A selection of not-for-profit groups impacted by wild weather on the greater Sunshine Coast have received state funding.<\/p>\n
The Nambour and Hinterland Australian Football Club, Bribie Island Junior AFL Club and The Sunshine Coast Association For Sustainable Communities are among the hundreds of groups, statewide, to receive cash from the Gambling Community Benefit Fund for key projects.<\/p>\n
The Nambour and Hinterland Australian Football Club has received $100,000 to build coaches boxes. Players and volunteers have been without shelter after the oval was inundated multiple times, with floodwaters entering the sheds and damaging vital training equipment.<\/p>\n
The Bribie Island Junior AFL Club received $100,000 to improve safety and access to fields, with the installation of new long-term energy efficient LED field lighting, after its field lights were damaged by heavy rainfall associated with ex-Cyclone Alfred<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Sunshine Coast Association For Sustainable Communities received $100,000 to install cement access roads and drainage system to restore access and protect gardens after extensive flood damage.<\/p>\n Want more free local news? Follow Sunshine Coast News on\u00a0Facebook<\/a>,\u00a0LinkedIn\u00a0<\/a>and\u00a0Instagram<\/a>, and\u00a0sign up<\/a>\u00a0for our FREE daily news email.<\/p>\n Attorney-General Deb Frecklington was pleased to see groups recovering from natural disasters.<\/p>\n \u201cQueenslanders have an unbreakable spirit, but when you\u2019re hit by a natural disaster like a cyclone or a major flood, it can be hard to get back on your feet,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cI hope the grants bring a sense of renewal \u2026 and I look forward to seeing the positive impact the funds will make.\u201d<\/p>\n Member for Pumicestone Ariana Doolan said she was proud to support the benefit fund after Bribie Island had recently been devastated by storms.<\/p>\n \u201cNow more than ever our grassroot clubs need support and I know\u00a0these grants\u00a0will\u00a0make a meaningful difference as we head into the new year,\u201d Ms Doolan said.<\/p>\n Bribie Island Junior AFL Club President Danielle McGrath said the upgrade would have a meaningful impact on the club, players, and the wider community.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are incredibly honoured to receive a grant of this scale,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe funding will allow\u00a0us to strengthen and sustain our grassroots pathways while providing safe,\u00a0high quality\u00a0facilities that will benefit the players and community for decades to come.\u201d<\/p>\n The benefit fund is Queensland\u2019s largest one-off funding program and distributes about $60 million each year.<\/p>\n