology to maintain and create connections.

“This partnership with Telstra means that more community groups can find local solutions to these complex problems, thereby creating more sustainable places to live, work and play.

“I look forward to reading this year’s funding requests,” Ms Egleton said.

Applications close at 5pm AEDT on Wednesday, 27 March. Successful grants will be announced in June 2024 and applicants will have 12 months to complete the funded projects.

Potential applicants are encouraged to register for an online Grantseeker Webinar at 12pm AEDT, Tuesday 5 March to learn more about the program and useful tips for applying.

In March 2021, the Hawkesbury-Nepean region on the NSW Central Coast was hit with major flooding, affecting low-lying areas along the river. The flood caused major disruption and many of the lower lying areas were home to some of the most socially vulnerable members of the community. The situation was exacerbated by the fact the floods followed the 2019/20 bushfires, February 2020 flood and COVID. This meant the community had little resilience to respond when the March 21 flood came along.

While there were many issues that emerged, four smaller, more remote communities experienced particular challenges, as they had limited, if any, mobile or internet coverage and are located away from centralised services. This impacted the communities in accessing supports to assist in their recovery journeys, using internet and online platforms.

The Hawkesbury City Council plays a pivotal role in recovery and preparedness in the region and identified this as an issue.

They received a $14,836 grant through FRRR’s Rebuilding Futures program, funded by Suncorp Group, to have accessible technology established in community hubs across these four remote areas – Bilpin, Colo, St Albans and Wilberforce.

The Council used the grant to purchase IT infrastructure such as laptops, tablets, projectors, screens, cameras and associated software. They also improved the internet connection into these four hubs using satellite hardware, installed via co-contributed Council funds. The Council used their existing relationships with community leaders, organisations, citizens groups and emergency services to make sure that the grant resources went to the people who needed them most.

The overall result was improved community access to technology, allowing community members to connect with each other; access online appointments and government portals; and connect with recovery and community support services.

An additional benefit is that users can also access ‘tech-savvy’ Council staff who work in these community hubs four days per week. These staff members share their knowledge and ability with technology through training and support to lesser-abled community members. Further development has seen the evolving partnership with the library team, Department of Primary Industries and the Digital Literacy Foundation providing further training on topics such as online safety, flood recovery agronomy, and digital literacy topics, respectively.

The ’silver lining’ of implementing the project during challenging times, as noted by Council staff member Liz Murphy, is that this grant has enabled them to contribute positively towards ongoing, sustainable change in the community. The effects of this grant will continue to be felt long after this grant has been expended and has attracted additional support for the community.

FRRR has awarded $213,343 via Telstra’s Connected Communities Grant Program to 30 local groups and not-for-profits (NFPs) across remote, rural and regional Australia for projects embracing technology to foster the resilience, environmental sustainability and liveability of their communities.

This is the first round of Telstra’s Connected Communities Grant Program, which is the core of its new partnership with FRRR (announced February 2023).  The focus of the program is on fostering a resilient community, a more sustainable community or a more liveable community.

Awarded grants range from $1,849, which will be used to provide the Victorian community of Strathbogie with access to free Wi-Fi at the local hall, through to $10,000, for projects such as Collinsville Connect Telecentre Group’s cyber security workshop for older members of their Queensland community.

Loretta Willaton, Regional Australia Executive and Regional Customer Advocate at Telstra, said the program’s impacts go beyond simply supplying internet or technology.

“We’re really excited to see this program beginning to come to fruition and to see funding going to rural communities that have been doing it really tough the last few years.

“This round of grants has highlighted the ways in which digital connectivity goes hand-in-hand with social and cultural connectivity. How these factors complement one another has a strong impact on the liveability of a community, so it makes sense that a majority of funded projects are designed to equip locals with the skills to live, learn and work in a digital society.

“That’s what this program is all about – keeping people connected in the most important sense of the word,” Ms Willaton said.

This round saw most projects fall into the liveability category, with a range of initiatives being funded like the provision of Wi-Fi connectivity, new digital equipment, the training of volunteers and community members to build their digital knowledge, be it for cyber security, social media or simply navigating new computing hardware and software that would contribute to better operations of community events and organisations.

Natalie Egleton, FRRR’s CEO, said that there was a lot of interest in the program, with the Foundation receiving many applications for high quality projects.

“Keeping rural communities connected has never been more important, which was reflected by the strong response we received from communities all over remote, rural and regional Australia.

“Community organisations and local not-for-profits (NFPs) in rural communities are clearly keen to make sure locals have the equipment and the knowledge they need to engage in activities that are often taken for granted in metro areas. That might be spreading important information quickly, increasing opportunities for education or providing access to the electronic resources that become vital in emergency situations.

“With so many impressive initiatives on the table, we are grateful that Telstra increased its commitment this year to more than $213,000. There are so many different ways to keep a community connected, and more importantly, a lot of positive outcomes that can be achieved and we look forward to seeing these ideas come to life,” Ms Egleton said.

Some other examples of the projects being funded are below:

A full list of grant recipients is detailed below.