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More support for communities hit by drought

Western NSW Primary Health Network (WNSW PHN) has awarded more than 30 community grants to help those across the drought-hit region.

Round two of the Community Wellbeing and Drought Support grants will support programs which help build community resilience, promote wellbeing and deliver assistance for people who have been affected by one of the most severe droughts on record.

WNSW PHN CEO Andrew Harvey said the organisation had been impressed by the many applications.

“We received many high-quality applications for this second round of funding. We are proud to fund services and programs that will help foster community resilience, support and improve mental health and connect communities across Western NSW,” Mr Harvey said.

“Some of the great initiatives we will be funding include a program supporting underprivileged youth in Warren through education, training and mentoring, a trip to Uluru for school children from Ivanhoe Central School, a Q Fever program for the Coonamble community and the continued rollout of the Royal Flying Doctor Service’s successful GROW program to communities at Cobar, Dubbo, Gilgandra, Menindee, Trangie and Wilcannia.”

The grants are funded by the Australian Government’s Empowering Our Communities initiative, which facilitates community-led projects to support mental health, social and emotional wellbeing and suicide prevention initiatives for people living in drought-affected areas.

Minister for Regional Services, Decentralisation and Local Government and Member for Parkes, Mark Coulton said as drought continued to impact all parts of Western NSW, the Coalition Government was on-hand to provide support to communities.

“This government is on the side of those who choose to live in regional areas, and our Empowering our Communities program is delivering on its aim of supporting wellbeing initiatives in rural communities,” Minister Coulton said. 

“I am pleased that this second round of grants will continue to connect and support locals in Western NSW through a range of programs including primary health care, youth training and mentoring and education programs for students.”


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