SECTION 9 - RESOURCES & FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

9.1 Introduction

9.2 Federal Government Programs

9.2.1 Dept. of Transport and Regional Services - Regional Partnerships Program

9.2.2 Dept. of Industry, Tourism and Resources - Australian Tourism Development Program

Manager, Tourism Programs, AusIndustry
Phone: 13 28 46
Fax: 02 6231 7119
Email: atdp@industry.gov.au
Website: www.ausindustry.gov.au/

Available funds:

Category 1 $50,000 - $100,00
Category 2 $100,000 - $500,000

Criteria including program aims:

Category 1 projects focus on providing or enhancing tourism products and/or services. Projects need to achieve outcomes relating to filling a gap in products or services and/or add to the suite of attractions and facilities, contribute to long term employment and economic growth, have spill-over benefits for other tourism and nontourism businesses, show effective business planning and research-based tourism development planning, and support development of high quality tourism products consistent with "Brand Australia" theme.

Category 2 projects large, multi-faceted activities that involve collaboration in the development and/or implementation of effective strategies for tourism market development. Projects need to achieve the same outcomes as Category 1 projects with an additional outcome relating to facilitating partnerships between tourism organisations and/or operators.

Relevant component of trail / infrastructure project:

• Trail and other visitor infrastructure construction
• Business planning
• Interpretation

9.2.3 Department of Environment and Heritage

www. environment.gov.au/heritage/programs/ihp
Freecall: 1800 982 280
Email: ihp_grants@environment.gov.au

Available funds:

Australian Government support of more than $3.5 million in 2008-09 will help identify, protect and share Australia's Indigenous heritage.

The Indigenous Heritage Programme provides Indigenous organisations or not-forprofit bodies with grants for projects up to $100,000 (GST inclusive). Individual Indigenous applicants are generally eligible for funding up to $5,000 (GST inclusive).

Criteria including program aims:

To be eligible, a project must relate to one or more of the following five activities:

• Conservation of a place or places of Indigenous heritage significance.
• Identification of Indigenous place(s), and/or the Indigenous heritage values of a place or places, for heritage protection, heritage listing or conservation planning.
• Heritage Planning, including projects which will develop plans to assist with the dentification, conservation and/or promotion of the Indigenous heritage values of a place or places.
• Sharing Australia's Indigenous Heritage, including projects that interpret or explain a significant Indigenous heritage place or places, promote the knowledge and understanding of Indigenous heritage, or facilitate the active teaching of traditional knowledge and understanding of customary responsibilities (where appropriate) to future generations.
• Construction of Keeping Places: A maximum of $30 000 may be provided for small-scale keeping places to house remains and objects that require restricted access, where exceptional circumstances can be demonstrated.

Relevant component of trail / infrastructure project:

• Interpretation

9.2.4 National Heritage Trust - Envirofund

Australian Government Envirofund, National Heritage Trust
Phone: 1800 065 823
Fax: 02 6274 2919
Website: www. nht.gov.au

Available funds:

$30,000 (standard) but up to $50,000

Criteria including program aims:

• Local action plan component of the National Heritage Trust.
• Helps communities with projects for promoting sustainable resource use.
• Eligibility limited to community groups and individuals.

Closing date: Not known

Relevant component of trail / infrastructure project:

• Trail construction
• Revegetation
• Trail maintenance
• Environmental interpretation

9.3 State Government Programs

9.3.1 Department of Sport and Recreation - Lotterywest Trails Funding Program

Department of Sport and Recreation
246 Vincent Street, Leederville, WA 6007
PO Box 329 Leederville WA 6903
Tel: (08) 9492 9841
Fax: (08) 9492 9711

Contact details:

Great Southern Office - Albany
22 Collie Street, ALBANY WA 6330
Telephone (08) 9892 0100
Facsimile (08) 9892 0199

Available funds: Grants up to $100,000

Criteria including program aims:

The selection criteria will generally cover the following broad areas:

• Project justification
• Planning process
• Community input and support
• Management planning and maintenance commitment
• Trail access and trail sharing opportunities
• Design considerations
• Connections
• Cultural, heritage and environmental considerations
• Trail user education
• Partnerships and volunteers.

