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Bushfire Recovery & Resilience Program

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It has been such a difficult year with drought, bushfires, floods and COVID. Bellingen Shire has shown itself as a very resilient community, able to cope with stressors and to recovery quickly. However, there are those amongst us who have struggled with stresses such as fear, loneliness and trauma. We are pleased that Bellingen’s Bushfire Recovery and Resilience funds will be channelled into projects and grants that will provide the opportunity for community led activities and innovation that can help make us all more resilient in our day to day lives and readier to cope with and recover from disasters.

The adjusted Bushfire Recovery & Resilience program was unanimously approved at Extraordinary Council meeting on 29th July.

The Bushfire Recovery & Resilience Program ($1.5 million) framework is organised in three themes:

  1. Managing Risk - $345K
  2. Effective response to and recovery from emergency - $672K
  3. Enabling, empowering, and support community resilience - $483K

The program includes an expanded Public Grants Scheme (totalling $465K), called the Bushfire Recovery & Resilience Bush Fire Grants.

Available Grants that can NOW be applied for at https://bellingen.grantplatform.com/:

  • Get Ready Grants – grants of up to $10,000

Purpose: To assist the community in managing risk against bushfires and other natural disasters.

Who can apply: Registered charities/incorporated not for profit including S355 Committees, businesses, auspiced community organisations, P&Cs. Individuals may apply, however, funding will only be provided on receipt of invoices for goods purchased.

  • Get Together Grants – grants of up to $3,500

Purpose: To assist the community in effectively responding to and recovering from emergencies.

Who can apply: Chambers of Commerce, incorporated not for profits, auspiced unincorporated community organisations.

  • Assist and Empower - grants of up to $15,000

Purpose: To assist the community in enabling, empowering and supporting community resilience

Who can apply: registered charities/incorporated not for profit including S355 Committees, businesses, auspiced community organisations.

Council have organised drop-in information sessions about the wider program and grants (see key dates) that anyone may attend across the Shire. Other information drop-in sessions are currently in the planning with more details to come.

Please see the link within related projects (right of this page) that also provides much more detail about the Bushfire Recovery and Resilience Grants.

There are many other projects that are now underway as part of the Program. Examples of these projects are:

    • Economic Stimulus projects selected by the community focusing on Streetscape and Branding.
    • 15 leadership and resilience scholarships with Charles Sturt University for community members from across Bellingen Shire.
    • Work to support RFS Get Ready Campaign for the 2020/2021 Bushfire season.
    • Work with elders in Dorrigo to define a project focusing on cultural fire practices
    • Planning for a shire-wide Community Resilience Network
    • A project to improve the coherence of emergency information available to the public
    • To read further information about the approved program:
      • Council report and minuted resolution on the Bushfire Recovery and Resilience program - Report - Resolution
      • Allocations of Bushfire Recovery funding - Allocations
      • Grant scheme detail - Grant Scheme
      • Economic stimulus projects - Economic stimulus
      • About the Program Sept 2020 (See Documents in right side panel)

If you would like to find out more about the Program, or have specific questions, please email, phone or drop in and see Liz Hull or Clare Danby.

Clare Danby - email cdanby@bellingen.nsw.gov.au or phone – 0428 720502

Liz Hull – email lhull@bellingen.nsw.gov.au or phone – 0429 001059



It has been such a difficult year with drought, bushfires, floods and COVID. Bellingen Shire has shown itself as a very resilient community, able to cope with stressors and to recovery quickly. However, there are those amongst us who have struggled with stresses such as fear, loneliness and trauma. We are pleased that Bellingen’s Bushfire Recovery and Resilience funds will be channelled into projects and grants that will provide the opportunity for community led activities and innovation that can help make us all more resilient in our day to day lives and readier to cope with and recover from disasters.

The adjusted Bushfire Recovery & Resilience program was unanimously approved at Extraordinary Council meeting on 29th July.

The Bushfire Recovery & Resilience Program ($1.5 million) framework is organised in three themes:

  1. Managing Risk - $345K
  2. Effective response to and recovery from emergency - $672K
  3. Enabling, empowering, and support community resilience - $483K

The program includes an expanded Public Grants Scheme (totalling $465K), called the Bushfire Recovery & Resilience Bush Fire Grants.

