FEDERAL Member for New England, Barnaby Joyce said the Australian Government is calling for applications for the 2015 Community Heritage grants program.

Grants of up to $15,000 are available to not-for-profit community groups across Australia to preserve and manage nationally significant cultural heritage collections of documents and objects for future generations. Projects supported include significance assessments, preservations needs assessments, conservation activities and collection management.

Mr Joyce invited local not-for profit community organisations to apply for the Community Heritage grants. 

“I strongly encourage our local libraries, archives, museums, genealogical and historical societies, and multicultural and Indigenous groups in the New England Electorate to apply for this year’s grants,” he said.

“This funding is a wonderful opportunity to contribute to our national cultural identity by restoring our locally held collections to share with future generations.”

The successful recipients of the Community Heritage grants program will assist in preserving and maintaining collections of important objects that make up Australia’s history.

Mr Joyce said the program also invites first-time recipients to Canberra to receive their grant and build their collection management skills through training from our national collecting institutions including the National Library of Australia, National Archives of Australia the National Film and Sound Archive and the National Museum of Australia.” 

Since the Community Heritage Grants program began in 1994 the Australian Government has provided more than $5 million to 1117 projects.

More information about the Community Heritage Grants Program can be found on the National Library of Australia website. Applications close on 1 May 2015 and should be submitted online.