Second round of community grants awarded

FUNDING of just over $14,000 was shared among eight applicants in the second round of the Derwent Valley Council's community grants program for the 2019-20 financial year.

In a report to last month's council meeting, community development officer Bec Tudor said more money had been available than was originally expected, due to a first-round grant not being expended. "In Round 1, New Norfolk Neighbourhood Watch were conditionally approved for a grant of $3025 on the grounds that further funding was acquired. As this condition was not able to be met, those funds remained in the funding pool for Round 2, bringing the total available amount to $14,109," Ms Tudor said.

The councillors present at the March council meeting unanimously supported Ms Tudor's recommendation that the following grants be approved:

• New Norfolk High School: $999 for a digital sewing machine and overlocker
• New Norfolk Fire Brigade: $519 for a smoke machine
• Derwent Valley Horse Riders Association: $1689 to resurface the club's arena
• Fund Reclink Australia: $1000 for sporting equipment
• New Norfolk Neighbourhood Watch: $2290 for IT equipment
• Lachlan Craft Circle: $620 to run a residential design workshop for members
• Epona Horse Archers: $4492 for equipment and site work
• Derwent Valley Concert Band: $2500 for a synthesizer.

Moving the motion, Cr Natasha Woods congratulated the applicants on the standard of their submissions. "The applications met the mark really well," she said. Mayor Ben Shaw was the only other councillor to speak, noting that every applicant had received funding. "Some of them didn't get fully funded, but we managed to give pretty much every group that applied something that can actually get them an actionable item or a piece of equipment, which was really good to be able to do," Cr Shaw said.

Councillors also accepted Ms Tudor's recommendation that the Community Grants Policy approved in December 2018, be reviewed. "Further clarity around the policy will be required prior to the next  financial year," she said in her written report to the council meeting. "The importance of clarity for the evaluation process will allow all applicants a clear direction when applying. As public funds are used to for community grants it is important to note that these are required to be acquitted in accordance with standard accounting practices."

Ms Tudor said more than $241,616 had been  allocated under the current community grants program  since 1997-98.