17 November 2020: ANZ and the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR) today announced 26 community groups across regional Australia will share $250,000 in grants.
The ANZ Seeds of Renewal program has been running since 2003 and in 2020 the program specifically focussed on supporting groups running projects to address environmental sustainability, financial wellbeing and accessible housing initiatives in remote, rural and regional Australia.
ANZ’s technology partner Lenovo contributed more than $18,000 in IT equipment to five community groups, which was in addition to the money ANZ provided.
This year special consideration was given to projects that were in bushfire affected areas, with eight of the 26 grants awarded to groups in those regions.
ANZ General Manager Business Banking Jenefer Stewart said: “Australia’s regional, remote and rural communities have been hit particularly hard this year with the pandemic and the bushfires and we are proud of our track record in supporting them with these grants.
“The applicants show a real passion for their local communities and we are honoured to play a small part in helping these important projects come to fruition and make a positive impact to people’s lives,” Ms Stewart said.
FRRR CEO Natalie Egleton said it was inspiring to see so many groups finding innovative ways of practicing environmental sustainability in their communities and offering support to more vulnerable groups.
“The environment, housing equity and financial wellbeing, are national priority issues and are all critical to maintaining the social and economic vitality of rural Australia. It’s wonderful to partner with ANZ to provide this targeted support for local groups as they seek better ways for their communities to live,” Ms Egleton said.
Some of the locally-led projects funded this round include:
- Community Maker Space – Plastics rePurposed – Berry Springs, NT – $15,000 – Build community capability to recycle and repurpose plastic to address the environmental issues.
- Gunbower & District Development Group Inc – Gunbower Lions Park Wetlands Project – Gunbower, VIC – $12,700 – Improve the environmental sustainability of community facilities by enhancing the native vegetation and habitat.
- Pambula Beach Surf Life Saving Club Inc Environmental assessment for a healthy sustainable environment, and a fire-ready club and community – Pambula, NSW – $3,390 – Support community preparedness and environmental sustainability with review of habitat and use.
- Gunida Gunyah Aboriginal Corporation- Responsive Emergency Accommodation Service – Gunnedah, NSW – $15,000 – Provide additional crisis accommodation support that enables the organisation to support those most in need and bring them back into systems for more permanent housing.
- Sisterworks Inc – Remote Activities Project – Bendigo, VIC – $10,800 – Support the economic empowerment of migrant, refugee and asylum-seeking women in regional centres by addressing isolation issues.
The full list of recipients is below:
| Applicants | Project | Location | Grant |
| NSW | |||
| Barnabas House Crisis Care Incorporated | Barnabas Community Garden and Composting Program Build capability in program participants to improve environmental sustainability of community garden. | Griffith | $9,282 |
| Pambula Beach Surf Life Saving Club Inc | Environmental assessment for a healthy sustainable environment, and a fire-ready club and community. Support community preparedness and environmental sustainability with review of habitat and use. | Pambula Beach | $3,390 |
| National Indigenous Culinary Institute Limited | Muswellbrook Skills for Success Program Provide training and mentoring opportunities for indigenous youth at risk to develop skills for employment in hospitality and agriculture. | Muswellbrook | $15,000 |
| Early Links Inclusion Support Service Incorporated | Teen Life Skills Develop the life skills of young people who live with a disability to improve their independent living capability. | Muswellbrook Maitland Cessnock Singleton | $11,916 |
| Gunida Gunyah Aboriginal Corporation | Responsive Emergency Accommodation Service Support individual and community housing access with additional crisis accomodation options. | Gunnedah | $15,000 |
| Western Murray Land Improvement Group Incorporated | Laptop resources contributing to vibrant and sustainable communities in the mid-murray region. Build community capacity for youth and seniors with 3 laptops to develop IT and Employment skills | Barham Moulamein Koraleigh Wakool | $5,640 |
| Tirkandi Inaburra Cultural & Development Centre Inc | Work Readiness Support Build capability with access to 2 laptops for youth who are training for employability. | Coleambally | $3,760 |
