2016-06-07 Services & Organisation Committee Agenda

SERVICES & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                   7 JUNE 2016


Background

The annual review of the 2015/16 Community Grants recommended a number of changes to the
Community Grants policy. These included:
   the establishment of a new 3 year Community Alliance category to replace the previous
     Operational Grants category;
   a new system of water rebates for community organisations; and
   Council covering the cost of building insurance for eligible community organisations who
     have facilities on Council owned land.

These recommendations were endorsed by Council in February 2016 and a new Community
Grants policy agreed on 8 February 2016.

Following the adoption of the new policy, the first round of the 2016/2017 Community Grants and
the second round of the 2015/2016 RADF grants program was advertised and assessed as
follows:
•    This grant round opened on 22 February 2016 and was advertised in local media and
     through community networks with a closing date of 8 April 2016.
•    A number of free information sessions were held across the Shire for eligible not for profit
     community organisations to learn about the Council community grants program prior to the
     closing date.
•    Organisations were encouraged to discuss their application with a relevant Council Officer.
•    Following the closure of the grant round, applications were then checked for eligibility
     against the Noosa Council Community Grants policy and guidelines.
•    Applications were then reviewed and commented on by specialist staff with appropriate
     expertise (except RADF).
•    All applications and staff comments were then discussed and assessed by the grants
     assessment panel (except RADF).
•    RADF applications were assessed by an external RADF committee made up of one
     Councillor and five external professional arts industry representatives.
•    The assessment panels are recommending the following grants:
      -   15 applications receive $133,500 funding from the Community Alliance Program;
      -   7 applications receive $35,400 funding from the Festive Season Event Program;
      -   5 signature event grant applications to receive $47,500;
      -   18 applications receive $93,775 funding from the Community Projects Program;
      -   4 applications and 1 Council initiated project receive $30,176 funding from the RADF
          Program.

The assessment panel is recommending that all successful Community Alliance, Festive Season
and Signature Event grant applicants be allocated three year funding.

Creation of a 3 year Signature Events Category

In this grant round some signature community events applied for 3 year Community Alliance
funding while others were not eligible to apply as service clubs are specifically excluded from
receiving 3 year funding under the Community Alliance category. To address this inequity the
assessment committee is recommending a new category of three year funding for signature
community events be created.




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