Ararat Rural City Council has approved $18,045 in grants to eight separate groups at its March general meeting on Tuesday night.
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The Community Support Grants are awarded three times a year, with the latest round closing on February 28, and are split into infrastructure and community projects categories.
A group applying for an infrastructure grant must match it dollar-for-dollar.
The Willaura Hall Committee was awarded $8610 to install a technical and acoustic upgrade so the hall could host professional musical and theatrical performances.
It will help offset the total cost of the $20,000 project.
Other big winners included the Grampians Soaring Club, which was awarded $3000 to assist with mowing around the clubhouse, hangars and aerodrome entrance.
The Ararat Show Society had a $1000 grant approved to help redevelop the show schedule and improve media and marketing.
A request for $2000 from the Grampians Region YMCA was not approved because there was not enough matching funding provided.
Cr Peter Beales said he was particularly happy to see the show society afforded some assistance.
“That is one of the reason we have these grants, to help keep these groups going,” he said.
“There has been a lot of work with the show society, and the high school to make a partnership work.”
Other successful grants includes;
- Ararat Lions Club – $1350 to buy marquees for community events and barbecues.
- Moyston Hall Committee – $299.88 to buy 12 rectangular tables that are more easily stored.
- Ararat VRI Bowls Club ladies committee – $3185 to remove bench tops, repair water damage to cupboards as part of renovations to the club’s kitchen.
- Elmhurst Recreation Reserve Committee – $1000 to install security cameras and digital recording equipment following damage to the reserve, public toilets and arson attempts.
- Australian Plants Society Grampians Group – $601 to buy a portable PA system.
Another four organisations were also given council sponsorship of their events.
Ararat Highland Sports Society was awarded $600 for the Ararat Gift programs and printing costs.
An Ararat Gardening Club conference at the city’s RSL, and the Ararat Embroiders Guild were also awarded $600 each in sponsorship by council.
Council’s community support grants applications are assessed three times each year.
The March round closed on February 15.
The latest round had $30,000 to allocated across the two categories of infrastructure and community projects.