BBRF grant fully funds hospice

A TRIO of projects in the Geelong region are among those supported in the latest round of the federal government’s Building Better Regions Fund (BBRF).

The fund aims to create jobs, drive economic growth and build stronger regional communities across Australia.

Announced last week, round five of the BBRF will allocate $2.19 million to complete eight end-of-life bedrooms and ensuites, a commercial kitchen, library, landscaping and new footpaths at the new Anam Cara Geelong Hospice at Deakin University’s Waurn Ponds campus.

It expands the total number of bedrooms at the facility, now under construction on two hectares of land at the university campus, to 20.

The hospice will also provide day respite care for up to 20 guests each day.

Victorian Senator Sarah Henderson said the latest funding built on her government’s $5 million contribution that kickstarted the development of the hospice, and the state-of-the-art palliative care facility was now fully funded.

“I congratulate Anam Cara Geelong on its vision and commitment to providing the very best care to people suffering life-limiting illness, along with their carers and families.”

Anam Cara House Geelong chair Diana Taylor said her organisation was “enormously grateful” for the ongoing and significant support from the federal government.

“This funding support and facility will be life changing for the people of Geelong. The Australian Government understands this outcome and the needs of our community,” she said.

The BBRF is also providing $50,000 to Good Shepherd Australia to deliver a two-to-three-year Financial Inclusion Action Plan for Geelong, and $20,000 to Belmont Traders to deliver a community event in the summer of 2021-22 in Belmont.

Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Barnaby Joyce said the extra funding will support more projects, more jobs and create more economic opportunities in regions as they recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This $300 million BBRF round will support 295 local infrastructure and community projects, creating an estimated 9,900 jobs during the project period,” Mr Joyce said.

“Across these five rounds, the government has now provided $1.38 billion across nearly 1,300 projects under the Building Better Regions Fund.”

Applications under round six of the BBRF are expected to open later this year.