14 diverse projects aimed at bolstering local community and economic resilience have been funded through the Shire of Augusta Margaret River’s Community Resilience and Economic Stimulus grants program, amounting to $265,500.   The grants were established as part of the Council’s COVID-19 Pandemic recovery program announced earlier this year.   Shire President Ian Earl said the targeted funding would support a range of initiatives delivering community-wide benefits across the Shire.   “The funds we’ve made available are intended to back innovative projects that will drive local industry development or strengthen the broader community’s capacity to withstand shocks into the future,” he said.

“The Pandemic has shown us local communities need to be resilient in their own right, and we think these initiatives will help support this,” he said. 

Successful applicants include:   Economic Stimulus Grants

Organisation

Project description

Amount Funded

Margaret River Wine Association

Margaret River Wine Region Sustainability Project to support the industry’s wine growers and wineries in the Shire to continuously improve their sustainability credentials through all the environmental, social and economic aspects of their businesses.

$42,800

Margaret River Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Business Resource Hub offering a range of training seminars, business support and mentorship, and ‘incubator spaces’ for start-ups.

$55,657

Gathered Organics

Growers promotion program featuring photographs and video content of the food producers and makers in the Margaret River region.

$4,000                                 

Bushtucker Tours

Specialist agricultural support for Wild Food Farm to grow and produce native foods in bulk, increasing local production and processing.

$4,400

Precious Plastics Margaret River

Equipment purchases to increase efficiency and scale towards a self-sustainable community-based recycling and remanufacturing centre.

$19,000

NISA WA

Business Sustainability pilot program 

$5,000

Community Resilience Grants

Organisation

Project Description

Amount Funded

Augusta Pharmacy

Mental Health First Aid training for pharmacy healthcare workers for frontline assistance with the community

$4,602.00

Margaret River Community Pantry

Support for Margaret River Community Pantry development application and site fees

$6,720.00

Just Home Margaret River

Life skills and personal development program for those affected by or at risk of homelessness

$8,932.63

Refocus Psychology

Health Lifestyle Change Development Program

$6,860.00                                  Plus up to $900.00

Woven Community

Woven Cowaramup community group women’s resilience workshop program

$11,866.00

Augusta Margaret River Clean Community Energy

AMRCCE Revolving Fund for solar panel installation

$65,000.00

Nature Conservation Margaret River

FOR NATURE Sustainable Gardens Workshop Series for residential households

$10,000.00

Undalup Association

Wadandi Traditional Fire Management Workshop 2021

$19,765.00