Aboriginal Community Mitigation and Crisis Management Grants

Who can apply:: Not-for-profit groups
Status:: Closed

The Aboriginal Community Mitigation and Crisis Management funding seeks to address unmet needs in strengthening Aboriginal communities’ resilience against natural disasters.

Aboriginal communities still lack culturally safe crisis management plans that can help to ensure culturally appropriate responses to bushfire crises, so funding is needed to support future bushfire mitigation and planning strategies.
The sector requires further support to address the increased pressure on Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) and their staff to deliver recovery programs for the 2019-20 Eastern Victorian fires and prepare for future bushfires.
There is a need to ensure that communications between Government departments, agencies, ACCOs and other community stakeholders are streamlined and consistent.

The program has two streams, which will be disbursed on a competitive basis.

Stream 1: Crisis management, mitigation and planning

Grants of up to $450,000 are available to support Aboriginal organisations with readiness to develop and implement disaster crisis planning and mitigation initiatives on bushfire-affected Country.

Examples of projects that may be funded in this stream are:

pre-bushfire season planning and mitigation works
public safety initiatives
bushfire crisis mitigation/management training and capacity building for Traditional Owners
bushfire crisis mitigation/management training and capacity building for Aboriginal communities.

Stream 2: Improved Aboriginal infrastructure to better prepare for future emergency events

Grants of up to $1 million are available for projects that address the structural needs of bushfire-affected Aboriginal communities.

Examples of projects that may be funded in this stream are:

rebuilding/reparation/replacement works on bushfire-affected Aboriginal infrastructural assets
construction of new, or the upgrade of currently dilapidated, local emergency shelters and facilities
restoration of community kitchens, emergency water supply and sewage management facilities, to safeguard their ability to remain operational during a disaster event/throughout the bushfire crisis
fire-proofing existing community-gathering spaces to protect against fire risks.

Successful Recipients

Congratulations to the Aboriginal Community Mitigation and Crisis Management grant recipients who share in $2.4 million to strengthen Aboriginal communities’ resilience against natural disasters.

Projects funded include:

Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation to use cultural burning to protect cultural assets, better manage Country and minimise the impact of future bushfires
Duduroa Dhargal Aboriginal Corporation to build existing traditional fire knowledge and undertake work to protect ancestral lands and lessen the impact of future bushfires
Gippsland and East Gippsland Aboriginal Cooperative Ltd for renovations to create a dedicated emergency response centre
Taungurung Land and Waters Council Aboriginal Corporation to conduct cultural heritage and fire inspections, repatriate artefacts and manage fire affected scar trees
Moogji Aboriginal Council East Gippsland Inc to create a space to learn from Elders for the benefit of local communities and environments
Ramahyuck District Aboriginal Corporation to revitalise their head office to improve community connection with the site.
Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation, Lake Tyers Aboriginal Trust and Lake Tyers community to deliver the Lake Tyers Emergency Relief Centre project

Guidelines

Eligibility criteria

To be eligible, an organisation must be either:
- an Aboriginal organisation that is an incorporated legal entity
- a social enterprise with a clearly stated purpose or mission related specifically to supporting Aboriginal communities in bushfire recovery.
The organisation must also have the capability to report to ERV on the outcomes and activities of the funded project.

Applicants for the ACMCM grants must have had their Country directly impacted by the 2019–20 bushfires, with the following Local Government Areas and Alpine Resorts being in scope:
- Local Government Areas:
  - Ararat, Alpine, Ballarat, East Gippsland, Glenelg, Golden Plains, Greater Bendigo, Indigo, Mansfield, Moyne, Northern Grampians, Pyrenees, Southern Grampians, Strathbogie, Towong, Wangaratta, Wellington and Wodonga.
- Alpine Resorts:
  - Falls Creek, Mount Buller, Mount Hotham and Mount Stirling.
Applicants must also have:
- a current Australian Business Number (ABN)
- no outstanding final reports or financial reports required for any previous government grant programs.
Auspice organisations

Auspice organisations can support unlimited applications from lead applicants.

If your organisation is not incorporated or does not have an ABN, you may still apply if you are supported by an eligible auspice organisation that has agreed to manage the grant for you.

An auspice arrangement is when a larger organisation assists a smaller organisation to fund a grant activity or event.

The larger organisation is known as the auspice organisation. Your community group or organisation is known as the grant recipient.

Exclusion criteria

Grants cannot be used for:
- offsetting of salaries or operating costs for existing staff or contractors
- feasibility studies, business plans, cost benefit analysis and economic impact studies
- projects that may have a negative impact on existing businesses/services
- passing on funding to a third party in the form of a sponsorship or grant
- the cost of works or activities covered by insurance.
Who cannot apply?
- State and Federal government agencies
- Individuals and sole traders
- Unincorporated community organisations
- Commercial enterprises
- Fixed trusts
- Local Government Authorities (LGAs) including LGA managed, operated, administered and regulated trusts (can act as an auspice).
- Registered primary and secondary schools, preschools, TAFE institutes and universities (can act as an auspice)
- Commercial enterprises are not eligible to apply for a grant alone (they can partner with an organisation as a sponsor and only provide contributions).
Applications (see Eligibility and Exclusion criteria) to the ACMCM grant program will be assessed against the five key selection criteria outlined below, as well as on the extent to which they can demonstrate how the requirements will be met with supporting documentation.

Purpose

Applications must clearly demonstrate why the proposed project and its works are needed, including a clear explanation for how these needs have been identified as important to the organisation or the Aboriginal community.

Applications must also explain how their project will deliver direct benefit to a bushfire-affected community and support one or more of the objectives of this funding:
- Valuing and respecting Aboriginal culture
- Addressing Aboriginal trauma and supporting healing
- Promoting Aboriginal cultural safety
- Promoting Aboriginal ownership, resilience and participation.
Aboriginal community participation

Applicants must demonstrate how the project will:
- ensure Aboriginal voices are leading bushfire management solutions for the future,
- better prepare Aboriginal communities for future bushfire crisis, and/or
- promote Aboriginal community resilience towards future natural disaster events.
Planning and delivery

Applicants must provide a clear explanation on how the project will be undertaken and the anticipated completion date.

Budget

Applicants must provide evidence to show that:
- costs are accurate and reasonable
- any in kind or co-contribution funding support is included.

Assessment criteria

Assessment criteria	Weighting
Extent to which the application clearly demonstrates why the proposed project and its works are needed, and how these needs were identified	30%
Extent to which the application clearly articulates what works will be undertaken and why they are financially viable.	30%
Extent to which the application clearly demonstrates how the proposed project/works will directly support Aboriginal communities to be better prepared for and/or be more resilient towards future bushfire crisis, safeguard culturally appropriate responses to bushfire crises, and ensure Aboriginal voices are leading bushfire management solutions for the future.	30%
Extent to which the application clearly describes how the project will be delivered; including the key steps and milestones, an overview of the project timeline, and details of who will oversee and manage the bushfire mitigation or infrastructural works.	10%

Funding Guidelines Aboriginal Community Mitigation and Crisis Management grants
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Updated 17 October 2022