The Recylery was a previous recipient of the grant. It’s a community bike workshop that keeps waste out of landfill and helps people make active travel choices. Photo: File.
The latest round of ACT Government grant funding available for anyone with a big, green idea is now open.
Up to $150,000 is available to community groups and individuals, and the only requirement is that the project is about taking action on climate change and can help support the ACT’s transition to a net-zero emissions city by 2045.
In 2019, a previous grant awarded to the Canberra Environment Centre went towards the opening and running of the Recyclery at the ANU.
The Recyclery is a community bicycle workshop where second-hand bikes can be dropped off, repaired and passed on again for a low price.
It’s also a space where people can come and pick the brains of volunteers and mechanics – and use their tools – so they can become more confident using and fixing their own bike.
The Recyclery also runs cycling events and repair workshops, some of which are aimed at women and the LGBTQIA+ community.
Canberra Environment acting director Zoe Anderson said it’s an example of the circular economy in action.
“We are diverting waste from landfill and adding value,” she said.
Ms Anderson explained the money from the grant helped The Recylery hone its outreach and get its message out to the broader community.
“We worked on getting a new logo, new signage and a new website, and we got t-shirts made so that our volunteers had a sense of belonging, and a sense of belonging to this community,” she said.
It also went towards what Ms Anderson described as “less-exciting things” like upgrading equipment.
“All in all, we are really grateful for it,” she said.
Minister for Emissions Reduction Shane Rattenbury said it will be impossible for the ACT to hit its net-zero emissions targets unless community groups get involved and lead the way.
“Community groups play an important role engaging and supporting Canberrans to reduce emissions and take action on climate change,” he said.
Four previous rounds of the grants have already supported 23 projects across the last four years in the areas of active travel, zero-emissions vehicles, waste reduction, composting and recycling, renewable energy and home energy efficiency, among others.
These have ranged from art projects to practical ones, such as The Recyclery, Mr Rattenbury noted.
Previous grant recipients include the Conservation Council ACT Region and the Canberra Environment Centre’s Make the Move initiative, which assisted people in the workplace make sustainable transport choices, and Hackett Compost Collective, which installed a community composter.
“It’s about giving people who are passionate about climate change that little leg up,” Mr Rattenbury said.
“Canberra is fortunate to have a strong community of climate change innovators, artists, educators and activists, who generate new ideas and solutions for how we can all reduce emissions and increase our resilience to the effects of climate change.”
See information on previous grants and how to apply by visiting Everyday Climate Choices. Applications close on 25 March 2022.
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