WARD SAYS COMMUNITY WAR MEMORIALS FUND NOW OPEN

Member for Kiama Gareth Ward is encouraging our region’s RSL sub-branches and local Councils to assess the condition of local war memorials and consider applying for funding to make improvements from the State Government’s 2024-2025 Community War Memorial Fund.

The Community War Memorials Fund (CWMF) was first established in 2008 and it provides grants to local communities to help conserve, repair and protect war memorials across New South Wales.

Mr Ward said he had worked to secure previous grants for projects such as the unveiling of the Gordon Grellman Wall of Remembrance, built next to Kiama's War Memorial Arch in Terralong Street. A Kiama identity, Minnamurra postmaster Gordon Grellman was a Kiama-Jamberoo RSL Sub-Branch member and World War II pilot.

“The Wall of Remembrance was designed by architect and former member of the Kiama-Jamberoo RSL Sub-Branch, Mr Harry Sprintz OAM. I also secured funding from the previous State Government to help upgrade and save the Kiama Memorial Arch,” he said.

“Many of these memorials were built in the years following the First World War and are approaching their centenaries – they are also an important part of our shared history as Australians.

“In preparation for these milestones, and future commemorative events, grants of up to $10,000 can be accessed to support costly preservation and maintenance works.

“It is also vitally important we protect our local war memorials so that towns and villages across the Kiama electorate have a central place to gather and reflect on the lives of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our nation.

“If a project is directly related to war memorial chances are this program will fund it including conservation assessments, honour roll repair, war memorial cleaning and conservation work and arborist advice for war memorial trees,” Mr Ward said.

Helpful resources have been developed to assist you to understand the CWMF and complete an online application form. Start your preparation by reading the Program Guidelines.

Applications to the CWMF must align with and be submitted under one of the below category descriptions:

Category A – Engaging heritage specialists to produce reports relating to the repair, protection and/or conservation of existing war memorials.

Category B – Physical works relating to the repair, protection and/or conservation of existing war memorials.

Round one applications under the 2024-2025 Community War Memorials Fund will close at 11pm on 24th July 2024.

If you have questions that are not covered in the Program Guidelines, please email [email protected].