Community Grants Program Round 1 and Environment Levy Community Fund

Photo: Taranta Festival 2024, Photo Credit: Saskia Burmeister

Bellingen Shire Council is thrilled to announce the recipients of the Community Grants and Environment Levy Community Program for Round 1 of the 2025/26 financial year. At the June Ordinary Council meeting, Council approved a total of $45,144 in grant funding across four categories: the Community Support Fund, Community Event Sponsorship Fund, Creative Placemaking Fund, and the Environment Levy Community Program. 

Mayor Cr. Steve Allan expressed his enthusiasm for the program, stating, " It’s a very rewarding process to be part of. I’m really pleased to see such a broad spread of community groups represented across our Shire, both geographically and across diverse areas of interest. The Community Grants Program continues to attract a high number of strong applications, reflecting the community’s passion, creativity, and commitment. Many of the outcomes delivered through these programs are at the forefront of our Community Vision, driven by what our community tells us matters most.  

With limited funding available and many high-quality proposals submitted, making final decisions is never easy. Unfortunately, some valuable projects do miss out in such a competitive round, but it’s incredibly encouraging to see such depth of engagement and initiative across the Shire.” 

Community Support Fund 

 Council has awarded a total of $8,027 for the following activities: 

• Bellingen Community Arts Council for the Bellingen Shire Arts Trail Weekend 2025. 

• Urunga Surf Lifesaving Club for enhancing junior surf lifesaving safety and participation through the purchase of new nipper boards. 

• The Full Circle Collective for a Conscious Christmas upcycling ornament decoration workshop and a Kids Clothes Swap event. 

• Urunga Football Club for the purchase of new soccer nets. 

Community Event Sponsorship Fund 

 A total of $18,000 has been awarded to the following events: 

• Rotary Club of Dorrigo for the Dorrigo Rotary Valentine’s Day Ball. 

• Taranta Arts Inc for the Bellingen Taranta Festival 2025. 

• Toni Swain for The Mylestom Mollusc – a day celebrating the wonderful oysters, seafood, produce and environment surrounding Mylestom 

• Camp Creative for the 40th Birthday Community Evening Event Program. 

• Loving Spoonful Productions for The Great Fashion Stitch Up – a creative community event promoting textile waste production and sustainable fashion practices. 

• Gig Big for Urunga Blues by the Sea – a full day music event to be held in October 2025. 

Creative Placemaking Fund 

Council awarded $4,148 in this category to support the following projects: 

• Hayley Egan for Those Before – a multi element community art project. 

• Urunga Sail Training Club for Sharing the River Histories Story of the Bindarray Yurruun (Long River) Sail. 

• Luke Rhodes & Melissa Seelenmeyer for Guunu Maana: Sharing Songs & Stories – the first of a series of community led cultural events.  

Environment Levy Community Fund 

Council has allocated $14,969 to 5 projects: 

• Flow-On Effect: an engaging event by OzGreen designed to connect the Shire's tourism industry workers with local river ecosystems. 

• The Great Fashion Stitch-Up: a creative community event by Loving Spoonful Productions promoting textile waste reduction and sustainable fashion practices. 

• Biodiversity Protection in Mylestom: removal of weed trees at the Johnson Avenue Landcare Site to protect a critically endangered ecological community. 

• Mrs Wilson's Community Garden: the establishment of a community garden by the Urunga Country Women's Association. 

• Native Seed Project: seed collection, propagation, community workshops and regeneration by Dandarrga Landcare. 

Photo: Conscious Christmas Ornament Making Workshop in Dorrigo, 2024 courtesy of The Full Circle Collective 

Mayor Cr. Steve Allan applauded the successful recipients: “Congratulations to the recipients of this year’s Community and Environment Grants! We’re looking forward to watching these initiatives take shape in the coming months. Thank you to everyone who applied, your efforts play a vital role in preserving our environment, celebrating local heritage, and nurturing creativity, all of which contribute to the vibrant character of our Shire " 

These grants reflect the Council's commitment to supporting local initiatives that foster community engagement, creativity, and sustainability. 

Round 2 dates for both programs will open on Wednesday 10 September and close Wednesday 8 October 2025. For more details on the Community Grants Program and Environment Levy Community Fund see www.bellingen.nsw.gov.au/Community/Grants-and-Funding