2020-10-06 Services & Organisation Committee Agenda

SERVICES & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                   6 OCTOBER 2020


The initial 2020/2021 round of Community Project Grant round resumed with a closing date of 27
August 2020. Applicants who had submitted their forms in February-March were given the option
to withdraw or change their application if their priorities had changed in the interim.
A total of 49 Community Project Grant applications were received requesting in total $530,650.85.
Applications were checked for eligibility against the relevant Noosa Council Grants Policy
(Community Grants Policy) and Guidelines. Applications were then reviewed, assessed and
commented on by specialist staff with appropriate expertise. In response to the Coronavirus
COVID-19 pandemic, priority was given to those projects which support either the organisation or
the community in their recovery.
All applications and staff comments were then discussed and assessed by the grants assessment
panel. The assessment panel is recommending 35 Community Project applications receive
$225,971.28 funding from the Community Project Grants fund.
Community projects may include, but are not restricted to:
     Events - Community based festivals or events that bring residents together (beyond the
      applicant organisation’s membership base), including cultural, sports, environmental or
      community festivals.
     Projects/programs – Projects, purchases of equipment or programs that respond to a specific
      opportunity or need within the community. Ongoing projects or programs may be funded for
      a maximum of three times. Previous recipients of ongoing projects or programs that have
      been funded by Council must re-apply each year.
     Building work or infrastructure improvement projects that include new or replacement
      infrastructure or maintenance of existing infrastructure or reduction of greenhouse gas
      emissions. This may include but is not limited to energy efficient lighting, shade sails, storage
      facilities, new or upgraded amenities, water harvesting, fit-outs, solar systems etc.
As per the relevant Noosa Council Grants Policies, assessors and assessment panel members
recognised and declared any material or perceived conflicts of interest and did not debate nor were
involved in any discussions on matters relating to that application.
Implementation
Following endorsement of this report, grant applicants will be notified of the outcomes. Funding to
successful project grant applicants will be distributed in October 2020 providing they have no
outstanding debt to Council and they have met any relevant funding conditions.
Previous Council Consideration
Ordinary Meeting Minutes, 16 July 2020, Item 2, Page 13
That Council note the report by the Community Development Manager to the Services &
Organisation Committee Meeting dated 7 July 2020 providing an update on the allocations of
funding under the Community Disaster Response and Recovery Grants for COVID-19.

Finance
Funding for the 2020/21 Community Grants Program was determined as part of the 2020/21
Budget process. Traditionally, the budget for the Community Project Grants is allocated over two
funding rounds, generally in June and January each financial year. However, due to COVID-19 a
hold was put on the first round (Round 13) in April. Given the delay to the first round and the large
amount of grant requests, needs identified by organisations, inability to fundraise and unavailability
of other external funding programs (e.g. Gambling Community Benefit Fund) it is recommended
that only one round be offered this financial year. The next round of funding applications would
then open in March 2021 and be funded from the 21/22 budget.




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