The Greater
Geelong council has agreed to suspend its 2020-21 Community Grants program and
conduct a review, aiming to re-tailor the funding to provide maximum support in
the region’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Applications for next financial year’s grants were due to open on 27 April and
close on 24 May, however the council has decided it would be inappropriate to
go ahead with that timeline given the current crisis.
A Notice of Motion moved by Cr Anthony Aitken and supported by the council
contended that suspending the grants program for now would:
- Remove
uncertainty around what projects and events could and could not be delivered; - Remove
difficulties for community groups in trying to coordinate and complete
applications during the current challenging time; and - Allow the council
to review the grants program and potentially develop new grants specifically
targeted to aid the recovery of the region once the COVID-19 crisis reaches
that phase.
As part of the same Notice
of Motion, the council has also agreed to review applications for remaining
funding in the 2019-20 community grants program, to assess which proposals
could and could not go ahead in the current environment.
Recommendations for this funding will now come before council by 26 May, once
the review has taken place.
Mayor Stephanie Asher:
It’s a shame to have to suspend the Community Grants program for now, but
in the environment we’re faced with at the moment it’s the only realistic
course of action. Opening applications during April would simply have made it
too difficult for community groups given the challenges we’re all facing at the
moment.The decision gives the council a chance to step back and look at the structure
of the grants as a whole, and re-shape it for 2020-21 only so that more funds
are directed towards projects that will aid the region’s recovery from the
pandemic.
Councillor Anthony Aitken, Chair, Finance portfolio:
This is another COVID-19 leadership response from Geelong Council. We have
a limited financial arsenal to fight for our community to survive and recover
from COVID-19, and that also is why local government in Australia and Geelong
are advocating for State and Federal Government support on behalf of our
community. Suspending the 2020-21 grants program gives us a little bit of
powder in our guns to help fire the recovery programs when needed in our
community.
