Community Drought Support Program 2020-21 Bundaberg

Submissions closed at 2:00PM 26 February 2021 (AEST).

IMPORTANT: Please read the Grant Program Guidelines (Word Version) or (PDF Version) to assist you in completing your application online.

Community Drought Support Funding Grants 

At 1 December 2020, there were 45 drought declared local government areas comprising 41 local government areas and four (4) part local government areas (published at www.longpaddock.qld.gov.au/drought/drought-declarations/) representing 67.4% of the land area of Queensland.

The Community Drought Support Program (CDSP) is part of the Queensland Government’s 2020-21 The $5 million Community Drought Support Program (CDSP) is part of the Queensland Government’s 2020-21 Drought Assistance Package.

The Community Drought Support Program aims to strengthen the resilience of drought-affected Queenslanders by building on existing community support mechanisms to increase access and participation in the community. This will be done through contributing:

  • Flexible Financial Hardship funding to alleviate cost of living pressures and hardship for individuals, households and communities impacted by the drought; and
  • to the delivery of community events or activities in drought-affected local government areas.

Funding will be covered by the Community Services Act 2007.

The objectives of this grant funding activity are to deliver community drought support to:

  • enable place-based responses in drought-affected communities that improve wellbeing, connectedness, build resilience and support the community to thrive
  • enable drought-affected Queenslanders to access assistance that alleviates hardship and cost of living pressures
  • invest in quality responsive services and supports that respond to the needs of drought-affected communities and
  • encourage local and regional organisations to apply and to play a role in supporting individuals and communities to thrive.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

Welcome to the Department of Communities, Disability Services and Seniors (DCDSS) online grant application service, powered by SmartyGrants.

You may begin anywhere in this application form. Please ensure you save as you go.

For queries about the guidelines, deadlines, or questions in the form, please email grantqueries@communities.qld.gov.au and quote your submission number.

If you need more help using this form, download the SmartyGrants Help Guide for Applicants or check out Applicant Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's).

NAVIGATING (MOVING THROUGH) THE APPLICATION FORM

On every screen (page of the form) you will find a Form Navigation contents box, this links directly to every page of the application. Click the link to jump directly to the page you want.

You can also click 'next page' or 'previous page' on the top or bottom of each page to move forward or backward through the application.

SAVING YOUR DRAFT APPLICATION

If you wish to leave a partially completed application, press 'save and close' and log out. When you log back in and click on the 'My Submissions' link at the top of the screen, you will find a list of any applications you have started or submitted. You can reopen your draft application and start where you left off.

You can also download any application, whether draft or completed, as a PDF. Click on the 'Download PDF' button located at the bottom of the last page of the application form.

SUBMITTING YOUR APPLICATION

You will find a Review and Submit button at the bottom of the Navigation Panel. You need to review your application before you can submit it.

Once you have reviewed your application you can submit it by clicking on 'Submit' at the top or bottom of the screen or on the navigation panel. You will not be able to submit your application until all the compulsory questions are completed and there are no validation errors.

Once you have submitted your application, no further editing or uploading of support materials is possible.

When you submit your application, you will receive a confirmation email with a copy of your submitted application attached. This will be sent to the email you used to register.

If you do not receive a confirmation of submission email, then you should presume that your submission has NOT been submitted.

Hint: also check the email hasn’t landed in your spam or junk email folder.

COMPLETING AN APPLICATION IN A GROUP/TEAM

A number of people can work on an application using the same log in details, as long as only one person is working at a time. Ensure you save as you go.

SPELL CHECK

Most internet browsers (including Firefox v2.0 and above; Safari; and Google Chrome) have spell checking facilities built in – you can switch this function on or off by adjusting your browser settings.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

A record of answers to applicants’ questions will be recorded here as they come in.

Before emailing the Grants Queries mailbox with a question pleases check here first.

  • Q: The Eligible Costs section reads: 'You can use up to 10% of funding for operating costs directly related to the delivery of the package'. Is this the maximum amount we could apply for? Also, could you please clarify a little more on what operating costs are?

A: The maximum amount you can apply for to cover any operating costs is 10% of your grant request. For example: if you apply for funds for a project with a grant request of $150,000, you can budget up to $15,000 for these costs, being 10% of the $150,000 grant.

Operating costs are costs reasonably associated with the setting up of the necessary services and materials to deliver the proposed project. This may include setting up internet access, printing and promotional materials about the service or project that you want to do, community consultation costs in developing your project plans, booking costs for venues for planning meetings, and so on.

  • Q: Is it possible for us to apply for this funding to disperse across multiple LGAs to these families in need and if so, how do we do that in the one application?

A:  You can apply to distribute Flexible Financial Hardship Payments to multiple LGAs but you will need to complete an application form for each LGA you wish to apply for.    

  • Q: I notice under the Community Drought Support Program printout, that XXXX Shire is eligible to receive $200,000.  My question is, can the XXXX Shire Council apply for the funding as an umbrella body for the smaller Not for Profit organisations in the shire and distribute the funds as per an organisations expressions of interest, which would have been received prior to Council lodging its application for funds.

A: Yes, XXXX Shire Council can apply for funding and distribute as per the expressions of interest.

  • Q: I am preparing a report for Council recommending we apply for the Community Drought Support. Could someone contact me on XXXXXXXXXX please?

A: The department only responds to emails requesting clarification for this program. Please email us your questions and we will promptly respond.

  • Q: Thank you – just wanted to know should Council apply for the whole $180,000 allocated to the XXXX region?  If we apply for the whole amount, and you receive applications from community groups, will that be taken off our amount? Just wanting to know how to best ensure we are able to access the funding amount.

A: The council can apply for the whole amount. If you're applying for funding assistance, you can pass onto community members/groups as you see fit. The assessment panel will provide final recommendation for the allocation based on all applications received for that LGA.

  • Q: Can I please clarify, if both Local Government and Community Groups can apply for this funding.  Reading through your guidelines, I can see the allocation for our LG area, but cannot see if Community groups can apply on their own, or do they apply via their council.

A: Yes, both local government and community groups can apply for this funding.

  • Q: XXXX Regional Council would like to submit an application for the Flexible Financial Hardship payments through the Community Drought Support Package. We have had enquiries from local community groups who are also interested in lodging an application for the grant. Could you please confirm that there is only one grant amount of $25,000 available for the XXXX region.

A: The total funding for this grant round available for the XXXX local government area is $25,000. With 80 per cent of funding to be notionally prioritised towards FFH, subject to receiving sufficient suitable applications.

  • Q: We meet all eligibility criteria except for “located in the drought declared local government area”. DWe service many of the LGAs specified in the guidelines by regularly visiting those areas and using volunteers living in those areas as well as a network of referral agencies, e.g., Regional Councils, Rural Financial Counsellors, QCWA. Would you please confirm that we meet the “location” eligibility criterion?

A: Eligible organisations are expected to be located and/or currently delivering services in the drought-declared local government area. This aligns to the grant funding objectives, which is to encourage local and regional organisations to apply and to play a role in supporting individuals and communities to thrive.