Wind farm grants
Community groups across Ararat, Northern Grampians and Pyrenees municipalities are set to benefit from a series of sustainability grants from Ararat Wind Farm.
The grants were presented at an event by Ararat Wind Farm and Wind Lab representative Shaun Blackie.
Attendees included Ararat Rural City Council chief executive Tim Harris and councillor Gwenda Allgood and former Northern Grampians Shire Council mayor Tony Driscoll.
It was the third year the wind farm had run a sustainable grants program, with 17 groups sharing $65,000.
Grants in Ararat Rural City: Ararat Basketball Association for a moveable scoring bench; Ararat Live for equipment replacement; Ararat Men’s Shed for a table saw; Ararat Neighbourhood House for a Comfortable Ambience – Delete the Heat project; Ararat Show Society for a shade shelter; Ararat Tennis Club for lights on the east courts; Ararat VRI Bowls Club for uniforms; Buangor Community Sports for a barbecue upgrade; Elmhurst Development Group for a seating and shade project; and Pyrenees Ranges Pleasure Drivers for toys for ponies and a portable arena.
Northern Grampians Shire grants: Stuart Mill Progress Association for seating and outdoor community area; St Arnaud Citizens Band for band hall refurbishment works; Paradise Hall committee for a kitchen restoration; and Halls Gap Community Association to purchase equipment for Grampians Flora Botanic Gardens.
Pyrenees Shire grants: Country Women’s Association Landsborough for a defibrillator; Raglan Hall and Recreation Reserve committee for the replacement of windows; and Beaufort RSL to upgrade kitchen appliances.
Ararat Wind Farm’s Dean Tonkin spoke at the presentation and said the grants would promote social and environmental sustainability initiatives that would benefit local communities.
“This fund is part of Ararat Wind Farm’s community investment program,” he said.
“It was great to see Ararat Wind Farm’s Sustainable Grants Fund distributed across the three councils to again provide assistance so the community groups can complete their important projects.”