WALGA has partnered with the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) to deliver a small grants program to build resilience to the impact of emergencies on animal welfare through capacity building activities in WA Local Government areas.
The Animal Welfare in Emergencies Grants for Local Government program aims to support the
State Support Plan - Animal Welfare in Emergencies. The Plan clarifies the roles and responsibilities of animal welfare services to prepare, respond and recover from hazards, and provides a framework for coordination between different organisations and communities.
The Animal Welfare in Emergencies Grants for Local Government will:
- identify and support projects that focus on capacity building activities with clear community benefit
- foster partnerships between communities, Local Governments and regional stakeholders to promote activities that help in the preparation for, and response to, the impacts of emergency situations on animal welfare, and
- generate and share lessons on best practice approaches to building the capacity of Local Governments and their communities to manage animal welfare during emergencies.
WALGA hosted a webinar on Thursday,
13 August, which provided further information and guidance about the grants program. The webinar was recorded and can be accessed
here.
Grant Recipients
Recipients of the Local Government Animal Welfare in Emergencies Grants were notified on October 16, 2020.
The following Local Governments received grant funding for a range of projects, including procurement of equipment, development of a Local Plan for Animal Welfare in Emergencies, exercising Plans and commuity education programs.
City of Armadale
City of Bayswater
City of Canning
City of Cockburn
City Of Kalamunda
City of Kwinana
City of Stirling
Shire of Beverley
Shire of Brookton
Shire of Coolgardie
Shire of Cranbrook
Shire of Dardanup
Shire of Gnowangerup
Shire of Kent, Katanning and Woodanilling
Shire of Kondinin, Kulin, Corrigin an Narembeen
Shire of Lake Grace
Shire of Leonora
Shire of Plantagenet
Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale
Shire of York
Funding
A total of $500,000 is available for Local Governments across Western Australia. Successful applicants’ projects can receive up to:
- $5000 - $10,000 (ex GST) for individual Local Governments
- $5000 per Local Government in a collaborative grant between multiple WA Local Governments -i.e. a collaboration of 5 Local Governments=a maximum Grant allocation of $25,000 (ex GST).
Key Dates
Applications close: 5:00pm, Monday,
14 September
Funding allocations to Local Government:
Wednesday,
14 October
Work undertaken by grant recipients:
Thursday,
15 October
- Monday,
31 May 2021
Project completed and final report submitted by: Wednesday,
30 June 2021
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible to apply for an Animal Welfare in Emergencies grant applicants must meet the following criteria:
- applicants must be a Local Government in Western Australia
- applicants must demonstrate a financial or in-kind contribution to the project
- applicants must contribute to the project according to their Local Government Band Allocation:
- Band 1 & 2 Local Governments* must demonstrate a 50% (Grant) to 50% (Local Government) contribution to the project
- Band 3 & 4 Local Governments* must demonstrate a 75% (Grant) to 25% (Local Government) contribution to the project
- a collaborative application must demonstrate a 75% (Grant) to 25% (Local Government) contribution. In a collaborative grant the contribution can be split across involved Local Governments or provided be a single Local Government within the collaboration
- applicants must demonstrate that their project activities relates to emergencies, covers more than a single emergency event, and that all aspects of the project proposal relate to new or additional activities and outcomes.
*Local Government Band Allocations can be viewed
here.
Guidelines
For full details about the 2020 grants, including the assessment criteria and other necessary information, read the guidelines
here. The template project budget can be accessed
here.
Apply
Please read the Animal Welfare in Emergencies Grants for Local Government Guidelines before you apply.
Applications will be submitted and managed online through Survey Monkey. Applications open at 9:00am on Monday,
3 August
and close at 5:00pm Monday,
14 September.
To apply, click
here
. Please submit your project budget to
em@walga.asn.au
A pdf of the application form can be accessed
here
. This can be printed out for your reference. All applications must be filled out through the application link above to be considered.
Case Studies
The following case studies provide examples of some of the projects that grant funding could be used for.
In 2017, the City of Mandurah led an Equi-Evac Centre Network evacuation planning project focused on building the awareness and preparedness of the equestrian community to manage the impacts of disaster on horse welfare. Consistent procedures for the management of evacuation centres at Public Equestrian Facilities were developed, enhancing local emergency management arrangements and encouraging a shared responsibility in times of disaster.
The Equi-Evac Centre Network project successfully achieved the following outcomes:
- raised awareness within the equestrian community about current emergency management processes and empowered them to fulfil their roles and responsibilities within this context
- gained insight into community behaviour to better inform the decision making of emergency management personnel during disaster situations
- supported Local Governments in the development of their Local Emergency Management Plans and Animal Welfare Plans, and
- assisted the local community to care for their animals in emergency situations.
The project covered 16 Local Government areas within the Peel and South West regions of Western Australia and involved a collaboration between community, government and industry stakeholders. The project was funded by a $20,000 All West Australians Reducing Emergencies (AWARE) program grant and facilitated by the City of Mandurah.
For more information about the project, click
here.
The City of Greater Geraldton undertook a disaster training exercise in 2015 - Operation Barndi Marar-Managing Animals in a Disaster - which recognised the importance of emergency responders and communities being prepared to manage animals during a disaster.
To prepare and respond to the impacts of emergencies on animal welfare, the City developed Local Animal Emergency Welfare Guidelines. Agencies who work closely with animals in the community then came together to test the guidelines and the exercise and outcomes were captured in this
video.
Further Information
Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development-Animal Welfare in Emergencies
Local Plan for Animal Welfare in Emergencies - Guide and Template
Tools and Helpful links
State Emergency Management Committee
State Support Plan - Animal Welfare in Emergencies