Joint media release with the Hon Ben Franklin MLC

More than $7.2 million in grants has been made available for 32 projects aimed at rebuilding flood damaged arts, culture and recreation infrastructure assets in five Local Government Areas impacted by floods in February last year.

The Arts and Culture Priority Needs Grants Program, jointly funded by the Albanese and Perrottet-Toole Governments under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements, offers funding between $5,000 and $500,000 as part of the broader Community Local Infrastructure Recovery Package (CLIRP).

Projects will be rolled out across Byron Shire Council, Lismore City Council, the Tweed, Richmond Valley and the Hawkesbury.

They include flood damage assessments, recovery planning, the repair and rebuilding of assets as well as critical works to ensure arts and cultural activities are safe to continue.

Additional information on the program, including a list of successful projects, can be found at Community Local Infrastructure Recovery Program -Arts and Culture Priority Needs Program (153KB PDF)​​

Applications for a second stage of grant funding - Arts and Culture Essential Community Asset Program (ECAP) is anticipated to open on Monday, March 6.

Quotes attributable to Federal Minister for Emergency Management, Murray Watt:

Our arts, cultural and recreational facilities are the social fabric that holds communities together.

During disasters they become social hubs and play a crucial role in supporting recovery, providing welcomed distractions and helping their users find a sense of normality.

By making it a priority to invest in the restoration of these facilities following a disaster, we’re creating avenues for people to come together to heal and help reduce feelings of isolation and uncertainty.

Quotes attributable to New South Wales Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, the Arts, Regional Youth and Tourism Ben Franklin:

The Arts and Culture Priority Needs Grants Program is another boost for flood-affected communities, ensuring much-needed local arts and cultural organisations can get back on their feet.

The impact of the devastating 2022 floods on arts and cultural communities has resulted in the need for extensive repairs and restoration across impacted communities.

This investment of $7.2 million will help museums, arts venues and the community to re-establish and open their doors to once again be the beating heart of their local areas.

This release was originally published on the Ministers for the Department of Home Affairs' website.