As mentioned in our November 2023 Noosa 360 update, where Sandy provided funding to Santa’s Classy Helpers to assist with the impacts of food price increases, for the 2024 round of funding, we set out to provide Quick Start Grants again to help offset rising costs for our local organisations.
Sandy aims to distribute as much of her office operating budget back into the community as possible. In previous years, these funds have assisted our young Noosans access sports, major initiatives such as the all-abilities mat at Noosa Main Beach via our ‘Seeds for Change’ program, as well provided emergency accommodations and the ‘Be: Noosa Connect-SCUH Transport Pilot’ which has resulted in transport for vulnerable residents to hospital treatments who were ineligible for other subsidies. Sandy would like to thank all of our amazing community organisations who applied, with more applications this year than we have ever had! Community organisations and volunteers are vital to our community, providing essential services, supports and activities that we are deeply grateful for.
We also recently outlaid nearly $10,000 for an assessment of key wildlife road-kill hotspots throughout our electorate and shire. The results have been provided to the road managing authorities (Noosa Council and Transport and Main Roads) in efforts to see further mitigation measures put in place to reduce the dangers to road users and our wildlife. Further information on this is available at www.sandybolton.com/noosa-mp-funded-study-to-protect-our-wildlife-update-january-2024
31 small organisations from beach to bush who deliver support or services to our electorate were successful in their applications, covering environmental efforts and new equipment all the way through to the provision of information to new residents, supporting art festivals in our country villages and new trauma informed recovery initiatives.
Congratulations once again to all and thank you!
Individual amounts per successful organisation
| Organisation | Grant Amount |
| Australian Red Cross Tewantin Noosa Branch | $750.00 |
| Australian Volunteer Coastguard Association QF5 Noosa | $410.99 |
| Cooroy Pomona Lions Club | $1000.00 |
| Katie Rose Cottage Hospice | $1000.00 |
| Kin Kin Community Group Inc | $500.00 |
| Marcus Beach Bushcare Association Inc | $880.00 |
| Mens Shed Pomona | $978.00 |
| Noosa & District Landcare | $1000.00 |
| Noosa Branch Little Athletics Inc | $1000.00 |
| Noosa Community Gardens (NCG) INC | $1000.00 |
| Noosa District Rugby Union Club Inc. | $1000.00 |
| Noosa FM TEST | $500.00 |
| Noosa Masters Swimming Club | $500.00 |
| Noosa Tigers AFL Club | $1000.00 |
| Noosa World Surfing Reserve | $500.00 |
| Patches of Cooroy | $1000.00 |
| Peregian Beach Community Association Inc | $998.00 |
| Peregian Tennis Club | $1000.00 |
| Pomona & District Chamber of Commerce | $1000.00 |
| PTSD Dogs Australia Ltd | $1000.00 |
| Rise & Thrive Co | $1000.00 |
| Urban Wildlife Gradens | $1000.00 |
| Save Noosa Hinterland | $1000.00 |
| SevGen Indigenous Corporation | $295.00 |
| Slow Food Noosa Inc | $1000.00 |
| St Vincent de Paul Society OLPS Tewantin | $500.00 |
| Tall Trees Art Inc | $1000.00 |
| Tewantin Noosa Lions Club Inc | $916.00 |
| Tewantin Noosa Pony Club Inc | $500.00 |
| Wildlife Noosa Ltd | $1000.00 |
| Zonta Club of Noosa | $950.00 |
Further Information
State Members of Parliament have a set amount of funds allocated to operate their Electorate Offices for the purchase of equipment, mail outs, community event hosting as well as other ‘day to day’ expenses. MPs can also use these funds for advertising on billboards, newspapers and radio, which Sandy has never supported as she believes where possible these funds should be used to benefit the residents of the Electorate rather than the office bearer.
For Noosa 360 updates on other MP Funded Initiatives and grants, please visit www.sandybolton.com/category/mp-funding