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Appendix 7 - Discretionary grants
Following is a list of the discretionary grant programs the Department administered during the financial year. More information about these programs is available on the Department's website at www.dcita.gov.au.
Anti-doping Research Program
Program to provide funding for new anti-doping research to improve the analytical capability of detecting banned substances and doping agents in sport.
Commercial Radio Blackspots Program
The Commercial Radio Blackspots Program runs for three years commencing in 2002-03. It has been established to deliver new or improved commercial radio services to regional and remote communities where it has not been commercially viable for licensees to provide coverage.
Community Broadcasting
The Department administers an annual grant to the Community Broadcasting Foundation to which provides organisations with funding assistance to further the development of Australian community broadcasting.
Consumer Representation and Research Grants
Financial assistance for purposes in connection with representation of the interests of consumers, research into social, economic, environmental or technological implications in relation to telecommunications.
Networking the Nation (NTN)
NTN is a grants program being delivered from the Regional Telecommunications Infrastructure Account. The program is helping bridge the gaps in telecommunications services, access and costs between urban and non-urban Australia.
NTN aims to assist the economic and social development of regional, rural and remote Australia by funding projects which:
- enhance telecommunications infrastructure and services in those areas;
- increase access to, and promote use of, services available through telecommunications networks; and
- reduce disparities in access to services and facilities.
Other targeted initiatives funded from the Telstra Social Bonus and managed under NTN include The Local Government Fund, Building Additional Rural Networks, The Rural Internet Access Fund, The Remote and Isolated Islands Fund, and The Expanded Mobile Phone Program in Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania.
Television Black Spots-Alternative Technical Solutions Program
This program has been developed to further improve television reception in regional areas through the development of alternative technical solutions to assist eligible applicants who could not be assisted under the Television Black Spots Program.
Television Fund
The Television Fund funds the Television Black Spots Program, which aims to fix between 200 and 250 major analog television reception black spots, and the Second Remote Commercial Channel subsidy, which subsidises the purchase of a transmitter and decoder necessary to provide a second terrestrial commercial television signal to 'self-help' communities in remote areas.
Cultural Development Program
The Cultural Development Program (CDP) comprises a number of components including individual projects, the national cultural and touring funding programs (Festivals Australia, Playing Australia, Visions of Australia and the Contemporary Music Touring Program), funding for cultural organisations such as Film Australia and the national arts training organisations, and the Australian Government's contribution to the Cultural Ministers Council and its programs such as the Return of Indigenous Cultural Property and the Distributed National Collection.
Within the CDP there are discretionary grants programs as follows:
Contemporary Music Touring Program
The Contemporary Music Touring Program aims to develop viable touring opportunities within Australia for Australian musicians and to increase audience access to live Australian contemporary music, particularly in regional areas.
Distributed National Collection
Provides funding support for strategic activities, which aim to enhance the care and management of heritage collections across Australia.
Festivals Australia
Festivals Australia provides assistance to regional and community festivals to present new and innovative arts and cultural activities, which add to the quality and diversity of the programming of festivals.
Playing Australia
Playing Australia aims to assist performing arts organisations to expand their touring activities by touring across State and Territory borders and in so doing to provide all Australians, particularly those living in regional and remote areas, with access to high quality performing arts.
Regional Arts Fund
The program provides funding for community cultural development projects in regional areas and is delivered by regional arts organisations in each State and Territory.
Visions of Australia
The national touring exhibition grant program which assists touring exhibitions of cultural material across Australia. Funding is available to cultural and community organisations to assist with exhibition touring costs and for project development.
Federation Fund programs
Federation Community Projects (FCP)
The $30 million FCP program provided small grants to assist over 1000 community organisations to commemorate the Centenary of Federation. A total of $200 000 was available in each electorate. The program is part of the broader $1 billion Federation Fund program.
Federation Cultural and Heritage Projects (FCHP)
Under the FCHP program, the Commonwealth Government provided $70.4 million from the Federation Fund to fund medium sized cultural and heritage infrastructure projects. The Department administers 28 of the 60 projects worth $33.9 million.
Major Federation Fund (MFF)
Under the MFF program, the Commonwealth provided $900 million from the Federation Fund to fund major infrastructure projects. The Department administers $434 million of this fundin