Funding Boost - Communities, Emergency Volunteers
12 December 2005 at 12:12 pm
Local communities and emergency services volunteers have received a $14 million boost in the inaugural funding round of the Australian Government’s Working
Together to Manage Emergencies initiative.
Attorney-General Philip Ruddock has announced more than 400 successful projects across Australia that will receive grants designed to develop self-reliance at both the community and local government levels.
The funding was allocated under two new programs administered by Emergency Management Australia (EMA) – fulfilling a Coalition election commitment in 2004.
Some 500,000 people in Australia volunteer their services in some emergency management capacity, and 350,000 of those are directly involved in emergency first response, principally through the various rural fire services and State Emergency Services.
Ruddock says the new funding initiative is about supporting local governments and volunteer organisations at the frontline of emergency management.
The Working Together To Manage Emergencies initiative included:
– $16 million over four years to the National Emergency Volunteer Support Fund (NEVSF) to boost the recruitment, retention, skills and training of volunteer organisations
– $30 million over four years to the Local Grants Scheme (LGS) to assist local councils to develop and implement community emergency risk management initiatives, fund security upgrades around critical infrastructure and provide training for staff.
Some of the successful organisations include Australian Red Cross, Flying Doctor Services, SES, Ambulance and Fire services, volunteer coastal patrols, surf life saving Australia, Salvation Army Emergency Services, Life Line and Anglicare.
An additional $170,000 was provided for nationally significant projects – such as the national emergency management strategy in remote indigenous communities
launched in the Tiwi Islands in June – which were assessed as having significant benefits across the country.
Applications for the 2006-07 funding round will be opened this month, due by 3 March 3, 2006. Guidelines and application forms will be available at:
www.ema.gov.ay/communitydevelopment from mid-December.
