The Stawell Times-News, Page: 2
Tuesday, 18 April 2006
ARARAT -Pacific Hydro made the first payments to Ararat and district recipients under its ground breaking Sustainable Communities Fund at a reception held in Ararat. Launched in late 2005 the fund is a long term commitment by Pacific Hydro to make annual payments to organisations within the local communities in which it operates. In this inaugural round over $40.000 has been provided to 10 organisations supporting activities such as sporting club initiatives, health and community cohesion programs, education assistance and several cultural activities.
The organisations which will receive funding are the East Grampians Health Service Centre of Community Health and Ararat community group. St Andrew's Cricket Club. Ararat Community College. Ararat City Band, Ararat YMCA. St Mary's Parish Primary School. Lake Bolac Eel Festival. Buangor Primary School and Ararat Golden Gateway Festival. "We are delighted to make this money available to local organisations that are pursuing very worthwhile projects in their community."
Pacific Hydro executive manager corporate affairs and marketing Andrew Richards said. "This will be the first of many annual payments Pacific Hydro will make over the operational life of our Challicum Hills wind farm and we look forward to being a constructive member of the local community for many years to come." More than 60 organisations from the Ararat region applied for first round funding totalling in excess of $2.5 million dollars.
"We were quite overwhelmed with the response to the fund. All the applications put forward were worthy of funding and choosing these initial recipients was a difficult task. In this regard we would like to thank the Rural City of Ararat for their guidance, advice and support." Mr Richards said.
Requests for proposals for the 2006 round of funding will be released in the second half of this year. A similar fund has been set up for the Port Fairy region where Pacific Hydro has two operating wind farms at Codrington and Yambuk.
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