Stockland lends a helping hand to community groups with Aura Community Grants Program

Christmas has come early for 15 community groups on the Sunshine Coast who have been named the inaugural recipients of Stockland’s Aura Community Grants program, with almost $300,000 worth of grants being awarded today.

Representatives from Stockland, Good2Give and local community groups joined Sunshine Coast Councillors Rick Baberowski and Peter Cox at Aura this morning (29 November) for the official announcement of recipients.

The biannual community grants program, delivered in partnership with Good2Give, is a collaboration between the Sunshine Coast Council, the Queensland State Government and Stockland.

It will see approximately $5 million of funding delivered to local organisations throughout the duration of the construction of the Aura community.

Ben Simpson, Regional Manager for Stockland, said the Aura Community Grants program aimed to support the many local groups and associations which form the backbone of the Sunshine Coast community.

“This year we have allocated $285,351 in funding and we are delighted to be able to assist these very deserving organisations who play such an important role in our local community,” Mr Simpson said.

“For example, the $28,500 in funding allocated to Camp Quality will be used to support the new Camp Quality three-day Middle Camp, which is designed for children impacted by cancer who are aged between 10-13 years, in December this year.

“This is the first time in more than three years that a camp will be held in Currimundi and we are extremely proud that the Aura Community Grants program has been instrumental in helping to give kids impacted by cancer such a rewarding experience.”

Launched on 10 July, community organisations and not for profit groups delivering services in Caloundra North, Caloundra South and the Glasshouse Country areas were invited to apply for a grant as part of the new program.

The funding can be used for a one-off project, or to deliver an ongoing project or service, with two types of grants available – $1,000 to $5,000, and $5,001 to $50,000.

The Aura Community Grants program is a commitment outlined in Stockland’s Infrastructure Agreement for Aura. The Infrastructure Agreement is a collaboration between the Sunshine Coast Council, the State Government and Stockland that will see Stockland invest more than $1.3 billion in local infrastructure over the life of the Aura project.

Recipients of the Aura Community Grants funding are: Twinnies Pelican and Seabird Rescue; Metropolitan Caloundra Surf Life Saving Club; Scouts Australia; Beerwah & District Kindergarten Inc.; Glasshouse Country Community Group; Camp Quality; Dicky Beach Surf Life Saving Club; Bunya Bunya Country Aboriginal Corporation; Nungeena Aboriginal Corporation for Women’s Business; Caloundra Chamber of Commerce; Hear and Say – Centre for Deaf Children; Beacon Foundation; Caloundra Community Centre; Conservation Volunteers Australia; and Caloundra West Lions Club.

“We are extremely pleased with the response we received to our first Aura Community Grants program and it was fantastic to see the many ways in which local groups are helping to make our region a better place for all,” Mr Simpson said.

Aura has been accredited with a 6 Star Green Star – Communities rating from the Green Building Council of Australia and is recognised as Australia’s most sustainable greenfield masterplanned community.

The new community will ultimately deliver more than 20,000 homes on completion, with each village within Aura including a range of community and sporting facilities. The project will contribute around 20,000 new jobs to the Sunshine Coast region.

For more information on Aura, visit www.cityofcolour.com or visit the Stockland Sales team at 1 Lukin Drive, at Aura. You can also keep up with the community’s progress on Facebook at www.facebook.com/auraqld.