Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR)
FRRR and ANZ have awarded $250,000 in grants to 22 community groups and not-for-profit organisations through the ANZ Seeds of Renewal program.
Now in its 22nd year, the program provides grants to community groups across remote, rural and regional Australia. The awarded funds will support projects that align with one of four key areas: improving access to housing; increasing financial wellbeing; advancing environmental sustainability; or helping communities to thrive.
ANZ Head of Agribusiness, Mark Bennett said, “For over two decades, Seeds of Renewal has provided more than $6 million to approximately 930 projects, helping around 870 communities in remote and regional Australia build their resilience, sustainability and vibrancy.
“We are proud to provide funding for a diverse mix of projects that will support lasting economic and social growth for rural communities. These targeted and well-informed grants allow local organisations to implement initiatives that will have a meaningful impact and ensure the ongoing prosperity of regional Australia.”
FRRR CEO, Natalie Egleton said, “Across remote, rural and regional Australia, not-for-profit organisations play a vital role in helping address the critical environmental, financial, housing or wellbeing needs of their communities.
“Through partnerships, such as our longstanding association with ANZ, we can support and fund these groups to lead local initiatives and continue to strive for, and celebrate, the liveability, sustainability and vibrancy of Australia’s remote, rural and regional communities,” Ms Egleton said.
Some examples of the projects funded this year include:
Improving access to housing:
- Gnowangerup Community Resource Centre on behalf of GNP360 Co-operative Ltd, Universal Access for Gnowangerup Accommodation and Family Hotel Precinct, Gnowangerup, WA – Redesign and construct an all-abilities-access entrance and provide correctly-designed toilet facilities at the 100-year-old Gnowangerup Hotel. $15,000.
- PlusCommunity Limited, Wirree Crisis Refuge Laundry Upgrade, Orange, NSW – Repurpose the existing laundry space at Wirree Crisis Refuge, allowing people sleeping rough to access private, free, and safe laundry, shower and bathroom facilities. $15,000.
Improving environmental sustainability:
- Dalby Family Support Association Inc, Increasing Sustainability, Reducing Footprint, Dalby, QLD – Install solar panels in the office building to increase organisational sustainability and decrease electrical expenses, releasing funds to benefit the local community. $15,000.
- Trentham Sustainability Group Inc, Energy Resilient Trentham, Trentham, VIC – Construct an energy resilience hub, so that key businesses and residences in the Trentham township have electricity during extreme weather events. $15,000.
Improving Financial Wellbeing:
- Mooghalin Performing Arts Incorporation on behalf of Kids Get Money Pty Ltd, Increasing Financial Literacy in the Brewarrina Shire, Goodooga, NSW – Deliver a school holiday financial literacy program for First Nations children and families in Brewarrina Shire, teaching skills that will directly improve financial wellbeing. $15,000.
- Oceania Indigenous House of Ecommerce Limited, Oceania DigitalX Pathways Workshop, Kununurra, WA – Provide women from the Kimberley region with digital literacy and entrepreneurship skills to enable informed business decisions and enhance economic participation. $6,500.
Assisting local communities to thrive:
- Great Lake Community Centre Inc, Renewing Comfort: Empowering Our Community Hall with Smart, Sustainable Heating, Miena, TAS – Replace the more than 20 year-old heating systems, increasing capacity to open the meeting hall throughout the sub-Alpine winter months for community activities and special events. $15,000.
- Price Progress Association Incorporated, Price Community Club Shed Upgrade, Price, SA – Upgrade existing facilities into an inclusive and accessible community hub that will cater for multi-purpose use and benefit the wider Price community. $15,000.
The full list of grant recipients and their projects are below.
| Organisation | Project | Location | Grant | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NEW SOUTH WALES | #colspan# | #colspan# | #colspan# | |||
| Coonamble Local Aboriginal Land Council | Kinship Clean Enhance community environments and connection with volunteer-run clean up events addressing rubbish removal cost barriers. | Coonamble | $12,000 | |||
| First Steps Count Incorporated | Grow In Our Community Support community to thrive with a therapeutic community garden for social connectedness and learning about environmental sustainability. | Taree | $9,966 | |||
| Mooghalin Performing Arts Incorporation on behalf of Kids Get Money Pty Ltd | Increasing Financial Literacy in the Brewarrina Shire Develop financial literacy across three Indigenous communities in remote NSW by supporting a program to build core financial knowledge. | Goodooga | $15,000 | |||
| Percolab Coop Ltd | Inverell Listening Festival Support a community to thrive with a Listening Festival to strengthen connections, vibrancy and sense of community in Inverell. | Inverell | $14,200 | |||
| PlusCommunity Limited | Wirree Crisis Refuge Laundry Upgrade Project Upgrade community facilities to ensure a clean and functional space that supports the alleviation of homelessness in a regional community. | Orange | $15,000 | |||
| Regional Counselling Limited | Redefine Your Future Enhance financial wellbeing of young adults by delivering workshops focussed on improving financial literacy, management and independence. | Bathurst | $15,000 | |||
| QUEENSLAND | #colspan# | #colspan# | #colspan# | |||
| Better Together Community Support Inc | Better Together Community Garden Strengthen community ties with a community garden project to foster learning and promote long-term health. | Atherton | $6,816 | |||
| Dalby Family Support Assn Inc | Increasing Sustainability, Reducing Footprint Build community sustainability with solar panels to enable local family support to afford greater opportunities. | Dalby | $15,000 | |||
