- Five Gascoyne projects to receive $548,090 Regional Economic Development (RED) Grant funding
- Cook Government investing in works accommodation, retail and small business in the region
Five Gascoyne projects will share in $548,090 funding which will help build regional business resilience and diversify the economy under Round 6 of the Regional Economic Development (RED) Grants program.
The RED Grants program is a Cook Government initiative investing $50.85 million over nine years toward locally driven projects to stimulate economic growth in the regions.
The Shire of Shark Bay plans to use their $250,000 grant to construct five new houses in Denham, housing up to 10 essential workers and their families. Two of the houses will be allocated to the Shire for essential worker accommodation, with the remaining three houses set to be leased on a long-term basis as Government Regional Officers’ Housing (GROH).
The Birdcage Hair Salon has been awarded $180,000 to expand their business by refurbishing a building within Exmouth’s commercial precinct, transforming it into the town’s largest holistic hair and beauty salon, and create an additional four full-time jobs.
Carnarvon-based Gascoyne Plumbing Solutions is using their $103,090 grant to expand their private and residential plumbing services throughout the Gascoyne region, which is expected to create four new full-time jobs. The funding will allow them to purchase and customise a trailer with wastewater and freshwater tanks, making Gascoyne Plumbing Solutions the only company that can transport potable water in the region.
A $10,000 grant will go to the ABC Foundation, which was awarded the Gascoyne region’s Containers for Change scheme contract in 2020 – a program which has seen significant growth. This new funding will allow them to purchase a custom-made cage trailer to facilitate the collection of cans and bottles to and from sites and events across the Gascoyne region, to the ABC’s processing facility in Carnarvon, as well as additional staff training.
A recently acquired dentistry business in Exmouth plans to use their $5,000 grant to purchase sedation equipment for the delivery of nitrous oxide to anxious dental patients, who would otherwise need to travel to Perth for anaesthesia.
As stated by Regional Development Minister Don Punch:
“RED Grants provide the opportunity to support community-led projects which boost our regional economies and create more jobs and career pathways in our regions.
“These five projects cover a diverse range of initiatives across the Gascoyne region, from relieving workforce accommodation pressures, to giving retail and commercial operations a boost.
“It was great to be in Shark Bay today, where the Shire’s essential worker accommodation project will allow businesses to attract seasonal and skilled workers to the region, building a stronger and more sustainable economy.”
As stated by Mining and Pastoral Region MLC Peter Foster:
“RED Grants have been providing positive impacts on the Gascoyne’s local capacity, supporting local businesses, local jobs and the long-term sustainability of our communities.
“I welcome the announcements by the Minister today, in particular those which facilitate workforce accommodation developments and create local jobs for the region, which in turn will support industry growth.”
Successful Round 6 RED Grant recipients Gascoyne
Grant Applicant | Project | Grant Amount |
Shire of Shark Bay | Essential Worker Accommodation | $250,000 |
Ainslie Meredith Avery | The Birdcage Salon Expansion Project | $180,000 |
The Trustee for The Plumbing Trust | Gascoyne Plumbing Solutions Expansion | $103,090 |
ABC Foundation Ltd | Containers for Change Infrastructure Upgrade: Custom-Made Trailer | $10,000 |
Exmouth Dental Pty Ltd | Provision of Relative Analgesia (RA) Sedation Equipment [Nitrous oxide] for dental clients | $5,000 |
