More money to allocate at local level

Currently community groups apply to their local board or the Council.

The new system is based on the understanding that of all the Council elected member committees, Community Boards are in the best position to know and understand the needs of groups in their areas.

Each board will receive its annual discretionary fund of $300,000, at least $250,000 of which must be allocated by the board before the Annual Plan is confirmed. The remainder may be kept aside for distribution during the year as the need arises.

Each board will be allocated an additional $50,000 a year towards funding community workers in community- based organisations. The Council believes that Community Boards are in the best position to know and understand the needs of groups in their areas.

It is intended that the additional funds will be used to fund groups on an ongoing basis to avoid the stop- go funding that often disrupts the work of effective programmes. The $50,000 is in addition to the sum of $330,000, which Community Boards receive annually to fund projects and community initiatives.

Community groups and local projects are defined as support for projects and proposals where the main focus is meeting local community needs. They include support to childcare centres, out of school care programmes, recreation and youth programmes.