Funding boost for local communities and Emergency Serices

“Local communities and emergency services volunteers in North-East Victoria have received a huge funding boost in the fourth funding round of the Howard Government’s Working Together to Manage Emergencies initiative,” Sophie Mirabella, the Federal Member for Indi, said today.

This year, seven projects across the Indi electorate will receive grants designed to develop self-reliance at both the community and local government levels.

“I welcome the Howard Government’s assistance, and I am pleased that this goes towards fulfilling a Coalition election commitment in 2004,” Mrs Mirabella said.

“This funding is about supporting local governments and volunteer organisations at the front line of emergency management.”

“It will assist local communities in a real and practical way to develop strategies to improve emergency management and build safer sustainable communities.”

Some 500,000 people in Australia volunteer their services in some emergency management capacity, and 350,000 of those are directly involved in emergency first response, principally through the Country Fire Authority and the State Emergency Service.

The successful projects were:

• Alpine Shire - Alpine FloodSmart - $50,000
• Benalla Rural City Council - Construction of Accessible Toilet and Change Room Facilities - $44,218
• Wangaratta Rural City Council - Wangaratta Community FloodSmart - $51,000
• Wodonga City Council - Wodonga Community StormSmart Phase Two - $51,000
• CFA – Beechwood Urban Fire Brigade - Computer Training Aids - $6,000
• CFA – Benalla Urban Fire Bridge - Brigade Training - $6,883
• St John’s Ambulance - Computer Equipment Upgrade for Benalla First Aid Service Division - $4,000

Total - $213,101

“The successful projects will make a real contribution to improving emergency response activities in our region,” Mrs Mirabella said.

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