Photo Caption: Member for Parkes Mark Coulton with President of Wilcannia Forbes Central Council of St Vincent de Paul Society, Leo Woodman, at St Vincent de Paul in Broken Hill, which will upgrade its Bishop Fox meal facility with more than $336,000 under the Building Better Regions Fund.
Federal Member for Parkes Mark Coulton has thrown his support behind the disadvantaged and homeless community of Broken Hill, with a $336,465 grant that will fund improvements to the Bishop Fox meal facility.
Mr Coulton, who was in Broken Hill this week, said the grant has been allocated to the local St Vincent de Paul Society for their project.
“It’s a great pleasure to be in Broken Hill and see firsthand the enormous difference this funding will make to the lives of people who are most in need,” Mr Coulton said.
“With the help of this grant, the Bishop Fox meal facility will be transformed into a multi-purpose community space in Broken Hill which is integral to providing meals and support to the homeless community.
“The Building Better Regions Fund (BBRF) is all about strengthening the local economy and delivering lasting benefits to communities such as Broken Hill.
“I’m thrilled that under Round 4, the Far West stands to benefit from more than $2.4 million in grants for projects in Broken Hill, Wilcannia and Ivanhoe.
“Vinnies’ project will have a hugely positive impact on the local community here in Broken Hill, and I look forward to returning once works are complete.”
Mr Coulton was joined by President of Wilcannia Forbes Central Council of St Vincent de Paul Society, Leo Woodman, to tour the facility.
“This grant will make a huge difference to the lives of homeless and needy people in our community who rely on our service,” Mr Woodman said.
“The meal centre has been operating for about 50 years now and in that time, we have been averaging around 40 meals a day, at a cost to our clients of $2 per meal.
“With this grant, the existing conference room will be relocated to a separate building which will give clients the privacy and dignity that they deserve when they are seeking our assistance.
“This room is currently located in the Vinnies retail centre which limits the operational hours that we can provide support to clients.
“The upgrade will also include installation of disabled accessibility features which will be a major improvement to our current facility.
“We thank the Federal Government and our local MP Mark Coulton for helping us to secure this important funding.”
Other BBRF Round 4 grants awarded in the Far West include:
• $1,656,150 for Maari Ma Health Aboriginal Corporation in Wilcannia, to demolish the aged corrugated iron building and construct a new purpose-built facility, and
• $450,000 for Central Darling Shire Council, for the Ivanhoe Multi Service Outlet (MSO) Development.
For a full list of successful projects under BBRF Round 4, please visit www.business.gov.au/bbrf
