Minister Ronaldson’s media release of 1 September included these key points:
- $975 000 in new funding approved;
- total of 331 applications from 72 electorates approved so far, worth $3.34 million;
- more than 1700 applications received.
Speaking in the Senate the Minister noted that applications for the Program could still be made, although the original deadline for applications had been 30 May (extended from 28 February).
In mid-July this year I wrote to all members in the other place to say that if they had not expended their $125,000 then the opportunity was open until the end of September for projects to be topped up or to submit new projects. Some projects required extra funding, and if the members in the other place require extra funding then they should apply. (p. 41 Proof Daily Hansard)
Details of individual projects are in the Minister’s release. There are further details in the spreadsheets on the centenary website although, at the time of preparing this Factsheet, the spreadsheets lagged behind the information in the media release. (This administrative issue is discussed at ‘Update: 1 September – Local grants’ and we will monitor the progress of grants.)
Honest History is particularly interested in the type of projects approved and what they say about the commemorative preferences of Australians, given the constraints of the Local Grants Program. The latest 119 approvals add to the original 212 announced on 19 June. We have analysed all 331 projects below in three tables, including a table that gives cumulative figures. The eligibility criteria are explained in the Appendix to an earlier Factsheet.
Table 1: ACLGP projects approved (as at 12 June 2014) against eligibility criteria
| No. | Value $ | Av. Value $ | |
| Memorials & monuments (criteria 2 & 3) | 123 | 1 464 949 | 11 910 |
| Events & research (criteria 1 & 5) | 79 | 853 720 | 10 807 |
| Preservation (criterion 4) | 10 | 50 354 | 5035 |
| Total | 212 | 2 369 023 | 11 175 |
Table 2: ACLGP projects approved (12 June-5 August 2014) against eligibility criteria
| No. | Value $ | Av. Value $ | |
| Memorials & monuments (criteria 2 & 3) | 54 | 414 034 | 7667 |
| Events & research (criteria 1 & 5) | 55 | 495 814 | 9015 |
| Preservation (criterion 4) | 10 | 65 514 | 6551 |
| Total | 119 | 975 362 | 8196 |
Table 3: ACLGP projects approved (CUMULATIVE to 5 August 2014) against eligibility criteria
| No. | Value $ | Av. Value $ | ||
| Memorials & monuments (criteria 2 & 3) | 177 | 1 878 983 | 10 616 | |
| Events & research (criteria 1 & 5) | 134 | 1 349 534 | 10 071 | |
| Preservation (criterion 4) | 20 | 115 868 | 5793 | |
| Total | 331 | 3 344 385 | 10104 | |
To sum up, 53 per cent of the projects approved to date involve the building of new memorials and monuments or the refurbishing of old ones. These projects account for 56 per cent of the money allocated to date. Events and research account for another 40 per cent of projects and 40 per cent of money.
Comment by David Stephens
There is nothing in these figures which requires our previous commentary to be revised. It is worth asking, however, whether the Minister’s invitation to members to consider top-ups and even new applications is driven by the recognition that 1700 or so projects at the current average value per project of $10 000 will lead to a significant underspend of the allocated $18.75 million, even if all 1700 applications are approved and all approved projects commence. As always, we will print unaltered any comment the Department or the Minister cares to make.
4 September 2014