New Federal Grants Program Brought in To Help Communities Left Out of Former Government Initiative

BY OLIVIA DILLON

Councils and community groups in the Hunter are being encouraged to apply for a new round of federal government grants.

The $600 million Growing Regions Program has been brought in to replace the previous government's controversial Regional Growth Fund. 

Federal Labor has accused the Liberals and Nationals of pork-barreling and ignoring communities like the Hunter, after it was revealed 96% of funding from the Regional Growth Fund went to Coalition-held electorates.

The government says all local councils and community groups looking to deliver critical regional infrastructure will be eligible under the new program. 

Expressions of interest are now open. 

Hunter loses out as Opposition skipped in gambling revenue grant program

BY DAKOTA TAIT

The State Government's facing accusations of grant rorting yet again, with the Hunter mostly missing out in a gambling revenue grant program.

According to an analysis by the Sydney Morning Herald, opposition and crossbench seats received around a quarter of the ClubGRANTS Category Three funding over the last eight years.

Three quarters of the cash, around $75 million, went to Liberal and National electorates.

The program provides NSW registered clubs which profit more than $1 million from poker machines with a dollar for dollar tax rebate, limited at 2.25 percent, if they contribute to the funding pools.

The Category Three grants can go toward large-scale projects relating to sport, health, or community infrastructure.

The electorate of Swansea didn't receive a cent in the program, despite there being an estimated 763 poker machines in the region.

Swansea MP Yasmin Catley says it's no surprise, following similar scandals around the Stronger Communities Fund.

"The real issue with this is, there would be thousands of deserving community projects that have missed out on funding, simply because they live in the wrong area," Ms Catley said.

"We've seen here, pork barrelling at its absolute worst, by the Minister himself awarding three quarters of that grant funding, that is supposed to go to disadvantaged communities, to regional, rural communities, to areas of need, being used as the Government's own piggy bank."

Newcastle, which has around 1482 poker machines, received an estimated $969 for each machine.

Sydney seat Wahroonga, with only 29 machines, received more than half a million dollars, or almost $18,000 per machine.

Newcastle MP Tim Crakanthorp says it's a case of deja vu.

"The Hunter has absolutely been rorted again," he said.

"We knew the Government's grant process was a sham, now there's independent proof."

 

Sports grants hoping to get Newcastle off the couch after COVID

BY DAKOTA TAIT

Applications are now open to sport clubs in Newcastle for the Local Sports Grant Program.

$50,000 is on offer in four categories across the electorate, with grants up to $2,000 available for Sport Development, up to $5,000 for Sport Event or Sport Access, and up to $15,000 for Sport Facility.

Newcastle MP Tim Crakanthorp says the program is a great opportunity, and for better or for worse, "very oversubscribed".

"We get well over $100,000 in applications, people love getting money for their sporting club and so they should," Mr Crakanthorp said.

It's hoped the State Government grants will be a much-needed boost to sport as the regions open up.

"Coming out of COVID, it's really important to get money to our sporting groups, and particularly those for young girls and young women and the disadvantaged and disabled in particular," Mr Crakanthorp said.

"It's good for your mental health, good for your physicality, good to get the kids off the Xbox, it's all good."

You can find out more at https://www.sport.nsw.gov.au/grants/local-sport-grant-program. Applications close on Friday 19th November.

Hunter Domestic Violence Support Organisations Set to Benefit From COVID Grants

BY DAKOTA TAIT

Hunter organisations supporting victims of domestic violence have been given a helping hand in the latest round of a grant program supporting women through the pandemic.

A number of local groups have managed to benefit in the third round of the $8.6 million COVID-19 Sexual, Domestic and Family Violence Infrastructure Grant Program.

Maitland's Carrie's Place is set to put the cash toward refurbishing their refuge with a new kitchen and facilities, as well as efforts to improve disability access. 

Upper Hunter Homeless Support, Samaritans Foundation, Port Stephens Family Family and Neighbourhood Services Inc., Family Support Newcastle and Survivor's R Us Incorporated have all also received funding for renovations, repairs, and new infrastructure.

Carrie's Place CEO Jayne Clowes says the funds will go a long way toward providing the best conditions for their clients.

"Your own environment and your own surroundings are important to you," Ms Clowes said. "We need to make sure that our women and children feel safe and secure." 

"So it's a fantastic opportunity for Carrie's Place to be able to use this funding to improve our services for the clients that we support." 

Grants to Help Multicultural Events Get Up and Running in the Hunter

BY DAKOTA TAIT

Community organisations across the Hunter are being encouraged to apply to a new funding program to help get multicultural projects off the ground.