| Queensland Police-Citizens Youth Welfare Association | PCYC South Burnett Community Development Officer Engage and support young people by employing a development officer to program regular activities and provide structure and support for the organisation. | Murgon | $10,000 | |||
| Weeroona Association Inc | Accessible Community Day Centre Facility Enhance facilities for people with a disability with an accessible community day centre facility. | Gympie | $10,000 | |||
| SOUTH AUSTRALIA | #colspan# | #colspan# | #colspan# | |||
| Generations in Jazz Inc | Purchase of Landscape Equipment - Commercial Zero Turn Mower Build community capacity with a ride-on mower to maintain grounds at a local facility and festival site. | OB flat | $14,300 | |||
| Price Progress Association Incorporated | Price Community Club Shed Upgrade Boost community sustainability and vibrancy by upgrading facilities to ensure volunteer safety and event functionality. | Price | $15,000 | |||
| TASMANIA | #colspan# | #colspan# | #colspan# | |||
| Great Lake Community Centre Inc | Renewing Comfort: Empowering Our Community Hall with Smart, Sustainable Heating Support development of a community hub and improve visitor comfort by purchasing heating systems. | Miena | $15,000 | |||
| Lower Barrington Community Hall Inc | Welcoming Community Kitchen Revitalisation Project Enhance the community's social wellbeing and lessen isolation by helping with the kitchen renovation project. | Lower Barrington | $5,000 | |||
| VICTORIA | #colspan# | #colspan# | #colspan# | |||
| Kaiela Institute Limited | Dungala-Kaiela Indigenous Business Project Improve sustainability of First Nations organisations and lift community aspirations by delivering financial training. | Shepparton | $15,000 | |||
| Omeo Community Hall and Hub CoM Inc | Digitalising Omeo Hall for the Future Improve community connections and create digital opportunities by upgrading technology at a community centre. | Omeo | $10,000 | |||
| Orbost Exhibition Centre on the Snowyriver Inc | pARTicipate - A Better, More Accessible and Financially Sustainable Centre for Creative Arts and Venue Hire in East Gippsland Improve accessibility and sustainability of a centre for creative arts and community events by upgrading infrastructure. | Orbost | $10,000 | |||
| Ovens Landcare Network Inc | Common Myna Action in North East Victoria Protect natural environment and support local organisations to proactively manage pest numbers within the local area. | Wangaratta | $3,193 | |||
| Trentham Sustainability Group Incorporated | Energy Resilient Trentham – A Community Climate Resilience and Adaptation Project Boost community preparedness for extreme weather events by supporting development of a business plan to establish an energy resilience hub. | Trentham | $15,000 | |||
| WESTERN AUSTRALIA | #colspan# | #colspan# | #colspan# | |||
| Doors Wide Open Inc | First Aid Training Support volunteers by delivering first aid training so they can safely provide medical support to community members accessing the organisation's critical services. | Bunbury | $3,025 | |||
| Gnowangerup Community Resource Centre on behalf of GNP360 Co-operative Ltd | Universal Access for Gnowangerup Accommodation and Family Hotel Precinct Improve all-abilities access to a community facility that supports wellbeing and connection amongst community members. | Gnowangerup | $15,000 | |||
| Oceania Indigenous House of Ecommerce Limited | Oceania DigitalX Pathways Workshop Empower Indigenous women through training to build digital literacy and entrepreneurial skills. | Kununurra | $6,500 | |||
Applications are now open for the ANZ 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.
The program, which is now in its 21st year, is administered by FRRR, and has provided more than $5.5 million to more than 800 community groups for approximately 900 projects to help build vibrant and sustainable communities.
This year, the ANZ Seeds of Renewal program is again 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: by either enabling vibrant communities where everyone can participate and build a better life, or creating sustainable communities that help deliver demonstrable medium to long term economic sustainability.
ANZ General Manager Business Banking Jenefer Stewart said: “ANZ is committed to enhancing the wellbeing and prosperity of the communities where our people live and work, and where our business operates. One way we do this is by reinvesting in communities through programs like Seeds of Renewal. This year we are proud to once again contribute to the long-term growth and sustainability of small rural communities,” Ms Stewart said.
FRRR CEO Natalie Egleton said: “In the current financial environment, we know there is a heightened need to support and strengthen the sustainability of rural Australia. We believe local leaders and community groups are best placed to identify and address the environmental, financial and housing concerns in their region, and to know first-hand what their communities need to thrive. Programs like ANZ Seeds of Renewal mean we can support these types of meaningful and community-led projects that promote the sustainability and liveability of remote, rural and regional Australia. We look forward to seeing what projects local groups put forward this year,” Ms Egleton said.
Last year, ANZ and FRRR provided grants to 20 community groups for projects including preserving Anbinik Rainforests through Indigenous Fire Management in Arnhem Land, NT; building capability and confidence by providing practical financial literacy skills and awareness training to women in East Gippsland, Victoria; providing fit out of accommodation to support women at risk of domestic violence and homelessness in remote WA; and delivering key skills training to increase the employability of young people in agriculture in Crookwell, NSW.
Applications open on 12 July and close 5pm AEST, 10 August 2023.
A grantseeker workshop will be held online from 1 – 2pm AEST, on Wednesday 19 July, 2023.
For more information about ANZ Seeds of Renewal, or to apply for a grant visit: https://frrr.org.au/funding/place/anz-seeds-of-renewal/.
