South West Development Commission
Royalties for Regions - South West Regional Grants Scheme
Over the past three years, the Regional Grants Scheme component
of Royalties for Regions has given us the ability to fund a range
of projects and services across the South West region.
Throughout 2008/09, 2009/10 and 2010/11 we have seen first-hand how
communities have benefited from our decisions about funding
allocations through this scheme.
Recent examples of Regional Grants Scheme-funded success stories include Jewel Cave reopening after being transformed into a world-class tourism site, a helipad for emergency services being constructed at Busselton Regional Airport, and Meals on Wheels volunteers in Bunbury receiving the resources they need to continue making a difference to the lives of South West residents.
And as important as this scheme has been in providing groups across the South West with the funds required to get projects off the ground and carry out important community services, in 2010/11 Royalties for Regions took on a new dimension and began to shape the South West at another level.
In addition to administering the Regional Grants Scheme, this year we also played a role in helping organisations bring major projects closer to reality by unlocking larger amounts of money from the Royalties for Regions funding pool.
To secure funding, we worked with the individual project proponents to ensure the planning and negotiations necessary for the projects to be 'shovel-ready' were complete.
The extent of our role in obtaining funding varied from project to project, but in all cases one of our officers worked with proponents to finalise the required business case and ensure the practical stage of the project was ready to go ahead.
Some of the projects we helped achieve funding for were included in the South West Action Statement, a blueprint for regional investment we initiated to attract funding for projects important to the future of the region.
This document highlighted projects that the South West Development Commission, Regional Development Australia - South West and the South West Local Government Association agreed were priorities for funding.
We were pleased that our efforts to work together for the benefit of the region paid off - and we helped to acquire $7.47million for the expansion of the Bunbury Regional Entertainment Centre, $5million for a coronary care unit at St John of Hospital in Bunbury and $9.745million towards upgrading the Busselton and Dunsborough foreshores.
In addition, we teamed up with Royalties for Regions to put $1million towards filming of a surf-themed movie called Drift, which will be shot in the South West region in 2011/12.
These projects will make a significant difference to the South West region. The expansion of the Bunbury Regional Entertainment Centre will allow the facility to host a more diverse range of cultural events, while meeting the demand for conference, function and meeting spaces. The coronary care unit will save lives and improve quality of life. The upgrading of the Busselton and Dunsborough foreshores will add to the appeal of the towns for locals and tourists alike. And the filming of Drift in the South West will heighten awareness of the region as an international surfing and tourism destination.
In addition to achieving financial support for major projects and watching as ventures funded through past rounds of the Regional Grants Scheme took shape, we also began administering the 2010/11 round of the Regional Grants Scheme, which had received 118 applications for funding when it closed in March 2011.
For the second consecutive year, the South West received more applications for grants through this round of the scheme than any other region in the State, highlighting the demand for funding from organisations in our fast-growing region.
The recipients of the 2010/11 Regional Grants Scheme are expected to be announced in 2011/12.
Examples of how the Regional Grants Scheme component of Royalties for Regions made a difference in 2010/11:
Augusta's Jewel Cave
Jewel Cave's new café.
Augusta's Jewel Cave is sparkling more than ever following a multi-million dollar polish.
A $3.1million redevelopment, aided by $443,828 in funding from Royalties for Regions, transformed the popular tourist attraction, with upgrades made to both preserve and enhance the ancient wonder.
As part of the revamp, 50-year-old buildings and associated infrastructure were removed from above the cave, a new cave entrance and tunnel constructed, and a striking new visitor centre housing a cafe, shop and interpretative display built.
The removal of buildings from above the cave has been designed to allowed filtration of water back into the natural structure, protecting threatened ecological communities of stygofauna.
The cave officially reopened in February 2011, following the completion of the redevelopment works and reopening to the public on December 18 2010.
Since reopening, the cave has proven to be more popular than ever with tourists, with 25,546 people visiting the attraction between December 18 2010 and June 30 2011 - up 10.2 per cent on the same period in 2009/10.
Helipad at Busselton Regional Airport
Ian Stubbs and Don Punch inspect the new helipad at the Busselton
Regional Airport.
A helicopter pad at Busselton Regional Airport was completed in time for a FESA helicopter to be stationed at Busselton over the 2010/11 bushfire season.
A first for the airport, the new facility provided an appropriate landing and take-off area for the helicopter, which serviced the entire South West region.
The helipad, which received a $50,000 grant through our allocation of Royalties for Regions funding, can also be used by other emergency services.
Former South Perth Zoo train
Deanna Furze from the South West Development Commission and Daly
Winter from the Shire of Boyup Brook inspect the former South Perth
Zoo train which was restored in 2010/2011.
The former South Perth Zoo train, which took scores of animal-loving visitors around the popular attraction between 1954 and 1973, is closer to getting back on the tracks.
The train was recently restored with Royalties for Regions funding and is being housed at the Boyup Brook Pioneer Museum while the Shire of Boyup Brook works towards establishing a rail link through the town.
The proposed railway would provide a novel way for tourists to get around Boyup Brook and could be used during events such as the Boyup Brook Country Music Festival.
All contents copyright Government of Western Australia. All rights reserved.