| Weddin Landcare Steering Committee Incorporated | Setting the Weddin Community Native Nursery up for Success with a Lenovo Laptop Build organisational capacity to enhance environmental sustainable practice at the Weddin Community Native Nursery | Grenfell | $1,880 |
| NT | |||
| The trustee for Karrkad-Kandji Trust | Mayh Recovery Project – protecting culturally important species in west Arnhem Land Improve organisational capacity to protect biodiversity by monitoring vulnerable habitats in Arnhem Land. | Kabulwarnamyo | $15,000 |
| Berry Springs School Council Inc | Plastics rePurposed – Community Maker Space Build community capability to recycle and repurpose plastic to address the environmental issues. | Berry Springs | $15,000 |
| QLD | |||
| Balkanu Cape York Development Corporation Pty Ltd | Life Skills Development Program for Families and Women distressed with Domestic Violence (DV) and Homelessness Support individual and community financial wellbeing with lifeskills programs for vulnerable women and families. | Mossman | $11,900 |
| Mossman Botanic Garden | Today’s seeds for tomorrow’s trees – Identification, collection and propagation of locally-sourced tropical, lowland rainforest trees. Build organisational capacity by developing capability in classifying and preserving native habitats. | Mossman Daintree National Park | $15,000 |
| The Creche and Kindergarten Association Limited | Supporting Environmental Sustainability at C&K Middlemount Develop organisational capability to better manage and use water with a new irrigation system | Middlemount | $2,248 |
| Tablelands Regional Council | Tablelands Smarter with our Water Support community education on water conservation for environmental sustainability through an engagement and training program. | Atherton Malanda Ravenshoe Herberton | $15,000 |
| SA | |||
| LifeChanger Foundation Limited | LifeChanger Community Programs with Tree-planting (Tribe Event) Workshop Celebration Support individual and community wellbeing through engaging local mentors with youth to deliver environmental projects. | Penneshaw, Kingscote, Pengilly | $15,000 |
| VIC | |||
| Wangaratta Community Toy Library | Recyclable Party Time Enable sustainable environmental practice in the ommunity with the purchase of recyclable party ware for lending for childrens parties. | Wangaratta | $621 |
| Barham-Koondrook Historical Society Inc | Upgrading a Community Multi-Purpose Facility Build community resilience by supporting local residents to live well in place with upgraded community facilities. | Koondrook | $5,000 |
| Western District Employment Access Incorporated | Solar Power Systems supporting employment equality at WDEA Works Social Enterprise – Nigretta Disability Employment Strengthen environmental practices in disability enterprise spaces through solar power installations. | Hamilton | $15,000 |
| Gunbower & District Development Group Inc | Gunbower Lions Park Wetlands Project Improve the environmental sustainability of community facilities by enhancing the native vegetation and habitat. | Gunbower | $12,700 |
| YWCA Australia | Money Savvy – Empowering young women in Broken Hill through financial literacy education Build resilience of young women with a program to develop their financial literacy. | Broken Hill | $15,000 |
| Country Fire Authority – Headoffice | Woodend CFA Fire Resistant Garden Education Project Build community resilience with education in fire resistant and sustainable species through a demonstration garden at the Woodend CFA Station. | Woodend | $10,000 |
| Stanhope & District Development Committee Inc | Upgrading Computer and Printer Facilities Build community capacity by upgrading public IT facilities to support education and personal use. | Stanhope | $10,260 |
| Cann River Community Centre Inc | IT Upgrade Build community capacity with public access to 2 laptops for personal tasks, education and employment seeking. | Cann River | $5653 |
| SisterWorks Inc | Remote Activities Project Support the economic empowerment of migrant, refugee and asylum seeking women in regional centres by addressing isolation issues. | Bendigo | $10,800 |
| Bendigo Family and Financial Services Inc | BFFS Student Financial Resilience Program Support the financial wellbeing of young people experiencing financial hardship through a program of emergency relief, case management and advocacy. | Bendigo | $13,850 |
| WA | |||
| Karajarri Traditional Lands Association (Aboriginal Corporation) RNTBC | Quality Foundations for Indigenous Enterprise in Native Botanicals – Caring for Country through Sustainable Harvest Practices Build organisational capability and implement environmentally sustainable practice to manage nature resources on country. | Broome Karajarri Country | $14,900 |
