Centenary of Anzac grants now open!
Federal Member for Forde, Bert van Manen MP, today officially opened applications for funding from the Anzac Centenary Local Grants Program.
“The Centenary of Anzac will be the most significant national period of commemoration in our nation’s history”, Mr van Manen said.
“Locally, our community will work together to ensure that we pay appropriate tribute to the thousands of locals who answered the call to serve their nation and the hundreds who have made the ultimate sacrifice in defence of our collective values and beliefs.”
“These Anzac Centenary Local Grants Program grants will give the community the opportunity to honour service and sacrifice. There are many different ways this can be done – from traditional dawn services and marches of veterans, through to re-enactments of recruiting marches, school-based education programmes, refurbishing of memorials and honour boards and establishment of new places of commemoration and reflection.”
“After months of pressure from the community and the Coalition, the belated release by the Government of the funding guidelines can now give the community greater scope to plan for the future and consider how this community can best commemorate events in our history.”
Bert said he would shortly announce a local Anzac Centenary Community Grants Committee to provide advice and recommendations on applications made by the local community.
“The Anzac Centenary Community Grants Committee formed in Forde will assess applications for funding and make recommendations to me about projects to be submitted to the Department of Veterans’ Affairs for consideration.”
“I will ask the Committee to do everything it can to ensure as many groups and commemorative events as possible share in the funding allocated.”
“The Coalition is pleased that community grants under this programme have been modelled on the highly-successful Australia Remembers 1945-1995 commemorations of the 50th anniversary or the end of World War Two.”
“I look forward to working with our community to deliver commemorations the community will be proud of to honour our nation’s centenary of service and mark the nation-defining events of the Centenary of Anzac”, Mr van Manen said.
