In August, Attorney General Philip Ruddock announced details of 365 projects, valued at $13.1 million, to be funded in 2006/07 through the Local Grants Scheme (LGS) and National Emergency Volunteer Support Fund (NEVSF). The two programs were developed in September 2004 as part of the Working Together to Manage Emergencies initiative, which recognised the need to develop strategies to improve community safety and handle the recruitment, retention and training of volunteers. The projects range in value from under $1,000 for the purchase of Tabards for use in an Emergency Operations Centre to $360,000 for the development of the Australian Disaster Information Network (AusDIN) web portal – a national project that provides access to a wealth of emergency management information.
A full list of projects funded can be found at ww.ema.gov.au/communitydevelopment Each State and Territory convened a selection committee to prioritise funding applications from Local Governments, Indigenous communities and volunteer organisations.
“The successful projects provide assistance to the full range of volunteer organisations in the emergency management sector and support their efforts to build safer sustainable communities,” Mr Ruddock said. “The successful projects showcase the innovation, commitment and enthusiasm of our communities in assuring their safety from emergencies and disasters.
The funding breakdown for States and Territories is as follows:
- New South Wales – $3.2 million
- Victoria – $2.1 million
- Queensland – $2.7 million
- South Australia – $1.2 million
- Western Australia – $2.2 million
- Tasmania – $0.5 million
- Northern Territory – $0.5 million
- Australian Capital Territory – $0.2 million
- National projects – $0.5 million.
Applications for funding under the two programs in financial year 2007/08 will be called for in mid December 2006, with a closing date of 2 March 2007. It is expected that guidelines and application forms will be available on the Emergency Management Australia website at www.ema.gov.au/communitydevelopment from mid December.
