By Lachlan Ellis<\/p>\n
A series of Community Grant applications have been approved by Council, despite disagreement over moving funding between the categories.
\nThe \u2018Community Grants Report \u2013 March 2022\u2019 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.
\nIn 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.
\nHowever, each category had a different portion available, from a $8,400 pool for \u2018Sustainability and Environmental Engagement\u2019, to $71,645 from the \u2018Community Development Fund\u2019.
\nAfter assessing the applications, Council Officers recommended $25,582.50 of funding be provided.
\nDebate 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.
\nCouncillors Tom Sullivan and Paul Tatchell argued, while the projects in question were worthy recipients, taking money from other streams would contradict Council policy.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s a very difficult thing to actually do this…basically because we\u2019re not following the adopted process of guidelines that we agreed upon some time ago. We\u2019re now trying to utilise funds out of other reserve funds within the Community Grants program, to supplement these ones,\u201d Cr Sullivan said.
\n\u201cThey\u2019re all very good projects, I\u2019m not denying that, but it\u2019s process I\u2019m concerned about…it leaves us open to criticism that we just make decisions on the run.\u201d
\nCr Tatchell agreed, arguing that \u201cprocess should ultimately be the foundation of anything we do\u201d.
\n\u201cThe 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,\u201d he said.
\nCr 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.
\n\u201cThe 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\u2019m very comfortable that all these grants should be approved. It\u2019s significantly less than we budgeted,\u201d he said.
\nCrs 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.
\n\u201cPlanting days do have to happen in spring, if we did delay them till next allocation of money it would\u2019ve been too late. Noting that we do need to clarify our policies…I think the right thing to do is allocate the funding,\u201d Cr Edwards added.
\nCrs Ward, Dudzik, Edwards, and Cr Ally Munari voted in favour of the approval, while Crs Tatchell and Berry voted against \u2013 thus, the vote was carried.
\nCr Tatchell told the Moorabool News the process has not been followed which appears to have now set a precedent.
\n\u201cIt is not our money, it is ratepayers\u2019 money and the process should have been followed,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Lachlan Ellis A series of Community Grant applications have been approved by Council, despite disagreement over moving funding between the categories. The \u2018Community Grants Report \u2013 March 2022\u2019 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. […]<\/p>\n