Relevant component of trail / infrastructure project:

• Trail construction; interpretation;
• Trail promotion and marketing

9.3.2 Dept. of Premier and Cabinet - Local Activity Grant

Application forms and information can be downloaded at: www. patf.dpc.wa.gov.au

Available funds:

Funding between $5,000 and $30,000 ($ for $ matched funding required)

Criteria including program aims:

Funds available to local governments and community groups to encourage new and innovative approaches to increasing physical activity. The key objectives of the grant program are to:

• Promote and increase sustainable opportunities for physical activity at the community level.
• Enhance and build on existing physical activity strategies and initiatives already undertaken by local government.
• Incorporate physical activity objectives and strategies into local government strategic planning and budgetary processes.
• Identify opportunities to encourage collaboration between state, local government, private enterprise and community organisations.
• Support programs whose outcomes can be sustained beyond completion of the grant.

• Some trail construction
• Planning for trails that encourage physical activity
• Perhaps marketing of available trail opportunities, once trails are in place.

9.3.3 Lotterywest, Cultural Heritage - Interpretation Grants

Available funds: A maximum of $15,000 for any one project

Criteria including program aims:

Project that may be considered for funding include:

• Development of interpretation plans;
• The creation and installation of interpretive materials;
• The improvement of collection management practices;
• Assistance with the employment of consultants for a project or the contracting of specialist services;
• The assessment of significance of moveable heritage objects in accordance with the Heritage Collections Council guidelines;
• The development of on-going public education and information programs;
• Improving the documentation, research and/or display environment(s) of the object(s) or place;
• Training in relation to interpretative projects;
• Publication regarding the heritage object(s)/place;
• Public programs and the use of innovative strategies such as music and theatre; and
• Interpretative signage which discovers and celebrates the community's heritage.

Relevant component of trail / infrastructure project:

• Interpretation planning
• Development of interpretive panels
• Development and display of other interpretive materials

9.3.4 Department for Planning and Infrastructure - Country Pathways Grants Scheme

Cycling Unit
(08) 9216 8313
www. dpi.wa.gov.au/regional/cycling_regional

Available funds:

Up to $50,000
$ for $ matched funding required

Criteria including program aims:

Provides funding to assist in planning, development and promotion of shared-use pathways and cycling facilities in regional WA.

Relevant component of trail / infrastructure project:

• Asphalt path in Elleker

9.3.5 Lotterywest, Community Histories Grants

Usually a maximum of $15,000 for any one project, though up to $40,000 can be considered.

General guidelines (from website):

"Lotterywest's Community Histories Grants aim to help communities to record and share their history, as a way of maintaining their sense of identity and heritage. A project may record the history of people living in a particular place or may focus on a community of interest. It could look at a local theme or the local experience of a broader event or movement.

The history of an organisation, activity, or event that made a significant contribution to, or had a significant impact on, your community will also be considered. Although we do not provide grants for family histories, a community history might incorporate a genealogical approach.

Grants can be considered towards the cost of research, writing, collation, and production. We can also support the cost of obtaining professional advice to guide the early stages of the project.

Proposals should generally result in a product that is accessible to the broad community. The history can be produced in a format appropriate to your project, for example, as a book, a CD-ROM, a leaflet or brochure, photographic record, or for oral histories, audio, or video tape."

Relevant component of trail / infrastructure project:

• Interpretation, oral history, display development

9.3.6 Great Southern Development Commission - Regional Development Scheme (RDS)

Approximately $400,000 per annum - usually grants of up to $50,000 per project.

The primary objective of the Great Southern Regional Development Scheme is to improve the economic and social development of the Great Southern through projects that attract investment and increase employment.

Applicants must be organisations, industry groups or associations based in the Great Southern. The project must have the potential to lead to economic development and job creation.

Funding rounds normally open in July or August each year.

Relevant component of trail / infrastructure project:

• Trail and visitor infrastructure development
• Marketing, promotion and some interpretation

Contact details:

Albany Office

Mr Bruce Manning
Chief Executive Officer
110 Serpentine Road
Albany WA 6331

Post Office Box 280
Albany Western Australia 6331

Tel: (08) 9842 4888
Fax: (08) 9842 4828
Email: gsdc@gsdc.wa.gov.au
Web: www.gsdc.wa.gov.au

9.3.7 Western Australian Regional Initiatives Scheme (WARIS) / Regional Infrastructure Funding Program (RIFP)

Regional Projects Team, Department of Local Government and Regional Development
PO Box 7234 Cloisters Square
PERTH 6850
Phone 93275 666
www. dlgrd.wa.gov.au/rif/index.htm

Available funds:

$5,000 and $250,000

Criteria including program aims:

WARIS provides financial assistance of between $5,000 and $250,000 for non-capital works projects designed to deliver benefits across more than one region in areas such as tourism development, capacity building and leadership, youth support, population retention, arts and culture, environment and natural resource management and industry-related research.

