Support for the vast bushfire recovery continues with Phase 2 of the Bushfire Community Recovery and Resilience Fund (BCRRF), which provides more than $25 million to promote community well-being, social and future disaster resilience.
Councils eligible for Stream 1 funding will be contacted soon to receive their $100,000 or $250,000 payments.
Applications for Stream 2 are open from today and allow for more immediate funding to flow to local councils, community groups and not-for-profit organisations faster, whilst still supporting communities with medium and longer-term projects.
Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management David Littleproud welcomed this support for locally led recovery. "The Australian Government continues its commitment to bushfire impacted communities on their journey to recovery. Australia's bushfire impacted communities have displayed the most amazing resilience to firstly withstand the onslaught of the Black Summer bushfires and secondly to work so hard to rebuild their lives from it," Minister Littleproud said.
"The importance of community-led recovery cannot be underestimated. It's through the work and ideas of local communities that recovery is achieved and resilience is strengthened.
"Under long standing joint Commonwealth/state funding arrangements this funding allows communities to invest in projects that will directly benefit recovery efforts and help communities across New South Wales build back better.
"Each community faces a different set of circumstances and recovery needs. I look forward to seeing a range and diversity of projects come to fruition by the people who have experienced these fires" Minister Littleproud said.
Acting Deputy Premier and Minister responsible for Disaster Recovery, Paul Toole, said the NSW Government is continuing to deliver targeted support to help communities recover from the Black Summer Bushfires.
"We know that community-led recoveries provide the best chance for people to get back on their feet and for towns to come out the other end of a tragedy with even greater resilience and hope for the future," Mr Toole said.
"I am truly touched by the resilience I've seen from people who have faced unimaginable hardship right across NSW and it is a testament to every individual who makes up our regional communities.
"I'm pleased to say Stream 1 will provide $100,000 or $250,000 grants to local councils to support locally-led social recovery activities.
"Stream 2 will provide grants for social recovery and preparedness projects, which could include education programs about how to best prepare for future hazards and community activities to bring people together.
"My message to our bushfire affected towns is that we are with you for the long haul."
This brings the total BCRRF to over $35 million jointly funded by the Commonwealth and NSW under Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements and is in addition to measures supported through the National Bushfire Recovery Fund. The BCRRF is administered by Resilience NSW. https://www.emergency.nsw.gov.au/
The BCRRF is split into two streams:
- Stream 1 will provide funding for shorter-term projects in impacted local government areas including council-led small-scale community grants program. Payments of $100,000 or $250,000 are available to councils that have been moderately and highly impacted by the bushfires.
- Stream 2 will provide grants to bushfire affected regions, and will be open to community groups, councils and not-for-profits for social recovery and preparedness projects between $20,000 and $300,000. Grants will be assessed with at a regional level using Regional Panels to maximise the recovery support to communities across local government boundaries.
BCRRF Stream 1 funding:
| $250,000 will be made available to: | $100,000 will be made available to: |
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