Council to make up for lost grant

Gosford Council is to make up $5000 funding for Burrawang Bushcare reserve after it lost a State Government grant.

The $5000 Area Assistance Scheme grant was to be used for a community safety project based around the Burrawang reserve in Hillview St, Woy Woy.

The grant application was prepared by a voluntary community group, the Burrawang Bushland Reserve Committee.

The council signed the application on the group's behalf as administrator of the funds, because the group was unincorporated.

The group was told in June that its application had been successful.

The grant was withdrawn in January.

The committee, however, only learnt of the loss when a member called the council two weeks ago to confirm plans to spend the funds on project activities.

The council officer involved was unable to explain Council's failure to inform the group of the grant's withdrawal.

The council failed to formally accept the grant, despite a time extension by the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources, and a reminder from the group as early as July last year.

Council's Manager of Recreation Services Mr Peter Hickman said that Council would present the bushcare group with equivalent funding.

Mr Hickman said the mix-up occurred when a Council worker was struck down with chest pains while transporting the application documents.

The staff member was hospitalised and absent for two weeks.

"Consequently the group's application was overlooked," Mr Hickman said.

The department told Council that it understood that "the grant acceptance was in the process of being signed" in November.

"It is most unfortunate that the signed grant acceptance has not been received by the Area Assistance Scheme to date (January 12) and for this reason the offer of funding is now withdrawn."

Burrawang Bushland Reserve committee member Ms Shirley Hotchkiss said the council's failure to secure this grant made a mockery of volunteer effort and skills.

The grant application process was competitive and extensive, and included Committee members presenting their project to a local ranking committee.

"It is another incident in a string of Council actions that undermine attempts by community members to care for the reserve, and improve its safe usage by the public.

"It follows four incidents in a 16-month period when Council's heavy vehicles have damaged areas within the reserve.

"It is ironic that this comes at a time when the shortage of Peninsula open space and recreation areas is being highlighted in the Section 94 Contributions Plan review," Ms Hotchkiss said.

Ms Hotchkiss also said that the council's failure to accept the grant undercuts its own programs.

"Further, this incident appears to be another example of Council's lack of proper process that the Management Audit was meant to address.

"The rationale for creating additional directorates to implement required cultural and procedural change does not appear to have worked," said Ms Hotchkiss.

The council had had more than six months to accept the grant funds, not just two weeks, she said.

It also had a Dataworks document management computer system costing hundreds of thousands of dollars to ensure correspondence was not "overlooked".

Alison Branley, press release, March 15