The Wahgunyah Men’s Shed will purchase tools with Veteran and Community Grants funding but is still short of money to fit out their new shed after $8000 was absorbed meeting government requirements for the site.
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The group has received $19,229 from round two of the federal grants program.
President Len Carlson said the new shed had recently been put up, but it needed to be fitted.
“We will purchase good machinery under the supervision of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs,” he said.
“We’re very grateful for that funding.
“Now we’re hoping to win TattsLotto to outfit the shed – buy dust extractors, put in toilets and do the kitchen sink.
“We never got any money back from what we outlaid for costs and offsets for the tree, which was over $7000 … we’ll probably never make that up unless we get another grant.”
The committee had to use most of a $8500 grant from Indigo Council to deal with a rotting tree at the site – the only suitable location at the town’s recreation reserve with access to power – in 2016.
DELWP approved the building permit with the condition the tree be poisoned and retained as a habitat tree, but ruled $4581 in offset credits for the death of the tree had to be paid.
Environment and Natural Resources regional manager Sue Berwick told The Border Mail in August a further meeting with council and the men’s shed would be held to work through the issue.
Welfare officer Alan Pleitner said he was still working with the relevant stakeholders to resolve the issue.
“I had a reply back from the minster’s office which indicates it’s something they hadn’t foreseen, where a non-profit volunteer group would be caught out with this,” he said.
“We’ve been able to raise a few dollars, there’s 30 blokes who are still getting things done, and it would be a heck of a lot easier if we didn’t have to worry about getting this money back.”
Mr Carlson said he would keep investigating avenues for funding.
“It’s a challenge and hopefully in 12 months we can say we did it our way,” he said.
“We keep battling and buying our TattsLotto tickets.”
Indi MP Cathy McGowan said the men’s shed had worked hard to get their group up and running.
“This (Veteran and Community Grants) money supports an important project that will make a big difference to the lives of members who access activities, programs and services that help reduce social isolation,” she said.
Projects in Corryong and Wodonga were also successful.
The Corryong RSL Sub-Branch has received $33,726.
The roof has been badly in need of an upgrade for the past five years and Club Secretary Greg Nankervis said the grant was crucial as many of his 30 members were not capable of fundraising or were living interstate.
“Compared to the mainstream RSLs with poker machines, we don’t have a huge scope for raising funds ourselves,” he said.
“We struggle to man our poppy and Anzac badge sales, but we always do and raise money.
“The roof has been ageing and rusting over the years – we get leaks during heavy downpours.”
Mr Nankervis is hopeful the roof will be finished before April 25.
“People form the community far and wide attend our services,” he said. “One of our oldest members turned 98 on Tuesday – he would have bee attending since the end of World War II.”
