In 2011-12, Community Grants have been awarded for 25 local projects which reflect our vision, mission and corporate objectives. Projects receiving funding in 2011-12 will provide benefits to the community in the broad areas of water efficiency, broad environmental, catchment management or social well-being.
The 25 projects to be funded by Community Grants in 2011-12 are:
Water Efficiency
Alison Court Aged Persons Units - 'Minimise the Flush' project
Alison Court consists of 20 self care residential units occupied by people aged 65 or over, veterans and people with disabilities. The facility is managed by Dungog Shire Council on a cost-recovery basis and all upgrades or modifications to the buildings are the responsibility of the residents. Hunter Water's grant will help the residents to purchase and install water efficient, dual flush toilets, with the potential to save over 800,000 litres of water each year.
Anglican Care - Water Wise-Life Wise project
Anglican Care provides retirement living, day therapy, residential care, community care, dementia specific and respite care to thousands. Hunter Water's Community Grant will help Anglican Care to install water efficient, dual flush toilets in one of the Booragul facilities to reduce water usage at the facility by one third.
Dungog Memorial Bowls, Sport & Recreation Club
The Community Grant will help the Dungog Memorial Bowls, Sport and Recreation Club to install waterless urinals in the men's toilets to reduce the Club's water usage.
YMCA of Sydney - Kurri Kurri Aquatic Centre - Waterwise
The Kurri Kurri Aquatic Centre is a popular destination for Cessnock and Kurri Kurri residents, with 6000 people visiting the wheelchair accessible aquatic and fitness centre each week. The Centre also houses a lawn area used by patrons. The Community Grant from Hunter Water will help the Centre to purchase and install a water tank to irrigate the Centre's grounds, keeping them sustainably green.
Macquarie Preschools Cooperative - Carey Bay Preschool Water Saving
Carey Bay preschool is a not-for-profit community based preschool, with staff committed to practices of sustainability and environment education with children and their families. This community grant will allow the preschool to purchase and install water saving taps with automatic shut-off in the children's bathrooms. This will reduce the volume of water wasted when little hands find it hard, or forget, to turn the tap off after washing.
Rathmines Primary School
Rathmines Primary School installed a rainwater tank using a Hunter Water Community Grant in 2010-11. With a second grant in 2011-12, the school will establish a drip-feed watering system to connect to its tank for maintaining its organic vegetable beds and mini orchard. This project has already been successful in fostering an interest among students in the sustainable use of resources to pursue a healthy lifestyle.
Southlakes Carers - Sensory Garden Water Management
Southlakes Carers provide day care and activities for frail and aged people in the south Lake Macquarie area. With the Community grant, the group will purchase and install a water tank to care for a sensory garden as a healing space for visitors.
Southlake Community Services - Header Tank for Yunung Community Garden
Southlake Community Services operates the Morisset Multipurpose Centre, a facility built by Lake Macquarie City Council for the benefit of south Lake Macquarie residents. The Community Grant from Hunter Water will help to establish a sustainable watering system for the Yunung Community Garden, which was established in 2009 to promote and encourage sustainable gardening practices.
Catchment Management
Hunter-Central Rivers Catchment Management Authority (CMA) - Brochure Competition & Catchment Crawl projects
The CMA has long been a partner of Hunter Water due to a shared in the region's water supply and catchments. The schools brochure competition and catchment crawl are opportunities to interact with students living in our catchment area and allow them to creatively learn about caring for their catchment.
Watch the May 2011 Williams River Catchment Crawl video.
Rutherford Technology High School - Aquaponics, a sustainable gardening future
Rutherford Technology High School will use Hunter Water's Community Grant to implement an innovative aquaponics system and build a unit of work for their Year 9 Technology students to learn about this modern agricultural method. This project aims to build a better understanding among students and the local community, of the need for water conservation and the innovative use of water in agriculture.
Lake Macquarie City Council - Lake Macquarie Native Plant Giveaway
Lake Macquarie City Council will hold three native plant giveaways in Belmont, Morisset and Teralba for all Lake Macquarie residents to promote and encourage water conservation and sustainable native gardening.
