Nearly $32 million in funding is now available to assist organisations in the New England which work with children at risk of harm in our communities.

Member for New England, Barnaby Joyce, said the new funding will be made available under Round 4 of the Coalition Government’s Safer Communities Fund for security infrastructure and activity-based projects that aim to protect children from violent attacks and harassment.

“We’re pretty lucky here in rural and regional Australia to be free of the afflictions of war and suffering endured by many less fortunate countries around the world,” Mr Joyce said.

“But still we must continue to strive for better and that includes the right of every child in our country, to feel safe.

“These grants will help facilitate those safe environments for kids who are most at risk here in the New England,” Mr Joyce said.

The focus of funding in round four is schools, community and religious organisations, and will be available over three years.

The Coalition Government has already approved around 340 grants under the fund for organisations to deliver youth engagement projects and upgrade their security infrastructure.

It comes on the back of more than $1.5 million in Safer Communities funding delivered to New England communities in the last year, including $650,000 in grants just last month for CCTV cameras and security lighting upgrades at Armidale and Inverell.

This latest funding announcement brings the total amount available under the Safer Communities Fund to $101.9 million between 2016-17 and 2020-21.

Applications for round four can be submitted from 19 March 2019 and will be assessed progressively in the order they are received until the funding is exhausted. Potential applicants should start preparing applications now. Further details are available on the Australian Government’s Safer Communities Fund website here.

 (ENDS)