After debate, grants awarded

By Lachlan Ellis

A series of Community Grant applications have been approved by Council, despite disagreement over moving funding between the categories.
The ‘Community Grants Report – March 2022’ first came before Council at the 1 June Ordinary Meeting, deferred to the 6 July Ordinary Meeting due to debate over the terms of funding allocation.
In the latest round of Community Grant funding, $160,045 was available across five program categories, with 16 applications requesting a combined total of $107,747.50.
However, each category had a different portion available, from a $8,400 pool for ‘Sustainability and Environmental Engagement’, to $71,645 from the ‘Community Development Fund’.
After assessing the applications, Council Officers recommended $25,582.50 of funding be provided.
Debate arose among Councillors over the suggestion to take money from the leftover funds from other Community Grant categories, and give it to Sustainability and Environmental Engagement applicants, which had exceeded its available amount by $5,250.
Councillors Tom Sullivan and Paul Tatchell argued, while the projects in question were worthy recipients, taking money from other streams would contradict Council policy.
“It’s a very difficult thing to actually do this…basically because we’re not following the adopted process of guidelines that we agreed upon some time ago. We’re now trying to utilise funds out of other reserve funds within the Community Grants program, to supplement these ones,” Cr Sullivan said.
“They’re all very good projects, I’m not denying that, but it’s process I’m concerned about…it leaves us open to criticism that we just make decisions on the run.”
Cr Tatchell agreed, arguing that “process should ultimately be the foundation of anything we do”.
“The reality is the only way you can protect yourself when you move money around is by sticking to the process. While I agree that the grant money should be given to those volunteers who do wonderful things, we have a responsibility to the process we have,” he said.
Cr Rod Ward, who moved the motion to approve the grants, said he was comfortable with Council allocating the money, given it was well below the amount available.
“The most important resource we have in the community is volunteers. The amount recommended [to provide] is $25,582.50, about 16 per cent of the pool…I’m very comfortable that all these grants should be approved. It’s significantly less than we budgeted,” he said.
Crs Tonia Dudzik and David Edwards agreed with Cr Ward, stating the grants should be approved and the Community Grants policy should be clarified for future rounds.
“Planting days do have to happen in spring, if we did delay them till next allocation of money it would’ve been too late. Noting that we do need to clarify our policies…I think the right thing to do is allocate the funding,” Cr Edwards added.
Crs Ward, Dudzik, Edwards, and Cr Ally Munari voted in favour of the approval, while Crs Tatchell and Berry voted against – thus, the vote was carried.
Cr Tatchell told the Moorabool News the process has not been followed which appears to have now set a precedent.
“It is not our money, it is ratepayers’ money and the process should have been followed,” he said.