November Projects
The Cobargo Community Bushfire Recovery Fund committee met twice in November and approved seven grants.
The fund received several requests from community groups who are developing significant infrastructure and environmental projects to help Cobargo recover and rebuild.
These groups are now preparing grant applications for the highly competitive, NSW Government Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund (BLERF), the primary source of government bushfire recovery grant funding.
The BLERF opened in late October with an initial closing date of 11 December. The NSW Govt agreed to extend the closing date to 28 January 2021 following expressions of concern from many bushfire-affected communities about the tight deadline and the complexity of the process.
Many of the CCBRF grant applicants told us that there was no government grant funding available to help communities prepare complex bushfire recovery projects and grant applications, hence their applications to the community fund for this support.
The grants approved in November are:
1. Applicant: Volunteers in the Cobargo region working with the not-for-profit Australian Business Volunteers agency, including Cobargo Community Catch-upsCobargo Quaama Business Recovery Group Inc
Cobargo Bushfire Resilience Centre Inc
Cobargo Green Recovery Group Inc
Project: Community co-contribution to engage Australian Business Volunteers support to facilitate an important round of community consultations in November on Cobargo’s recovery projects in advance of the BLERF applications.
Amount: $6,500
2. Applicant: Cobargo Quaama Business Recovery Group Inc.on behalf of other groups leading Cobargo’s bushfire recovery projectsProject: Community co-contribution to engage CSIRO to assist the development of ‘Cobargo Recovery and Resilience Strategy’ to accompany BLERF and other funding bids.
Amount: $5000
3. Applicant: Cobargo Resilience Centre IncProject: Concept Design for proposed Cobargo Resilience Centre – The success of any submission for funding to the Bush Fire Local Economic Recovery Fund requires that strict criteria be met. Funding will be used to engage architect team to furnish robust and clear architect concept preliminary plans. Amount: $13,200
4. Applicant: Cobargo Showground Land Manager supported by the Cobargo Show Society and the Yuin Folk Club
Project: Cobargo Showground Community Hall and Disaster Refuge
Engage TAKT Studio for Design to undertake the development of detailed designs, budget,grant application and other related documents for proposed Cobargo Showground Community Hall and Disaster Refuge in readiness for the NSW Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund (BLERF) funding application.
Amount: $27,400.34
5. Applicant: Cobargo and Region Energy Transition
Project: Cobargo and District Energy Transition Community Microgrid for Resilience and Recovery: BLERF funding bid. Engage expert team to refine proposals and assist prepare an application to the Local Economic Recovery Fund for development of a Community Micro-grid in Cobargo. Amount: $5000
6. Applicant: Cobargo Quaama Business Recovery Group IncorporatedProject: Help Cobargo Recover and Rebuild This project aims to assist in the visioning and re-imagining of a future rebuild of Cobargo, specifically the buildings and associated public domains that were razed to the ground on NYE by the 2019-2020 Bushfires. Engage expert team to prepare concept designs of the proposed new buildings/ infrastructure that was lost due to bushfire designed to assist in recovery, in preparation for BLERF.Amount: $24,800
7. Applicant: Cobargo Wellness Group IncProject: Addressing stress and emerging trauma responses ahead of the first anniversary of the NYE Bushfires using physical, somatic therapies. Cobargo Wellness Group has offered its premises free of charge to provide subsidised physical therapy and other treatments in the weeks leading up to and immediate following the first anniversary of the fires. Available to all community members. Amount: $19,960