Grants of up to $10,000 are available for individual events, and up to $40,000 to get bigger projects up and running as part of the Multicultural NSW Community Support Grants Program.

Eligible projects include English-language classes, migrant support groups, and art and sport programs, as well as multicultural and interfaith events.

Hunter Multicultural Centre CEO Annette Gebhardt says the funding would allow the fostering of greater levels of community engagement.

"It can be events that build stronger social cohesion, it can be programs that build greater levels of awareness and understanding. 

"Basically its about creating a sense of belonging regardless of peoples background, race, gender, religion, age and status," Ms Annette Gebhardt said.

Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Taylor Martin says he would like to see the funding go to some of the outstanding organisations and volunteers in the Hunter region.

Applications can be made until 5pm on Thursday 20th May at https://multicultural.nsw.gov.au/.

Metropolitan or Regional? Classification Confusion Shuts Newcastle Out Of $170 Million in Funding

BY SAMUEL BARTLETT

Newcastle City Local Government Area has reportedly missed out on more than $170 million in government grants in one year alone due to confusion surrounding the city’s regional or metropolitan status.

According to an independent report from the Hunter Research Foundation Centre, Newcastle was deemed ineligible for six regional funding sources worth more almost 6 billion dollars with no metropolitan alternative.

“For comparison, neighbouring equivalent sized councils in the Lake Macquarie and Central Coast LGAs were eligible for all six funding sources,” Lord Mayor Cr Nuatali Nelmes says.

"We are not receiving fair access to State Government funding. Newcastle is ineligible to access the Regional Cultural Fund, as it is defined as ‘metropolitan’, but there is no equivalent opportunity within metropolitan funding rounds." 

The lord Mayor says the City often falls between the gaps of policy development and grant funding as Newcastle is a metropolitan centre that services regional populations across the Hunter.

Despite Newcastle being a major economic hub of the Hunter region with gross regional product of $17.7 billion, the LGA received just 0.06 per cent of Restart NSW funds allocated to date, well below its 2.11 per cent share of the state’s population and its three per cent share of Gross State Product.

“Newcastle is effectively shut out of all NSW cultural infrastructure grants.”

“In partnership with Wollongong and Geelong, City of Newcastle has established a Gateway Cities Alliance to advocate and collectively explore economic opportunities.”

It's hoped these changes could help underpin regional growth and improve the efficiency of grant programs.

Eight Hunter Charities Share in $150,000 of Newcastle Council Grants

BY ISABEL EVERETT

Eight local Charities supporting vulnerable Novocastrians have shared in $150,000 of Rapid Response Grants from Newcastle Council, to help people overcome challenges posed by Covid-19. 

The eight recipient charities include:

·         OZ Harvest 

·         Soul Café 

·         Grainery Church 

·         Got Your Back Sista 

·         Justiz Community 

·         BaptistCare HopeStreet 

·         Awabakal 

·         A local women’s and children’s refuge 

The payments were made under the City’s Community and Economic Development Resilience Package, to help the charities prepare meals and care packages for the needy and supply them through newly introduced delivery services.

The funds are also set to be used to buy IT equipment for disadvantaged youth to continue their education during social isolation and help victims of domestic violence access online counselling.

Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the first round of support had been rolled out in little more than a week after the City announced a twin grants program to support non-government organisations, not for profits and other charitable service providers.

“The rapid response funding has ensured the continuity of food supply to meet a spike in local demand,” the Lord Mayor said.

“It was critical we responded quickly to help organisations implement the changes they have had to make to operate safely under current social distancing and home isolation restrictions."

BaptistCare HopeStreet’s Craig Budden said their $25,000 grant from the City would help provide food support and material assistance to meet a huge increase in demand at the organisations Mayfield and Wallsend offices. 

“The extra funding will mean we are able to provide more emergency relief care-packs, Woolworths and Coles vouchers, hand sanitiser, cleaning products and other emergency relief items like petrol, sleeping bags and pharmacy products, as well as more takeaway food through our outreach van,” Budden, Manager of the Wallsend Centre, said. 

“The grant will also help fund the HopeStreet food delivery service that we have started to ensure those who are experiencing food insecurity but are self-isolating or quarantining can still receive food support.” 

Another round of community funding totalling $550,000 is also being offered under the City’s Community and Economic Development Resilience Package. 

The Boost our City Community Grants of up to $30,000 will help organisations directly support community health and wellbeing during the coronavirus crisis. 

