Council
25 July, 2025
Grant report noted
CORANGAMITE Shire Council this week voted to note a report on the Ready Now grants program, with 41 applications received between July 2024 and June 2025.
The Ready Now Grants Program was adopted in September 2023 and replaced the previous Quick Response Grants Program which operated for more than a decade.
An additional 15 applications were received – 10 were ineligible applications, two were withdrawn, two were from applicants outside the Corangamite Shire and one application did not provide sufficient information.
Grants to the value of $18,297 were awarded from a budget of $25,000, with 16 applicants from Camperdown, Derrinallum and Lismore.
Councillor Geraldine Conheady said it was “heartening” to see the positive impact of the Ready Now Grants program.
“When you look down the list of the applicants for the 2024-2025 financial year, it just highlights just how many small community groups are benefitting from this particular grant stream,” she said.
“There’s such a wide variety of purposes those funds are being applied for, and when you think of the number of people involved in those communities and the work that they do, that’s a lot of community support.
“The best thing, really, is the benefit to those community groups, and that we’re able to provide that relatively small amount of funding but it has such a big impact.
“It’s such an easy, accessible and reliable process for them.
“I’m really quite proud we’ve been able to support our communities in this way.”
Camperdown Courthouse was granted $500 to purchase a printer in July 2024.
Camperdown Botanic Gardens and Arboretum Trust received funding in July 2024, with $500 ging towards the purchase of tools.
Camperdown Girl Guides were able to purchase six moulded tables thanks to a $474 grant in August 2024.
Camperdown Little Athletics also received a grant last August, securing $500 to purchase a lockable storage cupboard.
Camperdown Toy Library were granted $500 last October to purchase more toys.
Camperdown Swimming Pool also received $500 last October to fund additional seating.
Last October also saw the Lismore Men’s Shed given a grant, with $500 released to purchase a belt disc sander.
In November 2024, the Lakes and Craters Band were granted $440 to purchase four music stands.
Funding also flowed to the Camperdown Theatre Company, with $500 in funding granted to their annual Christmas Carols by Candlelight event in November 2024.
Camperdown Uniting Church’s Christmas lunch was also provided with a $500 last November.
Hampden Tennis Association received $500 in January to fund a security door for the tennis pavilion.
Camperdown Poultry Club was granted $500 in February to fund an electrical upgrade in their facility’s kitchen.
The Skipton and District War Memorial Swimming Pool received $500 in March to go towards the design of a mural for the Skipton Pool.
The Corangamite Shire Kokoda Expedition’s fundraiser movie night event, screening the film Kokoda, also received $500 of funding in March.
In April, the Camperdown Horse Trials received $498 to purchase two gazebos.
Camperdown Courthouse received a grant of $169 in April to purchase a vacuum cleaner for the Tourist Information Centre.
Corangamite Hockey Club was also granted $500 in April, which went towards purchasing equipment for partially impaired members.
The Mount Elephant Committee of Management received $449 in May to purchase a television for the education of community visitors.
Last month saw the Lismore Progress Association granted $500 towards venue hire and material costs for the upcoming Winter Festival.
Corangamite Hockey Club also received funding last month, receiving $300 to purchase a defibrillator battery.
Cr Hickey said the grants program was a great way to support volunteers within the community.
“It has been a wide selection of groups and organisations who have been recipients of this money,” he said.
“It’s not a lot of money, but it’s still enough to keep the home fires burning and to keep ticking over with some of the projects that people run.”
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