September 18, 2013
Former South Burnett Division 6 Cr Cheryl Dalton will be taking up a new role in public life shortly.
Mrs Dalton, a Wooroolin businesswoman and former Kingaroy Shire councillor, was today named as Chairperson of the Mayor’s Community Benefit Fund Advisory Committee, a new group which will oversee the charitable body set up to give small grants to South Burnett community groups.
Other members of the Advisory Committee are:
- Lesley Dennien – manager Graham House Community Centre (Murgon)
- Marie Shaw – Kingaroy businesswoman and former Kingaroy Shire Councillor, president Quota Club of Kingaroy
- Emma Yeats – accountant and Kingaroy Rotary member
- Rod Morgan – Nanango businessman and former Nanango Shire Councillor
- Jim Young – Stanwell Asset Manager (Mining) at Tarong
- Scott McLennan – Kingaroy businessman (Xray Kingaroy)
- Ross Heaney – secretary of the Blackbutt and Benarkin Aged Care Association
Advisory Committee members were nominated by the Mayor and councillors, and are all volunteers.
Their job will be to assess grant applications and distribute money held in the fund to local not-for-profit groups three times each year.
It will make recommendations on grant recipients to the Council for its final approval.
Mayor Wayne Kratzmann, announcing the appointments at today’s Council meeting, said he was very pleased with the high quality of the nominees and commended them on their willingness to serve the community.
He told the meeting the fund currently had a balance in excess of $30,000.
Most of this had been raised at the Mayor’s 2013 Charity Gala Ball in August but another $1500 had since been added to it from July’s Tour De Kumbia and Tour De Kingaroy cycle races.
The money would be distributed in three grant rounds each year.
The theme of the first grants round would be junior sport. Grant application forms which outlined eligibility criteria were currently being prepared by Council staff.
The Mayor said the Fund would always aim to keep a block of money in trust to allow for rapid distribution in case of future emergencies – for example, any repeat of the 2011 or 2013 floods.
But it would aim to maintain its capital through regular fundraising events, including the annual Mayor’s Charity Gala Ball.
Cr Kathy Duff questioned whether there would be a risk of any overlap between grants given by the Fund and grants given by Council itself, such as the SBRC’s Community Assistance Grants program.
Mayor Kratzmann replied that the Advisory Committee would be advised by council staff so this could be avoided.
In addition, because all successful grant round applications would need to be approved at a Council meeting, councillors would have the opportunity to check for any overlaps themselves.
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