“Whether it’s for someone with complex health needs but limited access to technology to continue getting that vital care, or someone who has lost their job and is seeking help for the first time, we know these grants will go a long way to helping our community,” Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes added.

Open until 30 June, Boost our City Community Grants are available for projects that comply with Federal Government guidelines and NSW Health advice.  

Application forms and information on how to apply are available via the City’s website.  

Grants of up to $3000 for Musicians and Creatives in Lake Macquarie

BY ISABEL EVERETT

Lake Macquarie City Council is providing grants of to $3000 for local musicians and creatives as part of their Creative Industry Seed Grants program.

Four categories of funding are available under the program.

Five emerging musicians each year, over the age of 12, are eligible for grants of up to $500 to help with development and support of emerging musicians from Lake Macquarie.

“This could be used to create or deliver original performance works, upgrade instruments, make recordings or participate in gigs,” Manager Arts, Culture and Tourism, Jacqui Hemsley said.

Five $1000 grants will be awarded for projects covering art exhibitions and installations, theatre performances, literature, multimedia or film.

Ms Hemsley said Council was also offering five $500 grants for people to develop their professional creative skills through workshops, courses and other means.

“We’re also offering two $2500 grants each year for research and development into creative pursuits, whether it’s developing a script or publication, or preparing a business case for large-scale arts activities in Lake Mac,” Ms Hemsley said.

The new Lake Macquarie City Council Creative Industry Seed Grants program will provide a total $15,000 a year to emerging artists and musicians as part of its commitment to growing Lake Mac’s creative sector and supporting the creative economy.

“We’re urging talented applicants and emerging creatives to apply, to help them develop their own creative practice, profession or cultural pursuit,” Ms Hemsley said.

Applications close 5pm, 31 March, with funds distributed in June for projects in the 2021-22 financial year.

Information sessions on the new program will be held 5.30-6.30pm on Monday 9 March at Toronto Library, and 5.30-6.30pm on Thursday 19 March at Belmont Library.

HMRI launch Women in Medical Research Fellowship

BY LAUREN FREEMANTLE

Just in time for International Women's Day, the Hunter Medical Research Institute has launched a new fellowships initiative aimed at female scientists.

The scheme includes a research support grant, along with secured salary, to help sustain the recipient’s own research project.

HMRI say it could lead to further research grants, government funding and commercialisation opportunities.

Companies, foundations and individual donors are encouraged to contribute to the funding pool, which supports female fellowships over three, five or 10 years.

Female researchers often spend valuable time applying for grants, while a fellowship guarantees funding, allowing scientific leaps forward.

HMRI Director, Professor Michael Nilsson said women tend to drain out of the academic system around the mid-point of their careers, causing a lot of intellectual capital to be wasted.

"...It's particularly so for women - of course, we have exceptionally talented scientists in that bracket," he said, but they are maybe even more at risk during this period for not attracting continuous funding.

"It's quite often the career phase when children are coming and families are established. 

Professor Nilsson said female HMRI researchers face significant career barriers. 

"There aren't many opportunities to secure long-term funding in that vulnerable phase...so I would say maybe it's not a glass ceiling, it's actually that they're sinking, without finding ways to sustain their career. " 

To donate to the fellowship fund, head to the HMRI website or contact HMRI Donor Relations on (02) 4042 1000. 

Hunter charities receive welcome funding

BY LAUREN FREEMANTLE

Health and wellbeing projects carried out by Hunter charities are set to receive a welcome boost, with the nib foundation's announcement of this year's Community Grant Program recipients.

Amongst the 10 beneficiaries, six will conduct projects to improve the health of youths and carers within the Hunter region- Camp Quality; Family Planning NSW; Youth Off the Streets; Diabetes NSW; Waves of Wellness and the Australian Trust for Conservation Workers.

They'll share in $300,000 worth of funding, with grants ranging from $5000 to $50,000 being awarded by the foundation.

Executive Officer of the nib foundation, Amy Tribe, said it represents a continued commitment to improving local health services.

"This is our ninth annual Community Grant round," she said, "we've provided nearly $16 million in grant funding to more than 105 charity partners here in the Hunter and across Australia during that time."

Ms Tribe said nib foundation has recognised the need for better access to health services and education and programs which develop life-skills and social connectedness as a priority.

She believes the charities chosen are making a real difference in the lives of at-risk individuals.

"We'll be helping Camp Quality to train more volunteers, we'll be expanding the Waves of Wellness therapy programs for young people with mental health problems in the Port Stephens area, and our grants will also support Youth Off the Streets to continue their work with highly disadvantaged youths in the Kurri Kurri region."