The error/omission has the effect, deliberate or otherwise, of misleading and restricting community group access to grants under the Stronger Communities Fund.

In short, the State Government Guidelines do not restrict community group access to only $1 million of the $10 million provided by the State Government to a new council formed as a result of two councils merging. The State Government Guidelines state that:

“New councils are to consult with their community to allocate and deliver the Stronger Communities Fund through two programs:

“Community grant program, allocating up to $1 million in grants of up to $50,000 to incorporated not-for-profit community groups, for projects that build more vibrant, sustainable and inclusive local communities.

“Major projects program, allocating all remaing funding to larger scale priority infrastructure and services projects that deliver long term economic and social benefits to communities.

“Following consultation with the community, councils are able to increase the funding delivered through the community grants program by allocating funds from the major projects program. This can enable additional rounds of the community grants program to be run in subsequent years.

“Any surplus funds from the separate New Council Implementation Fund can be invested through the Stronger Communities Fund in either program."

Note that there is no suggestion in the State Government Guidelines that only council projects are eligible for funding under the $9 million Major Projects Program.

Contrary to the State Government Guidelines, the Gundagai Council guidelines state that:

"The Gundagai Council Community Grants program will allocate up to $1 million in grants to incorporated not-for- profit community groups, for projects that build more vibrant, sustainable and inclusive local communities. This grant initiative forms part of the Stronger Communities funding that is now available to our newly created council as part of the NSW Government’s Fit for the Future reform program.”

There is no indication in the Gundagai Guidelines that community groups can apply for funding under the $9 million component.

The restrictive error/omission in the Gundagai Council guidelines was reinforced at the Community Group meeting held in Gundagai called by the Gundagai Council to inform interested community groups about eligibility for funding under the Stronger Communities Fund.

At that meeting, in response to specific questions about community group eligibility for the $9 million component of the Stronger Communities Fund, Council Officers advised that the $9 million component was only available for council projects.

The error/omission made by the Gundagai Council in its restrictive Guidelines for the Stronger Communities Fund, is made worse by the fact that Snowy Valleys Council Local Representation Committee members are actively encouraging community groups to apply for grants under the $9 million component of the fund.

The State Government Guidelines do not restrict community groups applying for the $1 million and the $9 million components but Gundagai Council is restricting access to $9 million of the fund to council projects only. Potentially the Gundagai Council Guidelines are inequitous, and possibly a breach of Administrative Law, in the event that the Gundagai Council, through its error, has denied community groups access to government funds.

I have made this an open letter as a means of alerting community groups of this matter.

Martin Allen, Gundagai