West Kimberley groups invite to apply for innovative grants scheme

• McGowan Government supporting the West Kimberley region with community grants
• Applications for the West Kimberley Community Grants Scheme open today and close on June 15, 2018
• $4.7 million upgrade to Broome's wastewater system completed under budget by using local WA workers 

Not-for-profit groups and schools with a great idea for a community project in the West Kimberley, are invited to apply for a grant of up to $10,000 from the McGowan Labor Government.

Applications are now open for the West Kimberley Community Grants Scheme which empowers communities to identify solutions and opportunities at a grassroots level, and prioritises projects that benefit groups most in need of support.

Funds for the grants scheme are raised by the sale of Rhodes grass hay produced by the Water Corporation's Broome North Wastewater Treatment Plant, as an environmentally sustainable means of recycling wastewater.

Schools in the remote Aboriginal communities of Beagle Bay and One Arm Point were among the recipients to benefit from the last round of funding. 

In early 2018, Beagle Bay Sacred Heart School completed a new fitness park to improve overall community health and wellbeing with the help of a grant from the scheme.

One Arm Point Remote Community School also built an aquaculture centre for students to learn about sustainable food production. Students can now experiment with breeding saltwater fish species and growing edible plants as part of the school curriculum.   

In March 2018, the Water Corporation nearly doubled the size of its Rhodes grass crop by installing a second pivot irrigation system. The $4.7 million project also included a major wastewater pump station upgrade and a new wastewater main along Gubinge Road in Broome, and came in at $1.5 million under budget. Local workers were employed to complete the upgrades.

For more information, visit http://www.watercorporation.com.au/wkcgrants

Comments attributed to Water Minister Dave Kelly:

"The West Kimberley Community Grants Scheme, which is run by the Water Corporation and Lions Club, is a unique program helping to kick-start exciting projects across the region.

"Since it began in 2016, more than $81,000 has been provided for community projects in the West Kimberley.

"The new aquaculture centre at the One Arm Point Remote Community School has become an important part of the school curriculum for senior students, and aligns with plans by traditional owners to build a viable aquaculture industry in the area.

"By employing 52 locally based Broome contractors on the wastewater upgrade, rather than contractors flying in, the Water Corporation has delivered the project under budget, which is a great outcome."