City suspends Community Grants

THE City of Greater Geelong council will suspend its 2020-21 Community Grants program due to uncertainty caused by the coronavirus.

Applications for the grants were due to open on Monday, April 27 and close on May 24, but Geelong mayor Stephanie Asher said this timeline was unsuitable as the council was presently focused on redirecting funding to help with the region cope with the effects of the virus.

“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.”

The city’s Community Grants programs include the Community Events Grants Fund, Environment and Sustainability Grants and Community Infrastructure Grants.

The St Leonards skatepark is one potential project affected by the suspension of the grants.

The town has long been lobbying for a new skatepark, with students from the local primary and secondary schools recently sending submissions to council requesting an upgrade to the existing facility.

Advocate for the new park Libby Lesock said an unfortunate symptom of the delayed grants would be the uncertainty of council’s attitude towards the project.

“We won’t know really whether it’s a result of the coronavirus or whether it’s a result of the council not seeing it as a priority regardless. So we’re really in the dark about how they feel about it.”

Finance portfolio chair Cr Anthony Aitken said he hoped higher tiers of government would support the council in providing the community with as much financial support as possible.

“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.”