Philmac Project for funding water initiatives closes in two weeks

The Philmac Project, a scheme for rural and regional communities established by polyfitting and valve manufacturer Philmac, provides cash grants of up to $5000 to organisations undertaking small-scale water projects.

Only two weeks remain for schools, sports clubs and community organisations to apply for funding for projects that have the potential to save water and benefit the environment in regional Australia, such as installing systems to irrigate community gardens or re-plumbing clubhouses to use rainwater.

Philmac Managing Director Mark Nykiel said the scheme will “help smaller organisations struggling to source funding or kickstart a project that has the potential to benefit their community, and the environment”.

He added that the company “wanted to create a simple scheme without lots of red tape”. Thus, applications are filled out via Facebook and the applicants will then generate votes from their supporters to make the short list for each of the five voting regions (SA, WA, Qld/NT, NSW, Vic/Tas).

Recipients will be chosen from the short list by a panel that includes Irrigation Australia Chief Executive Duane Findley and AgChatOz co-founder Sam Livingstone, who will be “making sure the money goes to a project that will make a genuine difference to the local community and has the potential to reduce water use, improve water quality or benefit the environment in some way”, Nykiel said.

For more information and to submit an application, go to www.philmacproject.com.au or www.facebook.com/PhilmacAustralian. Winners will be announced in February 2014.