2015-01-12 General Committee Agenda

GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                               12 January 2015


As a result a number of changes are proposed to the Community Grants Policy and framework
for the 2015/16 financial year.

The main proposed areas of change are as follows:
•    Remove Volunteer Conservation Agreements (VCA) from the Community Grants Policy
     because Land covered by a VCA already receives rate rebates;
•    An expanded list of ineligible organisations;
•    Community Halls/Centres to be multi-year funding agreements and invitation only;
•    Sports Field Maintenance to be multi-year funding agreements and invitation only;
•    Community Projects (incorporating events, infrastructure, programs, and projects) to
     continue to be a competitive grant offered twice a year and advertised accordingly,
     however the maximum amount of any individual grant to be capped;
•    Operational Grants to be called ‘Annual Operating Costs’. These grants are to be capped
     and restricted to selected recurrent expenditure as identified in the policy;
•    Economic Development activities are no longer eligible for Community Grants funding and
     are to be treated separately as part of the Economic Development Strategy;
•    Festive Season Grants are also to be treated separately and a Festive Season Strategy
     developed;
•    Community Pools to be multi-year funding agreements and invitation only and are to be
     treated separately to Community grants; and
•    Prospective grants applicants must speak with designated Council staff prior to applying.


Community Grant Guidelines and Application Forms

Following adoption of the revised Community Grants Policy and Framework Council staff will
develop new online application and acquittal forms.

The proposed timing for the 2015/2016 Community Grants program is as follows:

       Three Year Maintenance Agreements – Invitation Only
              Open: Monday 16 February 2015          Close: Tuesday 31 March 2015
       Annual Operating Costs:

              Open: Monday 16 February 2015          Close: Tuesday 31 March 2015
       Community Projects:
              Open: Monday 16 February 2015          Close: Tuesday 31 March 2015
              Open: Tuesday 6 October 2015           Close: Wednesday 11 November 2015
       Regional Arts Development Fund:
              Open: Monday 16 February 2015          Close: Tuesday 31 March 2015
              Open: Tuesday 6 October 2015           Close: Wednesday 11 November 2015




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