City announce First Nations Heritage Grants

THE City of Greater Geelong council has endorsed the formation of a First Nations Heritage Grants fund to protect the history of the region’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

At the March 24 council meeting, Cr Anthony Aitken said the program, which the city will work with Traditional Owners to create, will help correct an historical bias towards in the city’s heritage grants.

“Heritage grants in Greater Geelong have always focused on European settlers. They really should have also included the 50,000-plus years of heritage on the land before the arrival of the white man, and tonight Geelong council has changed that.”

Most of the program’s funding will come from the $200,000 Central Geelong Heritage Grants budget.

Geelong mayor Stephanie Asher said she the funds were acknowledging an important part of the city’s history.

“Greater Geelong has a diverse First Nations history and I’m pleased it will be supported and enhanced further, as part of this new fund.”

Several other alterations were made to the city’s 2020-21 Grants Program guidelines at the meeting.

Many of these changes aim to make funding more accessible to grassroots organisations. Other changes were to improve the clarity of the grants application process.

Ms Asher said she hoped the changes would encourage more people to apply.

“I encourage community groups and organisations to head to the city’s website and consider applying for grants in the 2020-21 round.”

Grants from the 2020-21 round are scheduled to open by April 27 and close on May 24.

For more information on the grants, head to geelongaustralia.com.au/grants.