Volunteers gear up with VESEP grants

EMERGENCY services volunteers across western Victoria are sharing in hundreds of thousands of more than a million dollars in funding for equipment though the latest round of a state government program.

The 2017-18 recipients of the Volunteer Emergency Services Equipment Program were announced earlier this month.

The program funds operational equipment, including vehicles, trucks, tankers, watercraft, trailers and minor facility upgrades.

Locally, units to receive grants include:

• Otway SES – $57,378 for a replacement vehicle
• Colac SES – $46,403 for building extension
• Wye River SLSC – $46,667 for a facility upgrade, including renovation of change rooms, bunkhouse and infrastructure
• Barongarook CFA – $2,333 for a projector
• Colac CFA – $7,667 for a thermal imaging camera
• Gellibrand CFA – $2,143 for computer and IT equipment
• Modewarre CFA – $310,000 for a medium tanker
• Winchelsea SES – $30,009 for building refurbishment
• Fairhaven SLSC – $33,333 for purchase of ATV, IRB trailer and IRB motors
• Jan Juc SLSC – $43,086 for replacement rescue boards, IRB, IRB motors and general quipment
• Torquay SLSC – $8,753 for storage solutions for deteriorating equipment
• Winchelsea CFA – $38,227 for a field command vehicle
• Wurdale CFA – $4,233 for a quick fill pump, and
• Torquay CFA – $13,714 for a double garage.

Member for Western Victoria Gayle Tierney congratulated the organisations on their successful grant application.

“Our amazing volunteers in Western Victoria do an incredible job protecting the local community and they deserve nothing but the best equipment.

“I’m really pleased that we are able to provide these 26 organisations with over $1,091,253 in grants to continue protecting the community.”

“I congratulate all our grant recipients on the time they give and hope that this funding boost assists them in the outstanding job they do in keeping the community safe.”

Across Victoria, VESEP is providing $13 million in grants.

For more information, head to the Emergency Management Victoria website at emv.vic.gov.au.