A total of $30,000 has been provided to West Coast community groups in grants from the Granville Harbour Wind Farm.
Seven local organisations have received a share of $20,000 in funding for a variety of programs and equipment purchases as part of the Granville Harbour Wind Farm Community Grants program for 2021.
An additional $11,190 has been provided to the West Coast Emergency Management Committee under the Granville Harbour Wind Farm Volunteer Emergency Services Grants program.
This will fund the provision of patient extraction equipment that is expected to be of particular benefit to the service the burgeoning West Coast Mountain Bike trail riding activities.
The mountain bike trails are predicted to bring an influx of visitors to the region and become a significant tourism attraction.
GHWF has developed a close working relationship with emergency management committee and works together to ensure the safe and reliable operations of the wind farm.
The West Coast Mountain Bike Club was among the groups to receive a grant. They will use their funds to purchase handheld UHF radios.
Granville Harbour Wind Farm Operations Manager Antony Beard said the community grants would give local clubs and organisations greater capacity to run community events, invest in important safety infrastructure and provide options for disadvantaged residents to connect with local service providers and receive assistance they may need.
“Supporting the local community is very important and we are committed to making sure the wind farm makes a positive contribution to the region,” Mr Beard said.
“The grant program is a wonderful way for us to give back to the community and help local groups to achieve their goals.
“The groups supported through this latest round include the Zeehan Fire Brigade Social Club, the Rosebery Toorak Football Club, 1st Queenstown Scouts and the Zeehan Men’s Shed.
“All of these groups are very worthy recipients and will be able to provide improved services to their community as a result of their successful grant applications.”