Grants initiative to fund regional water projects

Entries opened yesterday for The Philmac Project - a funding initiative which provides cash grants to local organisations wanting to carry out water-related projects that benefit rural and regional communities. Grants of up to $5000 are available for each project - $25,000 in total.

The scheme was launched by Philmac - a company which has been designing, manufacturing and distributing fittings and valves for polyethylene pipes in Australia for more than 80 years. Managing Director Mark Nykiel said the initiative was launched last year as “a way of giving something back to the rural communities that have stood by us over the years, despite challenging times both for rural water users and local manufacturers”.

“Judging by the extraordinary response, stretching from outback Queensland and the Northern Territory to southern Tasmania, it met a significant need, particularly in smaller communities, so we have decided to offer another round of grants this year,” Nykiel said.

Nykiel explained that a range of projects could be eligible from schools, sports clubs and other community organisations; “whether it’s to install a watering system in a community garden, capture rainwater at a school or upgrade some plumbing in the clubhouse”. Projects simply need to be located in a regional area and the work has to be completed within 12 months of the start date.

Submissions can be made online via either the Philmac website or Facebook page, using an application form that asks a few basic questions about the intended project. All submissions will be displayed on Facebook to be voted on by readers, and the five projects in each region that attract the most votes will be short-listed for final judging by an expert panel.

“Ultimately, the funding will be allocated to projects that make a genuine difference to their local rural community and have the potential to reduce water use, improve water quality or benefit the environment in some way,” Nykiel said.

Submissions can be lodged until 20 December 2013; but the sooner the application is made the more time it has to generate votes. To submit your project, visit www.facebook.com/PhilmacAustralia or www.philmac.com.au/PhilmacProject.