Media releases: 20 November 2023
FRRR and ANZ have awarded $250,000 in grants to 20 community groups and not-for-profit organisations through the ANZ Seeds of Renewal program.
The program, which is now in its 21st year, provides grants to community groups across remote, rural and regional Australia. The awarded funds will support projects that improve access to housing, financial wellbeing, and environmental sustainability.
ANZ General Manager, Strategic Delivery, Jenefer Stewart said: “During the past 21 years, Seeds of Renewal has helped more than 800 communities in remote and regional Australia to thrive, while promoting community vibrancy and sustainability.
“The program is something we are really proud of and it was very pleasing to see a diverse mix of applications, all with strong alignment to the four focus areas; environmental sustainability, financial wellbeing, housing access and projects that assist local communities to thrive.”
FRRR CEO, Natalie Egleton said “Many Australians are presently facing uncertainty and environmental, financial, housing or wellbeing concerns. For people living outside of metro regions, practical support is harder to access and sustainable solutions require both committed funds and local people with the capacity to lead the change.
“Across remote, rural and regional Australia, local organisations continue to show up for their communities, to help address the critical needs of locals that would otherwise likely be unmet.
“Through partnerships such as this one with ANZ, we can support local organisations to fill these gaps. For example, in Bairnsdale, Victoria, the community’s Recycling Enterprise is building local capacity to recycle. With their $10,000 grant, the Enterprise will purchase the machinery needed to process polystyrene and promote waste reduction practices across the region,” Ms Egleton said.
Since 2003, ANZ Seeds of Renewal has awarded $5.75 million to more than 800 community groups for approximately 900 projects. Some examples of the projects funded this year include:
Improving access to housing:
- Office AU Limited, Wilya Janta: Making Bricks on Country, Tennant Creek, NT – Enhance local housing and employment opportunities through supporting a community house build designed for the Tennant Creek climate using locally produced bricks. $15,000.
Improving environmental sustainability:
- ReForest Now Limited, Expansion of the ReForest Now Nursery, Mullumbimby, NSW – Build organisational capacity to increase rainforest regeneration, engage local community in environmental sustainability, and create new local employment opportunities via the expansion of native plant nursery operations. $10,000.
- Trillion Trees Australia Inc., Healing West Australia’s Wheatbelt – One Tree at a Time, Westdale, WA – Restore Indigenous plants and shrubs to regenerate cleared landscape to benefit the environment and the local community with volunteer planting of 20,000 saplings. $14,400.
Improving Financial Wellbeing:
- South West Community Foundation, Financial Know-how in the Digital World, Warrnambool, VIC – Improve financial literacy to reduce vulnerability to digital fraud and increase money management skills through local workshops in South West Victorian communities. $15,000.
Assisting local communities to thrive:
- Warialda Cultural Community Centre Craft Shop, Building Capacity and Helping Volunteers, Warialda, NSW – Enhance community facilities and volunteer safety at the Warialda Cultural Community Centre Craft Shop with kitchen equipment, chairs, tables, a shade tent, and security cameras. $14,932.
- PCYC Innisfail Braking the Cycle (BTC), Innisfail, QLD – A learner driver mentoring program that empowers young people facing barriers to undertake the mandatory 100 hours of supervised driving required to obtain their licence. $15,000.
The full list of grant recipients and their projects are below.
