Both Federal and State Governments offer a range of funding and community grants to local governments in support of their commitment to create employment, provide economic growth, and build stronger communities in regional areas. Many of these funding opportunities are provided to communities outside major Australian capital cities with the aim of improving conditions and liveability.
Local Governments continue to experience increased responsibilities to provide services for their regional communities that are commonly provided commercially in large cities. Various funding rounds are made available for the construction of new infrastructure, upgrades or extensions of existing infrastructure projects. Funding for community activities such as new or expanded events and strategic planning are also offered to assist with community investments.
Many Councils apply for government funding in order to meet these growing needs within their community and GenEng has provided support to several councils to successfully apply for major infrastructure and significant civil works projects on behalf of Council.
Approach
GenEng Solutions work with our clients to develop well-researched, comprehensive funding submission applications to achieve the best chance at success, particularly for infrastructure projects. We have been engaged on various occasions to assist Councils with their application and compilation of supporting documentation in order to meet Department eligibility guidelines and assessment criteria for each particular funding round.
Submissions are developed via initial meetings with Council representatives to achieve an understanding of the project and its significance to the community. Evidence for each criterion to support the application is obtained via existing information made available through each relevant Council; resources made available via Regional Development Australia (RDA); stakeholder interests and support; and research of further material where required.
GenEng have on occasion been required to develop a Business Case submission to the Department in order to progress through to the next funding round. Additional preparation to support each criterion may also include the development of a cashflow forecast and detailed project plans (if not previously prepared by Council). Depending on the project value guideline requirements, GenEng also coordinates the services of Economists to prepare Cost Benefit Analyses to provide information on the impact that the proposed infrastructure will have on the region and its communities.
Challenges
Challenges in the preparation of funding applications often include the coordination and sourcing of information from various key stakeholders in a relatively short timeframe. The Department releases funding guidelines after which Council follow internal approval processes to decide which projects will be nominated within these timeframes and tight financial constraints.
In our position as consultants, it is important that we encourage Councils to be better prepared ahead of the funding round opening to ensure that preliminary work, including design, stakeholder engagement and project planning are completed and that the project is shovel ready ahead of submitting applications. We also encourage Council to select a project that is going to meet key program objectives for the funding submission (i.e. communities affected by drought; recreational and tourism improvements; supporting liveability and improved economic conditions).
Outcomes
Our team have been successful in obtaining funding for our clients under a number of programs, including sport and recreation; revitalisation and upgrades; economic development; disaster recovery; and roads and drainage.