Regional Development Scheme
The primary objective of the Great Southern Regional Development Scheme is to improve the economic and social development of the Great Southern through projects that attract investment and increase employment.
Applicants must be organisations, industry groups or associations based in the Great Southern. The project must have the potential to lead to economic development and job creation.
Round 8 RDS Grants (2009)
Regional Development Minister Brendon Grylls has named 22 successful applicants who are sharing $500,000 funding made available through round eight of the RDS.
This round of the RDS is supporting a diverse range of industries including aged care, tourism, natural resource management, and agribusiness.
“The wide ranging interests of the successful applicants characterises the engagement and dynamism of communities in the Great Southern,” said Mr Grylls.
“We have supported projects that ensure these communities are enhanced, including support for aged persons accommodation in the Shires of Broomehill-Tambellup, Gnowangerup and Plantagenet.
“Projects aiming to provide accommodation for rural workers and tourists in Frankland River, Mt Barker and Pingrup have also received funding,” he said.
The Activ Foundation is the major recipient. The Foundation will receive $60,000 to support the redevelopment of its Albany Business Service. The redevelopment will enable the Foundation to increase the number of people with disabilities that it supports by increasing its manufacturing capacity and expanding its services through its role as a Registered Training Provider.
The RDS is administered by the Great Southern Development Commission on behalf of the Government of Western Australia.
The recipients are:
• Activ Foundation Inc., $60,000 towards the redevelopment of Activ's Albany Business Service;
• Baptist Union of WA Inc., $40,000 towards the cost of extending the group’s existing community services building;
• West Coast Analytical Services, $25,000 towards the upgrade of its laboratory which will provide convenient access to technical services for local industry;
• Perth International Arts Festival (PIAF), $25,000 towards the 2009 PIAF Great Southern Program;
• The Jaycees Community Foundation Inc/Whaleworld, $30,000 towards STARS (Southern Tourist Attraction Routes) of WA, which is a visionary marketing project embracing all tourist attractions in the five regions of WA.
• Moonies Hill Energy Pty Ltd, $35,000 towards the erection of an 80m wind monitoring tower to validate the local wind resource at Flat Rocks in the Shire of Kojonup;
• Gnowangerup Homes for the Aged Inc., $20,000 towards construction costs for an additional two units;
• Plantagenet Village Homes Inc., $27,500 towards planning Stage 1 of a project to design a 20 unit, environmentally sound retirement village in Mt Barker;
• Shire of Cranbrook, $60,000 towards construction of a caravan park in Frankland River;
• Woodgate Air Sea & Land Pty Ltd/Helivantage, $20,000 towards assessing the feasibility of expanding its Albany-based helicopter operations;
• Centre of Excellence in Natural Resource Management/UWA, $30,000 towards the development of new industries, products and systems based on native flora of the Great Southern.
• Princess Royal Sailing Club, $20,000 towards hosting the Mirror Class World Championships in 2010;
• Shire of Broomehill–Tambellup, $8,500 towards the design and business planning for the establishment of a six unit development for independently living seniors accommodation in Tambellup;
• Ulysses Club Inc., $10,000 to attract participants to the Ulysses AGM event in Albany in March 2010;
• University of Western Australia, $10,000 towards the development of a business plan to to build on their initial success in undertaking innovative NRM research;
• Denmark Tourism Inc. & Walpole-Nornalup Tourism Association, $10,000 towards the development of a strategic marketing plan for the newly formed Walpole Wilderness Area;
• AQ2 Limited/Aquaclear Engineering, will receive $9,000 towards the further development of a water powered device to disinfect water;
• Conscious Tourism, $10,000 towards the development of a business plan to lift the profile of the Great Southern as a tourist destination with a particular focus on ‘sustainable’ tourism products;
• Western Australian Agribusiness Development Centre, $15,000 to provide enterprise opportunities for indigenous participants;
• South Coast NRM Inc., $15,000 towards obtaining reliable data on the role tourism plays in the region;
• Bremer Bay Community Resource & Visitors Centre, $5,000 to assist in the development of a strategic plan for the future of Bremer Bay; and
• Pingrup Progress Association, $15,000 towards construction of two modular style units to provide itinerant workers and their families accommodation.