| Organisation | Project | Location | Grant | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NEW SOUTH WALES | ||||||
| Abbeyfield Australia Limited | Upgrading and Replacing the Flooring at Abbeyfield Narrabri House Improve community housing facilities with an upgrade and replacement of flooring. | Narrabri | $15,000 | |||
| Boys to the Bush Ltd | Money and Sense: Financial Literacy Education at Boys to the Bush Build organisational capacity to support developing financial literacy for Indigenous and non-Indigenous young people through dedicated training of all staff at Boys to the Bush. | Albury | $14,960 | |||
| OZ Green-Global Rivers Environmental Education Network (Australia) Incorporated | Rethink Waste Coffs Harbour Support waste reduction at major events in Coffs Harbour by funding education material promoted by volunteers onsite. | Coffs Harbour | $1,092 | |||
Tenterfield Tourism Working Group (Tenterfield Chamber of Tourism Industry & Business Incorporated) | Tenterfield Tourism & Volunteer Development Program Build the capacity of the new community-run Tenterfield Tourism activities through funding volunteer training, office equipment and signage for the new operations. | Tenterfield | $15,000 | |||
| Warialda Cultural Community Centre Craft Shop | Building Capacity and Helping Volunteers Enhance community facilities and volunteer safety at the Warialda Cultural Community Centre Craft Shop with kitchen equipment, chairs, tables, a shade tent and security cameras. | Warialda | $14,932 | |||
| ReForest Now Limited | Expansion of the ReForest Now Nursery Build organisational capacity to increase rainforest regeneration, engage local community in environmental sustainability and create new local employment opportunities via the expansion of their native plant nursery operations. | Mullumbimby | $10,000 | |||
| Lions Club of Pambula-Merimbula Incorporated | Multi-generational Inclusive Recreation Area (MIRA) – Stage 1 Concept Design Enhance community outcomes in Tura Beach for multi-generations through supporting a concept design to create an inclusive community site in a currently neglected community space. | Tura Beach | $11,646 | |||
| NORTHERN TERRITORY | ||||||
| Office AU Limited | Wilya Janta: Making Bricks on Country Enhance local housing and employment opportunities through supporting a community house build designed for the Tennant Creek climate using locally produced bricks. | Tennant Creek | $15,000 | |||
| The Trustee for Karrkad-Kanjdji Trust | Mimal LiDAR Scanning and Training Program Develop the capability of local Indigenous rangers by contributing to the purchase of a survey kit and equipment to monitor herbivores' habitats for species conservation. | Bulman Weemol | $15,000 | |||
| QUEENSLAND | ||||||
| Weipa Community Care Assn Inc | Financial Counselling Education, Budgeting and Debt Support Build lifelong financial literacy skills for vulnerable community members through a program of financial counselling and life skills training at the Weipa Community Care Centre. | Weipa | $10,000 | |||
PCYC Innisfail (Queensland Police-Citizens Youth Welfare Association) | PCYC Innisfail Braking the Cycle (BTC) Support young people to obtain their licence by matching young drivers with volunteer mentors to complete the supervised hours driving requirement. | Innisfail | $15,000 | |||
| Towers Players Inc | Sound Equipment for the Future Build the capacity of the local theatre facility with a new sound system to support local connection, events and provide a shared resource for community activity. | Charters Towers | $4,500 | |||
| SOUTH AUSTRALIA | ||||||
| Ozfish Unlimited Limited | Fishers for Fish Habitat – Growing Waterway Stewardship Improve environmental outcomes for waterways through engagement and training of local community volunteers to participate in seagrass seeding habitat restoration projects. | Goolwa | $11,350 | |||
| The Trustee for Nature Glenelg Trust | Natives are Good in Gardens Too! Improve biodiversity in Mount Gambier through establishing 1,000 local native plants with staff and volunteers in high profile public spaces / gardens to promote the benefits of growing native plants for local biodiversity and increase awareness and educate the local community on native propagation. | Mount Gambier | $12,120 | |||
| VICTORIA | ||||||
| The Growing Abundance Project Inc | A Year of Abundance Build community resilience to improve food security and reduce food waste through a series of events to share food and educate on local food systems, production and preserving. | Castlemaine | $15,000 | |||
| South West Community Foundation | Financial Know-How in the Digital World Improve financial literacy to reduce vulnerability to digital fraud and increase money management skills through local workshops in South West Victorian communities. | Warrnambool | $15,000 | |||
| Bairnsdale Recycling Enterprise Inc | BREI Polystyrene Recycling Project Build community capacity to recycle by purchasing machinery to process polystyrene and activate waste reduction practices with local councils. | Bairnsdale | $10,000 | |||
| WESTERN AUSTRALIA | ||||||
| K Farmer Dutjahn Foundation Limited | Healthy Country, Healthy Community: Developing the Next Generation of Martu Caretakers Preserve local Martu lore and knowledge of Country through funding camping equipment, food and the appropriate clothing for participation in an Indigenous Youth Ranger Program learning from Elders. | Wiluna | $15,000 | |||
| Trillion Trees Australia Inc | Healing West Australia's Wheatbelt – One Tree at a Time Restore Indigenous plants and shrubs to regenerate cleared landscape in WA to benefit the environment and the local community with a volunteer planting of 20,000 saplings. | Westdale | $14,400 | |||
| The Country Women's Association of Western Australia Inc | Darkan CWA Building Restoration Project Build the capacity of the Darkan CWA by restoring their hall facility to benefit the organisation and the community with a functional meeting space and local evacuation centre. | Darkan | $15,000 | |||
