Communities in areas badly impacted by the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires can apply for a share of a new $280 million federal grants program.
The Black Summer Bushfire Recovery Grants program is prioritising recovery and resilience projects, and has been enabled by a lower-than-expected take-up of programs under the $2 billion National Bushfire Recovery Fund.
As well as local Government areas that were disaster-declared after the fires, the grants will also cover the ACT, Tasmania and four bushfire-affected alpine resort areas in Victoria.
The types of projects eligible for support can vary but must be about the recovery and/or resilience of communities impacted by the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires.
Projects need to be supported by the community they are aimed at helping. Project activities can also be in more than one eligible LGA.
The National Recovery and Resilience Agency is offering support for people who would like help with their application, including workshops (in-person and online).
Applications will open for submissions on 22 July 2021 and close on 2 September 2021.
Visit the agency’s webpage for more details.
In related news, the Federal Parliamentary Library has updated a research paper on Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) from the 2019-20 fires.
The paper canvasses the causes of the catastrophic fires, their ecological and health impacts, and the inquiries that were conducted afterward.