PM Transcripts

PRIME MINISTER
FOR MEDIA 19 May 1985
LOCAL GOVERNMENT INITIATIVE GRANTS
The Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Bicentenary,
Mr Barry Cohen, MP today announced a $ 17.5 million grants program
aimed at helping local government authorities around Australia to
undertake Bicentennial activities in 1988.
Mr. Cohen said that under the Local Government Initiative Grants
Program each local government authority in Australia would be
eligible for a grant of $ 2,000 plus $ 1 per head of population in
the area. Local government authorities would be required to
match the grants on a dollar for dollar basis.
Provision had also been made for unincorporated areas such as the
Australian Capital Territory, Australian Island Territories and
certain areas in the Northern Territory.
" The Program is an example of the efforts being made by the
Commonwealth Government and the Australian Bicentennial Authority
to ensure that communities throughout Australia will be able to
participate in the celebrations", Mr Cohen said.
" It is important that the celebrations in 1988 involve all
Australians and these grants provide an excellent incentive for
such involvement."
The Minister said the grants could be used to finance a -aide
range of Bicentennial activities from capital projects to
activities of a more celebratory nature.
He said proposals nominated for funding should be of benefit. and
significance to. a broad cross section of the community. They
should be relevant to the Bicentenary and be carried out or:
completed in 1988.
Authorities could direct their resources into regional projects
if they agreed to combine all or part of their grants.
Mr Cohen said it was a condition of the scheme that local
government authorities select Bicentennial activities in
association with local Bicentennial Community Committees.
Already, more than 400 of these Committees had been established.
Mr Cohen said the Chairman of the Australian Bicentennial
Authority, Mr John Reid, AO would be writing to each local
* government authority to give details of the program.
The closing date for funding applications will be January 1986.