$474,000 community grants boost for local clubs and groups
Published on 20 June 2024
Fifty-eight local groups and clubs have shared in more than $474,000 in the latest round of Mildura Rural City Council's Community Grants program.
The grants, ranging from $205 to $50,000, will support a broad range of projects and events, taking in everything from some of our region's biggest annual cultural and sporting events through to valuable equipment and facility upgrades.
More than $277,870 was awarded to 34 local event organisers through Council’s Event Funding and Support Grants, while more than $196,000 in Recreation Assistance Grants were awarded to 25 local groups and clubs.
Councillor for Tourism and Events Mark Eckel and Councillor for Sports and Recreation Ian Arney congratulated this round’s successful grant applicants.
“Our various Council Grants programs are really about creating partnerships with our community,” Cr Eckel said.
“At the end of the day, the amazing projects and events Council is so fortunate to be able to support come from within our community. It’s a real privilege to be able to partner with these groups to make their events and projects a realty.”
Cr Eckel said the Mildura BMX Club was a prime example, successfully applying for two Event Funding and Support Grants, together totalling $22,500 to host rounds of the 2024 and 2025 Victorian State Series.
“The Mildura BMX Club has gone from strength to strength in recent years and has really shown the benefits of our Community Grants program,” he said.
“The club has been successful in previous grant rounds for facilities upgrades and with this latest round of Event Funding and Support Grants is positioned to host rounds of the Victorian State Series in 2024 and 2025.
“This not only reinforces the club’s reputation as one of the most progressive and active clubs in their sport, but will provide a significant boost to our local economy through the visitors the Victorian State Series will attract.”
Cr Eckel also highlighted the broader economic benefits of some of the larger events supported by Council’s community grants program, such as the Hattah Desert Race and Mildura 100 Ski Race.
“These are iconic national events, largely run by hard-working volunteers, that together inject millions of dollars into our economy each year,” the Deputy Mayor said.
“While we certainly have these amazing event organisers to thank for developing and running these events each year, it’s gratifying to know that we can play a part in their success and the resulting contribution to our local economy.”
Cr Arney said he was always impressed by the innovative projects put forward for Recreation Assistance Grants each year.
“The Irymple Knights Soccer Club is a great example in this latest round, successfully applying for $19,000 to develop detailed plans for shared female friendly changerooms at Henshilwood Recreation Reserve,” he said.
“This a project which will not only increase female participation in sport in the Irymple area, but benefit a whole host of Henshilwood Recreation Reserve user groups, not just the Irymple Knights Soccer Club, which is to be commended.
“The Mildura Dragon Boat Club is another example, successfully applying for five grants for equipment including new paddles, a cover and trolley for a second dragon boat the club was recently donated.
“Together these items will help increase membership and participation within the club, which is already making waves on the state and national dragon boat circuit, taking home nine gold medals and a bronze at April’s South Australian Masters.”
Quotes from grant recipients
“We’ve got big plans for our club, including being more competitive. We’ve already increased our ability to participate in more regattas because now we have a second boat, which we’ve never had before.
“To compete at a national or state level we need to be training more, and with this second boat, and the equipment we’ll be able to purchase with these latest grants, it means that we can have more crews out there and be more competitive, as well as increasing our membership.”
- Karen Fumberger – Mildura Dragon Boat Club
“As part of rebuilding the club over the past couple of years after COVID, we have been working on a number of projects to improve facilities for all of our players, in particular the facilities we have for female players, which at the moment are very minimal. It’s about trying to improve facilities to retain and attract female players at our club.
“We realised one of the best ways to progress to bigger projects like new changerooms was to collaborate with other clubs at Henshilwood Recreation Reserve.
“So this is a collaborative project driven by our club, and the idea is to strategically locate the shared changerooms so that there’s benefit for all sporting codes within the facility.”
- Kimberley Strubelj – Irymple Knights Soccer Club
FULL LIST OF GRANT RECIPIENTS
Recreation Assistance Grants
Club Support Grant
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Underbool Bowls Club
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Purchase sets of bowls and jacks for beginner bowlers who attend the Come and Try/Barefoot Bowls/ Beginner Sessions.
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$1,139.00
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Red Cliffs Bowling Club Inc
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Purchase new mats and jacks.
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$936.00
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The Mildura Life Saving Club Incorporated
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Subsidise recruitment and training for new members.
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$2,000.00
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Sacred Heart/St Andrews Tennis Club Inc Mildura
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A new refrigerator for the club house.
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$800.00
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Imperial Football Netball Club
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Purchase training tops for Netballers.
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$2,000.00
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Sacred Heart/St. Andrews Tennis Club Mildura Inc
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Purchase accessible chairs for the clubrooms.
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$2,000.00
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Red Cliffs Croquet Club
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Defibrillator Package.
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$1,130.00
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Wanderers Baseball Club Inc.
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Purchase new player safety equipment.
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$2,000.00
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Mildura Dragon Boat Club
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New Dragon Boat Paddles to go with a donated second boat to cater for growth.
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$2,000.00
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Mildura & District Gem & Mineral Club
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New electrical power points and tag and testing of electrical equipment used by the club.
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$1,073.65
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Red Cliffs Lawn Tennis Club
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Installation of shelving in storage shed.
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$1,579.20
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Irymple Junior Football Club Inc
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Purchase and Installation of Safety/Medical Defibrillator.
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$1,684.38
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Sunraysia Hockey Association Inc
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Education program to attract, support and retain Volunteers.
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$1,333.00
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Mildura Dragon Boat Club
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Purchasing a new Dragon Boat cover for a donated second boat to cater for growth.
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$988.35
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Mildura Dragon Boat Club
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Purchasing a trolley for a donated second boat to cater for growth.
