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What kind of projects could qualify for support from the Stronger Country Community Fund?


7 August 2017

Orange City Council is consulting with the people of the Orange local government area to find community infrastructure projects, to submit for a fund worth a total of $1.9 million.

Examples of suitable projects include:

  • building new community facilities (such as parks, playgrounds, walking and cycle pathways)
  • refurbishing existing local facilities (such as community centres and libraries)
  • enhancing local parks and the supporting facilities (such as kitchens and toilet blocks).


CRITERIA :


The government will only fund projects which meet these conditions.

Projects must :

  • provide local jobs and support local businesses.
  • the total cost of each project has to be in the range of funding. The minimum amount is $100,000, and generally between $250,000 to $1 million, or more than $1 million where there is a significant financial co-contribution. It may be possible for community groups to cooperate to produce a number of smaller projects which would add up to the $100,000 minimum
  • be able to begin within 12 months of being funded, and ideally be completed within two years.

After consulting with the community and learning about projects which have been suggested by community groups, Orange City Council will :
  • assemble a priority-list of projects
  • consult with the community about that priority-list, and then
  • submit the application for these projects, on behalf of community groups

FUNDING DEADLINE :

The NSW GOvernment is planning to allocate the funding over years : $950,000 in the first year and $950,000 in the second year. A separate funding application will have to be lodged in each year.
Because the first round funding application deadline is 7 October this year, and the applications for the first year of funding have to be already advanced enough to have two costing quotes as part of the application, it's expected that only community projects that have already been developed for some time will be able to be considered during the first round of this funding program.

Orange City Council will require two quotes for each project by 8 September.

If community members want to suggest other good ideas for projects which haven't been developed to date, they can be considered by the council in future years.

While some projects mightn’t be ready for this funding program in its first year, the council will also be collecting suggestions for future projects, that could be funded in the 2nd round of funding next year.

Later this year, after the September election, Orange City Council will start work on its next round of long-term planning. Working with the community, the council will start to draft our next Community Strategic Plan, and wish-list projects could be channeled into that process to be considered then.

Because the government plans to allocate the funding over two years ($950,00 in each of two years) with two separate application deadlines, that means there’s time for either the council or community groups to work on the details of projects which aren’t well-developed to date.



FIND OUT MORE :

This NSW Government web site explains more about the Stronger Country Communities Fund and how applications will be handled.

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Consultation has concluded