Council unveils funding to help community groups stay afloat during COVID

Longreach Regional Council is launching a one-off funding program to assist community groups with COVID related expenses.

The COVID-19 Relief and Recovery Grants Program is aimed at providing targeted funding that community and non-profit groups can use for operational purposes so they can continue functioning within the community. It is designed to address financial hardship brought about due to the impacts of COVID-19.

Mayor Tony Rayner said the new funding supports outcomes not achieved by other programs.

“It’s quite rare to find a grant that can be used for operational purposes” he said. “Council funding, like state and federal funding, tends to support events and capital works.

“But we thought it was important to offer some kind of relief for community groups that would help them stay afloat and cover the costs of things like insurance, rent, professional services like lawyers and accountants, things like that.”

He said Council was using funds that had not been acquitted from other programs due to COVID restrictions.

“We suspended our Community Donations Program earlier this year while restrictions were in place, so we’ve reallocated a portion of that funding to create this new program.”

The COVID-19 Relief and Recovery Grants will be available until the end of the 2020/2021 financial year, or until the allocation is exhausted. Applications can be made to cover expenses incurred by non-profit organisations from 1 March 2020 to 30 June 2021. A detailed application pack is available on Council’s website at longreach.qld.gov.au/funding.