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$2.5m from Commonwealth
Glenelg Hopkins CMA has received $2.54 million in 2009/10 to support regional communities under the Commonwealth Government’s Caring For our Country funding program.
The money will be invested in sustainable agriculture, indigenous natural resource management, protecting native vegetation and wildlife on private property and controlling pests and weeds.
A further $4.4 million has been promised over the next 4 years.
“We are extremely grateful for this long term commitment from the Commonwealth Government”, commented Glenelg Hopkins CEO, Peter Butcher.
However, Mr. Butcher noted that the current year’s Caring For our Country funding was down slightly from $3.25 m in 2008/09 and well down from the high water mark of Commonwealth natural resource management funding for Glenelg Hopkins of $9.25 million in 2005/06.
“The $2.54 million we received this year was from a pool of $293 million for base level funding for 56 regional natural resource bodies across Australia.”
“In partnership with local government and community organisations we also put in bids for the competitive component of Caring For our Country.”
“It is very disappointing that none of those bids were successful.”
“However, looking around Victoria very few bids elsewhere in the state were successful.”
Mr. Butcher said that the CMA and its partners had put a lot of time and effort into preparing the competitive bids.
“We will obtain feedback from the Commonwealth on how we can improve future competitive bids and whether we have a realistic chance of securing funds for the community from this source.”
On a brighter note, the CMA and its partners appear to still be in the running to secure funding for the large scale Habitat 141 project under Caring For Our Country.
“There are also early indications that funding from the Victorian Government under tough budgetary circumstances will be roughly at the same levels as last year.”
“This will be greatly appreciated, as it will help us maintain many important programs and avoid further job losses.”
Mr. Butcher said that with all of these changes and developments in government funding, the challenge for the CMA was to maintain levels of service to the community.
“We will do our very best to support Landcare and Waterwatch, despite the Commonwealth Government withdrawing much of its support for these two programs.”
“We will be holding meetings soon to explain to Landcare members and Waterwatch volunteers our new strategy for supporting these vital programs.”