City of Onkaparinga Councillor Update

Community Grants

The community grants program for 2020- 2021 opened on 20 January and will close on 10 March.
Grants can be sought for the following categories:

  • Community Grants for community development projects that foster community participation and increase social inclusion and small equipment purchases for community groups.

  • Public Place Improvement Grants that will improve public land.

  • Community Training and Development Grants for local community groups to undertake training or attend conferences to assist skills development for volunteers.

  • Environment Grants are available to community groups, schools and businesses for projects for habitat creation, waste minimisation, revegetation, promotional materials, expert advice, food security, composting and equipment.

  • Event Sponsorship cash and in-kind support for festivals and events that provide economic benefits and increase visitor to our region and includes events such as Christmas and carols events.

  • Every Generation Onkaparinga Grants – Celebrating Positive Aging.

  • Heritage Grants, which form part of the local heritage incentive scheme for assistance to owners or lessees of local heritage places.

  • Minor Capital Works and Facilities for not for profit organisations that provide sporting and recreation services to the community and I encourage our organisations to apply for them.

Groups within the Cherry Gardens area were successful in achieving grants last year for the Memorial Hall and oval. Further details are available through Council’s website at www.onkaparingacity.com/grants. I am the elected member on the Community Grants, Community Events and Minor Capital Works grants committees.

Australia Day Breakfast, Tour Down Under, Australia Day Awards Presentation, Citizenship Ceremony & Bush Fair

I attended all these events representing Mayor Erin Thompson at the BBQ breakfast at the Aberfoyle Community Centre. Sixty of our residents became Australian citizens at the Citizenship Ceremony held just before the start of the Australia Day Bush Fair at the South Adelaide Oval Noarlunga. Unfortunately attendances were down for the Bush Fair to previous years.

2020 – 2021 Budget

Following the series of community budget workshops Council has commenced the budget process in January, with an elected members’ workshop scheduled for the morning of Saturday 14 March.

Thalassa Park Storybook Walk Public Art launch and Family Fund Day

Please join Mayor Erin Thompson, Cr Marion Themeliotis and myself as we launch the “I’m a Dirty Dinosaur” public artwork at Thalassa Park Windebanks Road, Aberfoyle Park at 1.30 pm, Saturday 14 March in the Story Book Walk St. The artist, Sally Wickes, was commissioned by the City of Onkaparinga to create the latest addition to the sculpture park, which is funded by the Thalassa Park Trust and the City of Onkaparinga.

The event is a free family fun day organised by the Woodcroft and Aberfoyle Park libraries to celebrate this wonderful new addition to the sculptural walk of children’s stories written by South Australian authors which has been running since 2007. In 2018 the event saw over 600 attendees and we are expecting another big turn out to this community event and would like you to attend to celebrate with us. It’s only 6 kms from Cherry Gardens.

City of Onkaparinga Clubs Forum

I unfortunately do not yet have the date of the next forum meeting at the time of writing but would hope that our sporting clubs receive an invitation to these meetings, as they are a means of seeking support for our sporting clubs and prioritisation for funding,

Disclaimer

The views expressed in this article are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of Council.

Geoff Eaton
Councillor
Thalassa Ward
City of Onkaparinga
Email: geoff.eaton@onkaparinga.sa.gov.au
Mobile: 0416 637 351