RIFP provides financial assistance of between $100,000 and $5 million for major capital works projects designed to assist in attracting investment and increasing jobs in regional areas or to improve the access of regional communities to services. Project must be construction ready.

Relevant component of trail / infrastructure project:

• Trail and other visitor infrastructure development

9.3.8 Department of Local Government & Regional Development - Community Facilities Grants Program

(08) 9217 1500 or Free call: 1800 620 511 (country WA callers)
www. dlgrd.wa.gov.au/comfacilities.htm

Available funds:

$2,000 to $25,000

Criteria including program aims:

Assist to fund the capital cost of providing community facilities in regional areas.

Relevant component of trail / infrastructure project:

• Local infrastructure and possibly trail projects

9.3.9 Department of Indigenous Affairs

Grant Application Criteria

• The project must demonstrate active engagement and participation with local Indigenous community.
• The project must demonstrate ways of gaining a better understanding of local issues and history relating to Indigenous and non-Indigenous relations. Applicants are encouraged to explain how the project will demonstrate leadership, symbolism and/or create a greater respect between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.
• The applicant or administering body must be incorporated (a copy of the incorporation certificate to be provided), government agency or school.
• The project must be undertaken in the geographical region in which it is applied.
• The project must be completed within 12 months of receiving grant funds.

Successful applicants will need to submit a financial statement detailing income and expenditure for the project, as well as an achievement and benefits report which documents the activities undertaken.

The report should contain a description of project, the outcomes, an evaluation, and pictorial information.

• DIA reserves the right to publish details of projects receiving funding for publicity purposes.

9.4 Other Resourcing Opportunities

9.4.1 Council Contributions

9.4.2 Corporate Sponsors

Funding for trail development has been received from a number of major (and minor, local) companies. Sums of up to $100,000 can be gained, if benefits can be proven. Any company with an operation within the region would appear to be a potential sponsor. Alcoa has been a major contributor to Western Australia's two premier long distance tracks - the Bibbulmun Track (walk) and the Munda Biddi Trail (mountain bike). In the case of the Munda Biddi Trail, Alcoa funded major parts of track construction and interpretation. In March 2006, BHP Billiton announced it would provide over $200,000 for the Coast to Crater Rail Trail in western Victoria to help construct the trail from Camperdown to Timboon and fund a design study for further trail extensions.

Companies are looking to be good local citizens and being associated with a positive asset such as a trail can be good for business. Companies should be approached with the message that such a project will bring a number of benefits to the region. Any approaches to corporate sponsors should focus on a main message that trails and the company products provide an alliance of healthy living and healthy products (if such a link exists).

Corporate entities are looking to make community commitments in a number of ways other than direct funding. For example, many of the banks have both a competitive grants program and a volunteer scheme which provides paid volunteer leave to every employee. Organisations like the ANZ and National Banks also look for community development options for their staff eg. corporate team building days are held on a trail.

What is important in dealing with potential corporate sponsors is to have a clear development plan (the product of this work), a well-developed message to send to them, clear pointers as to what and where their engagement might be, and a clear indication of how they might benefit from their involvement. Going to companies on a frequent basis with no clear structured approach, no idea of what their involvement might be and no clear message as to what benefits their involvement will have for them almost guarantees failure.

9.4.3 Heart Foundation

The Murray to the Mountains rail-trail has won the Best Overall project. Lake Fred Tritton, an artificial lake in Richmond Shire (Qld) with a significant walk trail constructed around its edges, won the Best Overall project and the Recreation Infrastructure Project in 2004. The Peninsular Pathlinks Program, a program to develop 77 kilometres of new trails and walkways in the 42 communities in the Mornington Peninsula Shire (Victoria) won the Best Overall project and the Recreation Infrastructure Project in 2005. For further details, the Heart Foundation's website is www.heartfoundation.com.au.

9.4.4 Green Corps

9.4.5 Work-for-the-Dole

9.4.6 Conservation Volunteers Australia

9.4.7 Prison Crews

A prison officer and transport is usually provided, but materials, tools, and technical supervision are required. In addition the Ministry may require host agencies to cover the Ministry's costs (staff etc).

9.4.8 Volunteers

Volunteer labour can also be used in innovative ways to benefit a number of community sectors. One rail-trail in Victoria needed bridge construction and put out a public tender for the work. The tender was won by the local branch of the Country Fire Authority, who needed a new engine. Labour in bridge construction was "swapped" for a new fire engine.