St Pius X High School - SPX SQID - Reduce Quantity, Improve Quality!
St Pius X High School will undertake a project to install a stormwater quality improvement device on its site in Kotara. This will ensure the sustainable use of water as a natural resource and aim to minimise the ecological footprint of St Pius. The school will design and implement a water program within an existing onsite wetland, bringing together students and community environmental groups to create a haven for native species by capturing and filtering stormwater runoff.
Tocal Agricultural College - Student Scholarship Support
Tocal College trains students to become farmers who practice sustainable land management practices and use natural resources responsibly. Hunter Water provides scholarships for students to attend the college.
Tocal Field Days - Children's Education Program
The annual Tocal Field Days event provides an opportunity for people of all backgrounds to engage with the Hunter region's agricultural heart and learn about caring for our land. Hunter Water is the sole sponsor of the Children's Education Program, which brings together professionals from a variety of agricultural and natural resource management fields to present to students from all over the lower Hunter.
Trees in Newcastle - Landcare 4 Youth
Trees in Newcastle is a community group with a long history of conservation and land care in the lower Hunter. The group will use the Hunter Water Community Grant to help establish Landcare 4 Youth in the Newcastle area, to engage young people in land care in their own community.
Wetlands Environmental Education Centre - Envirothon Challenge
The school education program at The Wetlands Centre caters for day visits from schools at all levels of schooling and reflects the NSW Department of Education and Communities' Environmental Education Policy for Schools requirements. Hunter Water's Community Grant facilitates the Hunter Envirothon Challenge, an annual environmental event requiring children to work through a series of activities related to an environmental scenario.
Environmental
Climate Action Newcastle - Smart Energy Expo Newcastle 2012
Climate Action Newcastle is a community group formed by people passionate about climate change. The Community Grant will contribute to the Smart Energy Expo Newcastle 2012 promoting renewable energy and sustainable living in the Hunter.
Dungog Film Festival - Hunter Water Green Films Project
The Dungog Film Festival is one of the most exciting events on the Hunter's annual cultural calendar. Hunter Water was a founding partner of the not-for-profit event in 2007 and in 2011-12 the Community Grant will help to bring to life the Hunter Water Green Films project to deliver key messages about the environment.
Hunter-New England Population Health - Crunch & Sip
The Crunch & Sip project focuses on a key message that children should drink quality Hunter Water tap water instead of juices, cordials etc from reusable drink bottles. The funding for cobranded reusable water bottles will help promote a healthy, sustainable lifestyle among children aged 2 to 15 years.
Social Well-being
Dungog Pedalfest Committee - Dungog Pedalfest 2011
Dungog Pedalfest attracts hundreds of keen cyclists to the Hunter every year to tour the Williams River valley in the spirit of sustainability. Hunter Water will be a major supporter of the event in 2011.
Nelson Bay Town Management - Sculptures by the Bay - Hunter Water Trail Asset Upgrade
Using a Community Grant, Nelson Bay Town Management will transform Hunter Water infrastructure on the Victoria Parade waterfront drive as part of the Sculptures by the Bay Festival, which aims to create a focal point for arts tourism and to develop a trail of sculptures throughout the area over time.
Newcastle Hunter Dragon Boat Club - Paddles for annual regatta
Hunter Water's Community Grant will allow the Newcastle Hunter Dragon Boat Club to purchase new T-bar paddles for members and visitors to their annual regatta to use while sustainably enjoying Throsby Creek and Newcastle Harbour.
Newcastle Ramblers Bushwalking Club - Let's improve the appearance of Obelisk Hill
The Newcastle Ramblers Bushwalking Club actively engages in Coastcare activities in sites of public interest and use in Newcastle. The Community Grant will help the group to transform the iconic Obelisk Hill site into a haven for walkers to stop and enjoy the stunning sights of Newcastle's coastline, while learning about the site's historical significance.
Newcastle University Sport - Healthier Schools Program
Newcastle University, The Forum Sports & Aquatic Centre, through its Healthier Schools Program has incorporated an environmentally friendly water solutions initiative into a Learn to Swim program encouraging water saving practices. The program includes topics relating to the water cycle, sustainable water management and water conservation.