Available Grants that can NOW be applied for at https://bellingen.grantplatform.com/:

  • Get Ready Grants – grants of up to $10,000

Purpose: To assist the community in managing risk against bushfires and other natural disasters.

Who can apply: Registered charities/incorporated not for profit including S355 Committees, businesses, auspiced community organisations, P&Cs. Individuals may apply, however, funding will only be provided on receipt of invoices for goods purchased.

  • Get Together Grants – grants of up to $3,500

Purpose: To assist the community in effectively responding to and recovering from emergencies.

Who can apply: Chambers of Commerce, incorporated not for profits, auspiced unincorporated community organisations.

  • Assist and Empower - grants of up to $15,000

Purpose: To assist the community in enabling, empowering and supporting community resilience

Who can apply: registered charities/incorporated not for profit including S355 Committees, businesses, auspiced community organisations.

Council have organised drop-in information sessions about the wider program and grants (see key dates) that anyone may attend across the Shire. Other information drop-in sessions are currently in the planning with more details to come.

Please see the link within related projects (right of this page) that also provides much more detail about the Bushfire Recovery and Resilience Grants.

There are many other projects that are now underway as part of the Program. Examples of these projects are:

    • Economic Stimulus projects selected by the community focusing on Streetscape and Branding.
    • 15 leadership and resilience scholarships with Charles Sturt University for community members from across Bellingen Shire.
    • Work to support RFS Get Ready Campaign for the 2020/2021 Bushfire season.
    • Work with elders in Dorrigo to define a project focusing on cultural fire practices
    • Planning for a shire-wide Community Resilience Network
    • A project to improve the coherence of emergency information available to the public
    • To read further information about the approved program:
      • Council report and minuted resolution on the Bushfire Recovery and Resilience program - Report - Resolution
      • Allocations of Bushfire Recovery funding - Allocations
      • Grant scheme detail - Grant Scheme
      • Economic stimulus projects - Economic stimulus
      • About the Program Sept 2020 (See Documents in right side panel)

If you would like to find out more about the Program, or have specific questions, please email, phone or drop in and see Liz Hull or Clare Danby.

Clare Danby - email cdanby@bellingen.nsw.gov.au or phone – 0428 720502

Liz Hull – email lhull@bellingen.nsw.gov.au or phone – 0429 001059



Feel free to ask us any questions about the Program. You may also call us at council if you would like to talk to someone directly

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    Hi , I am looking at the get ready grant . I need a 20,000 L metal or concrete water tank to be available for the fire service in the event of bush fires as per my building plan approval . The area that the tank would have to go will also need to be leveled by an excavator. Also a fire pump and hose and metal fly screens . I would also like to install a metal gutter guard to prevent build up of leaves also creating a fire risk . So do i have to purchase first and then apply to be reimbursed or can i get a pre approval to ensure payment post purchase as this is a massive expense i cant afford at the moment. My address is 774 kalang road , kalang and is deemed as high fire risk. regards Sarah Michael ph 0418 673 988

    sarah michael asked 4 months ago
    Thanks for the question. I have assumed you are applying as an individual (which I hope is OK).  The process for individuals is that you apply for a grant for work you haven't done yet.  It is a competitive process and your application will be reviewed by an evaluation committee.  If you are successful you will be notified (we are trying to get all grants awarded prior to Xmas) included any necessary conditions.  If you are unsuccesful you will also be notified.  If successful, you will be able to go and purchase whatever you have been approved for (ie - a preapproval) and then when you provided appropriate receipts to council, you will be reimbursed with the relevant funds.  I hope this makes sense.  Good luck with your application.
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    Hi - I read that grant applications need to be made through the Good Grants portal but I can't find a link or instructions on how to get to the portal. Thanks Emma

    ejbelcher@yahoo.com.au asked 4 months ago

    Thanks for your question.  The link is provided at the top right of this page to take you straight to the Grant portal - in the  Important Links box (Titled:  apply for grants now).  We added this a few days ago as well as putting the web address in numerous other places on this site as appreciate that others have had the same challenge.  I hope this works OK now!