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$2,000.00
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Mildura Dragon Boat Club
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Purchasing a Block & Tackle and a Strap for a donated second boat to cater for growth.
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$345.50
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Mildura Dragon Boat Club
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Purchasing a twin pack of UHF Walkie Talkie radios as safety equipment.
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$205.00
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Recreation Planning Grant
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Mildura Bowls Club Inc.
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Strategic, organisation and financial plan to guide the growth and development of the club.
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$3,500.00
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Sunraysia Theatre Arts Group Endeavour Inc
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Initial concept drawings for a Community & Performing Arts Building.
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$10,000.00
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Merbein Football Netball Club
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Development of plans for the redevelopment of the Kenny Park tennis courts into a multi-use facility.
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$19,000.00
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Football Federation Sunraysia Inc
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Develop detailed construction plans for a new Soccer Pavilion at Old Aerodrome Ovals.
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$16,500.00
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Ouyen United Football Netball Club
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Develop detailed construction plans for a netball changeroom facility upgrade at Blackburn Park.
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$19,000.00
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Irymple Knights Soccer Club
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Develop detailed construction plans for a shared female friendly changeroom facility at Henshilwood Recreation Reserve.
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$19,000.00
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Minor Facility Upgrade Grant
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Mildura Pistol Club Inc
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Installation of concrete pathway to increase accessibility and a new concrete floor in storeroom.
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$5,596.00
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Mildura West Cricket Club
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Commercial kitchen Stage 1 upgrade.
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$17,578.90
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Irymple Football Netball Club
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Installation of safety netting behind goals.
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$20,000.00
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Mildura Squash Inc
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Installation of a match and pennant digital scoring system.
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$9,970.00
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Imperial Football Netball Club
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Purchase of 2 Electronic Netball Scoreboards and two electronic honor boards to support the inclusion of females.
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$16,890.00
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Mildura & District Little Athletics Centre
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Installation of a new electronic Timing system for athletics.
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$10,350.00
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Wanderers Baseball Club Inc.
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Upgrade to back net on Diamond 5.
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$5,646.00
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Event Funding and Support Grants
Multi-year Agreements
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North West Victorian Motorcycle Club
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2024 Hattah Desert Race
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Year 3 of 3
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$50,000
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Mildura District Ski Club
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2025 Mildura 100 Ski Race
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Year 3 of 3
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$50,000
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Mildura City Heart
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2025 Easter Powersports Show and Shine
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Year 3 of 3
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$5,000
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The Great Australian Vanilla Slice Triumph Inc
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2024 The Great Australian Vanilla Slice Triumph
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Year 3 of 3
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$5,000
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Major Events Tier 2
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Sunraysia Drag Racing Association
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2024 Sunset Nationals
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$23,750
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Mildura BMX Club
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2024 Victorian State Series Round 8
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$11,250
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Desert City Street Rod & Custom Club
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2024 Goanna Run
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$13,750
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Mildura Speedway Drivers Club
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2025 Australian Wingless Sprint Title
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$8,125
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Mildura Speedway Drivers Club
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2025 Easter Powersports / Australian Modified Sedan Titles
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$8,125
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Mildura Speedway Drivers Club
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2025 Wingless Sprint Series Nationals
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$5,625
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Mildura BMX Club
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2025 Victorian State Series
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$11,250
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Community Events
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Mildura Writers Festival
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2024 Mildura Writers Festival
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$4,625
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Ouyen Festivals Committee
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2024 Mallee Root Festival
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$3,500
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Mildura Bowls Club
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2025 Mildura May Bowls Carnival
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$4,625
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Mildura Field Days
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2025 Mildura Field Days
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$4,250
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Patchewollock Music Festival
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2024 Patchewollock Music Festival
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$4,625
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Love Our City – PMF Sunraysia
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2024 Mildura Carols By Candlelight
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$5,000
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Cullulleraine Music Festival
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2025 Cullulleraine Music Festival
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$3,875
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Ladds Boxing Club
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2024 Hogarth Cup
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$3,875
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Mildura Show Society
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2024 Mildura Show
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$3,875
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Mildura Racing Club
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2024 Mildura Cup Carnival
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$4,250
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Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show
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2024 Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show
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$4,625
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Mildura Lawn Tennis Club
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2025 Mildura Easter Open Tournament
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$3,875
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Community Events Support Grants
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Gem and Mineral Club
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2024 Mildura Gem & Jewellery Show
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$2,500
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Sunraysia Gang Show
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2024 Sunraysia Gang Show
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$2,500
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Willys Downunder Club
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4th Australian Willys National
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$2,500
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Merbein South Community Hall & Recreation Park
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2024 Merbein South Community Hall Motor Show
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$2,500
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Mildura Murray Masters Swimming Club
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2024 Mildura Murray Masters Swimming Carnival
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$2,500
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Garden of Hope
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2025 Easter Egg Hunt
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$2,500
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Mildura Rowing Club
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2025 Mildura Rowing Club Easter Regatta
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$2,500
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Mallee Sports Assembly
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2024 All Abilities Cricket Carnival
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$2,500
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Sunraysia Indian Association
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2024 Diwali – Festival of Lights
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$2,500
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Sunassist Volunteer Helpers
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2024 Sunassist Motorshow
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$2,500
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Mildura Royals Club
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2024 Mildura Royals Challender Bash
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$2,500
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Sunraysia Dirt Karters
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2025 All Power Nationals
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$2,500
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Lifeline Loddon Mallee
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2025 Sunraysia Lifeline Project Ride
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$2,500
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Merbein Community Rodeo Inc
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2024 Merbein Community Rodeo
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$2,500
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ENDS