Government Opens Safer Community Grants

The federal government is offering grants worth a total of $9.5 million under the Safer Communities Fund to boost community safety across Australia.

The Safer Communities Fund is a grassroots level grant program to assist local communities address crime and anti-social behaviour and support crime prevention initiatives to keep communities safe.

In this round, the government said 71 organisations would share in $9.5 million worth of funding which was promised in the coalition’s election commitments.

Minister for Justice Michael Keenan said: “The coalition government recognises that local solutions are often the best way to deal with local issues, which is why we are providing funding to local communities in areas identified where local crime and anti-social behaviour is a problem.

“Under the Safer Communities Fund, local councils and community organisations will receive funding to boost their crime prevention initiatives through the installation of fixed and mobile CCTV or lighting.

“As we all know, CCTV and security infrastructure has been a key factor in both solving crimes and preventing crimes. That’s why our Safer Communities Fund represents such a significant and important investment where it is needed most to crack down on local crime and anti-social behaviour.”

In the lead up to the 2016 federal election the coalition pledged a $40 million Safer Communities Fund to:

• boost the efforts of identified local councils and community organisations to address crime and anti-social behaviour by funding crime prevention initiatives (such as fixed and mobile CCTV and lighting)
• protect schools, pre-schools and community organisations that are facing security risks associated with racial or religious intolerance.

Further information on the Safer Communities Fund is here.