Maleny Community Centre will receive a $1.65 million financial injection to upgrade its facilities following a successful grant application under the Regional Development Australia (RDA) Fund.
The funding will contribute towards the Centre’s $1.72 million Social Enterprise Capacity Building Renovation to service the town’s ongoing cultural and social needs.
RDA Sunshine Coast welcomed today’s funding announcement by the Federal Government which invested $150 million in the first stage of a five-year regional funding program.
The Maleny Community Centre refurbishment proposal is an example of how these projects are driven by local need and supported by local people. These types of regional projects have the potential to drive economic development, create local jobs and boost the quality of life for local people.
The funding will contribute to the second stage of the refurbishment which includes a concert-ready modern main hall, installation of solar power and water tanks plus modern performance technology with broadband internet access. It will also create several rentable retail spaces to guarantee the centre’s financial sustainability.
A $580,000 upgrade was completed in 2010, including the replacement of asbestos walls, substantial upgrade of the rear of the building and provision of a main stage “green” room.
To help regional communities discuss their proposals and prepare their funding applications for Round One, RDA Sunshine Coast hosted an RDA Fund workshop tour at Tewantin, Nambour, Maleny, Maroochydore and Caloundra in April this year.
The RDA Fund is a five-year $1 billion Australian Government fund which supports regional development initiatives through councils and not-for-profit organizations and provides between $500,000 and $25M of funding per project.
Applicants were required to meet mandatory criteria, with eligible applications assessed by an independent Advisory Panel. The projects needed to demonstrate a direct and measurable benefit to communities through a business case, cost-benefit analysis, feasibility studies and detailed project plans.
Maleny Community Centre was one of seven Queensland projects to be funded in Round One of the RDA Fund program.
RDA Sunshine Coast encouraged communities to start thinking about their submissions under the $200 million Round Two funding, which opens in November.
Please CLICK HERE for a full list of all the RDA Fund recipients from across Australia