HAWKS NEST TEA GARDENS PROGRESS ASSOCIATION FUNDING

Federal Member for Lyne Dr David Gillespie today congratulated the Hawks Nest Tea Gardens Progress Association on securing funds to replace and upgrade equipment at the Tea Gardens Pool.

“The funding had been made available under the 8th round of the Australian Government’s Stronger Communities program which provides $150,000 in assistance towards local community projects in each electorate across Australia,” Dr Gillespie said.

“I was pleased to have secured significant funding under the former Federal Coalition Government towards the Tea Gardens Pool redevelopment and I’m delighted the Progress Association and other groups are supporting this wonderful local facility through upgrades like this,” Dr Gillespie said.

“These funds will be used replace the water damaged lap pool timer and old pool flags.”

“The lap pool timer is water damaged and very old and difficult for lap swimmers and racers to see (including school children, nippers and Myall Masters who race at the public pool). The flags are damaged and needed for safety and backstroke.

Dr Gillespie said this round of funding was designed to support volunteer and community groups which weren’t able to fundraise or haven’t the means to provide matching funding.

“This program has always been very popular since its inception under the former Abbott Government. In this latest round, more than 80 organisations across the Lyne electorate applied for more than $1.5-million towards over $2-million in local community projects.

This program allows groups to apply for grants of between $2,500 and $20,000 without matching funding and up to 20 groups will be awarded funding per electorate. Local governing bodies and organisations that fall under them are only eligible to apply for up to 50 percent of the project costs and provide matching funding.

Dr Gillespie said he had written to the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development & Local Government, Catherine King, and the Shadow Minister, Bridget McKenzie, suggesting the program be continued and expanded.

“This is an important program for many local community organisations, particularly in regional and rural areas where we could have easily invested ten times the funding we were allocated locally towards community projects,” Dr Gillespie said.