It’s raining cash in the remote rural community of Brewarrina in outback New South Wales after the Culgoa Community Sports Club was yesterday named the winner of $50,000 towards drought-proofing in ABC Local Radio’s Drought, Not Out competition.
A joint initiative of ABC Rural & ABC Grandstand, the competition offered rural communities the chance to empower themselves against drought by competing for funding from the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal (FRRR).
The Culgoa Community Sports Club (CCSC) stood out above all others as being the heart of its community – where the local sporting club means much more than just sport. The area has been in drought since 2001 and has recently experienced a downturn in population and number of local businesses in operation.
The FRRR grant will have an enormous impact on the small community by providing the club with improved and sustainable sporting facilities and a revitalised community hall, which will have a significant impact on the social and economic development of the community into the future.
As the competition winners, the CCSC will also host a live ABC Country Hour broadcast and community BBQ in early April.
Seven Runner-up clubs will each receive $10,000 towards drought-proofing.
President of the CCSC, Grant Vlach, said that in the face of stock dying and grass dying and local businesses closing down, community spirit was once again alive and well at the club. “With the funding we’ll be able to reclaim the former glory of our sporting club and become self-sufficient again. We’ll finish off projects that have been let go for years, and our club will again be the place to go for a hit of cricket, to share a laugh with mates and take some time out,” Mr Vlach said.
Chief Executive Officer of the FRRR, Sylvia Admans, said the eight Drought Not Out grants would go a long way to making small communities more sustainable in the future. “We’ve been overwhelmed by the community spirit shown by all of the entrants of the competition. And most of all, we’ve been impressed by their commitment to ensuring their clubs are strong into the future, with or without the drought,” Ms Admans said.
Click below for a photo gallery of winning entries and others..