Healthy North Coast PHN – Supporting Communities in Bushfire Recovery Community Grants Program

This program seeks to support grassroots community activities that aim to strengthen social connectedness, emotional wellbeing, and resilience and assist communities to recover and heal.

There are two levels of grants available:
1. Level 1
- For new community gatherings or activities which enable communities to continue the journey of healing and recovery.
- Up to $1,500 (excluding GST) are available.

2. Level 2
- For wider-ranging or more comprehensive projects.
- Between $1,501 and $10,000 (excluding GST) are available.

Eligible applicants include organisations and community groups that are based in, or operate within, bushfire-affected areas in the HNC region.

Bushfire-affected communities are located in the following declared natural disaster local government areas in the HNC region:
- Port Macquarie – Hastings
- Nambucca
- Coffs Harbour
- Richmond Valley
- Ballina
- Byron
- Kempsey
- Bellingen
- Clarence Valley
- Kyogle
- Lismore
- Tenterfield (Tabulam, Upper Tooloom, Urbenville only)

Community organisations may include Aboriginal or cultural groups, church-affiliated groups, playgroups and children’s groups, groups for older people, women’s groups, men’s groups, youth groups, sporting groups, local community associations, school-affiliated groups, firefighting brigades, charities, animal welfare and wildlife organisations.

Grant applicants will need an ABN in the organisation’s name.

Eligible activities include those that promote:
- Social cohesion, connectedness and supportive friendship and relationships.
- Community wellbeing, resilience, mental health healing and post-trauma recovery for communities.
- Information about services and where to seek assistance when needed, and/or assistance to identify and support those in distress.

Eligible types of activities may include:
- Community get togethers (e.g. community barbecues, regular coffee mornings, community meetings which build social connectedness, networks and friendships).
- Projects that are recovery focused and aim to build capacity and enhance the community’s wellbeing, resilience and healing.
- Sharing information about available community resources and services and how to access them, including printing and photocopying information sheets and other items for dissemination.
- Assisting community members to identify peers or family members who may need referral to services to address trauma or distress.
- Engaging proactively with bushfire-affected people in remote or isolated areas.
- Initiatives offering comfort, reassurance and assistance to communities and individuals to address practical needs and return to normal routines.
- Practical advice and skills development (e.g. for parents to help provide support for their children, addressing needs of isolated older people, or future bushfire planning and preparedness).

The main assessment criteria include:
- Evidence that grant recipients are located, or operate, within a bushfire affected area.
- Demonstration of need (i.e. how the bushfires impacted the community and how the project will benefit the community).
- Evidence that the planned activity is consistent with the grant program’s objectives.
- Capacity of grant recipient to deliver the activity on time and within budget.
- Value for money.

The following are ineligible for funding:
- Initiatives that duplicate existing activities and services.
- Activities that are more appropriately funded under another grant program or funding source.
- Communities that were not impacted by the 2019-2020 bushfires.
- Communities outside the HNC region.
- Activities that are difficult to link to bushfire recovery.
- Initiatives that would require ongoing funding.
- Alcohol purchases for community or other events.
- Projects that subsidise commercial activities (e.g. ongoing business operational costs).
- Capital works or construction, including refurbishment, repair or maintenance of existing community infrastructure and/or purchasing of assets (i.e. buildings or vehicles).