Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner is encouraging clean and green focused community organisations and groups to apply for the Lord Mayor’s 2021-22 Community Sustainability and Environmental Grants Program.
Cr Schrinner said passionate community groups, non-profit organisations and registered Native Wildlife Carers were invited to apply for the Native Wildlife Carers and Cultivating Community Gardens grants to assist them carry out important environmental and sustainability projects.
“The Native Wildlife Carer Grants provide funding for registered wildlife carers to rescue, rehabilitate and release injured native wildlife, with the total grant pool amounting to $65,000 with grants available from $200 to $5000 for individuals and organisations,” Cr Schrinner said.
“The Cultivating Community Gardens Grants provide funding for community groups and non-profit organisations to maintain or develop community gardens with grants available from $1000 to $2500 from a total pool of $50,000.
“Last financial year, we also awarded a $5000 grant to The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals for the purchase of soft crates and koala beds, supporting animals in the RSPCA QLD Wildlife Hospital at Wacol.”
RSPCA QLD Senior Wildlife Veterinarian Tim Portas said the funding is a welcome boost to the resources the organisation dedicates to caring for sick and injured koalas and other wildlife.
“The hospital at Wacol was built in 2012 to cater for 5000 patients and it is now responding to over 20,000 annually, with koala admission numbers this calendar year expecting to exceed last year’s total by more than 25 percent, so these koala beds will assist greatly in the comfort of the rescue process,” Mr Portas said.
“The grant will be put towards beds in our intensive care unit allowing recovering koalas to be comfortable during treatment for injuries sustained in the peri-urban environment such as being hit by cars and attacked by dogs.”
“The remainder of the funding will be used to purchase soft walled transport crates which will be used by both our ambulance officers and in our hospital for the transportation and housing of birds such as pelicans, cormorants, moorhens and quails.
“We are incredibly grateful to Brisbane City Council for this generous donation of funds.”
The Native Wildlife Carer Grants and the Cultivating Community Gardens Grants are now open and close 30 August 2021.
To apply for the 2021-22 Lord Mayor’s Community Sustainability and Environmental Grants Program, visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/grants or call Council on 3403 8888.
For more information about what’s happening in Brisbane, visit www.adrianschrinner.com.au/brisbane-news.
