Published Friday, 26 March, 2010 at 11:52 AM
Minister for Public Works and Information and Communication Technology
The Honourable Robert Schwarten
Funds give new life to community icons across the State
Public Works Minister Robert Schwarten has congratulated communities across Queensland who have been successful in applying for funds to restore memorials and other local historic icons.
Mr Schwarten today announced Queensland Government funds have been released for the sixth and final round of the highly-successful Community Memorials Restoration Program.
“From Thursday Island to Toowoomba, the Community Memorials Restoration Program helps restore local history and the Queensland Government is pleased to be able to assist,” Mr Schwarten said.
“For 2009-10, grants totalling more than $598,000 have been allocated to 53 restoration projects across Queensland.
“Of those more than half involve work on war memorials, 19 have been allocated to cemetery related projects with the remaining 9 being undertaken on community icons.
“Since the program commenced in 2004-05 more than $3 million has been committed towards restoring and repairing more than 290 memorials or icons, restoring historical grave sites and digitising historical cemetery records,” he said.
Mr Schwarten said the program encouraged community spirit by enabling councils and local historical groups to repair and restore their memorials and monuments which in turned provided work in rural and regional Queensland.
“The story of a community’s development can often be traced through their war memorials, historic buildings, cemetery records and the restoration work undertaken on them by community members – response to the program since its inception has been enormous and this latest round has been no exception.”
“It has been vital that we have kept the ball rolling since the program commenced in 2004 so as many Queensland communities as possible can preserve their unique and rich historical markers for future generations,” she said.
Minister for Public Works Robert Schwarten said the State Government, through the Community Memorial Restoration Program, grant councils and local organisations one dollar for every dollar they spend to the value of $25,000 for war memorial/community icon projects and up to $15,000 for cemetery related projects.
“In this latest round, we asked interested parties to lodge expressions of interest with the Department of Public Works, which administers the program, by 4 December last year” Mr Schwarten said.
“Due to the extremely high number of applications submitted for this round, rigorous assessment was undertaken as the applications were quite competitive. We are confident that the successful applicants will complete worthwhile and much needed projects which in turn will make a big difference to their communities,” he said.
Media Contact: Minister’s Office 3237 1184
Mr Schwarten today announced Queensland Government funds have been released for the sixth and final round of the highly-successful Community Memorials Restoration Program.
“From Thursday Island to Toowoomba, the Community Memorials Restoration Program helps restore local history and the Queensland Government is pleased to be able to assist,” Mr Schwarten said.
“For 2009-10, grants totalling more than $598,000 have been allocated to 53 restoration projects across Queensland.
“Of those more than half involve work on war memorials, 19 have been allocated to cemetery related projects with the remaining 9 being undertaken on community icons.
“Since the program commenced in 2004-05 more than $3 million has been committed towards restoring and repairing more than 290 memorials or icons, restoring historical grave sites and digitising historical cemetery records,” he said.
Mr Schwarten said the program encouraged community spirit by enabling councils and local historical groups to repair and restore their memorials and monuments which in turned provided work in rural and regional Queensland.
“The story of a community’s development can often be traced through their war memorials, historic buildings, cemetery records and the restoration work undertaken on them by community members – response to the program since its inception has been enormous and this latest round has been no exception.”
“It has been vital that we have kept the ball rolling since the program commenced in 2004 so as many Queensland communities as possible can preserve their unique and rich historical markers for future generations,” she said.
Minister for Public Works Robert Schwarten said the State Government, through the Community Memorial Restoration Program, grant councils and local organisations one dollar for every dollar they spend to the value of $25,000 for war memorial/community icon projects and up to $15,000 for cemetery related projects.
“In this latest round, we asked interested parties to lodge expressions of interest with the Department of Public Works, which administers the program, by 4 December last year” Mr Schwarten said.
“Due to the extremely high number of applications submitted for this round, rigorous assessment was undertaken as the applications were quite competitive. We are confident that the successful applicants will complete worthwhile and much needed projects which in turn will make a big difference to their communities,” he said.
Media Contact: Minister’s Office 3237 1184