Longreach Airport has provided more than $5,000 in funding support to five local community groups as part of its 2017 Community Benefit Fund.

The annual program is focused on supporting local community-based initiatives in the areas of health and wellbeing, safety, education, security, and environment.

A list of organisations is provided below:

• Isisford P&C
• Longreach State High School
• Longreach Fire Brigade Historical Society
• RAPAD Skilling
• Longreach Show Society

Longreach Airport Chief Executive Officer Chris Mills said the Community Benefit Fund had run for the past two years, allowing the airport to provide funding support to a significant number of local community groups at a grassroots level.

“We’re acutely aware of the uphill battle faced by many of these groups when it comes to funding,” he said.

“The initiatives are fantastic – they have a significant impact on the local community, reaching schools, learning programs and local interest groups.

“The grants were typically based on $1,000 per initiative and it has been great to see just how far this money has gone.

“In selecting grant recipients, we endeavoured to select initiatives across a range of categories including education, safety, and health and wellbeing.”

Longreach’s beloved 1934 Dennis Ace fire engine will be brought back to life thanks to a funding injection from the Community Benefit Fund.

Since it was commissioned for use in 1936, “The Dennis” was used to fight fires in Longreach up until 1990 and is now used for community events including parades, lolly drops, Santa deliveries, weddings, ex-firefighters’ funerals and fire trials.

“The gears for this truck are no longer manufactured and need to be custom made,” said Jamie Worland, of the Longreach Fire Brigade Historical Society.

“While we are doing as much of the restoration work as possible ourselves, manufacturing hardened steel gears is beyond our skillset. Luckily, we have been able to engage an engineer in south east Queensland to help us out.

“We are very grateful to Longreach Airport for its support of a project that is dear to the hearts of many locals.”

Longreach Show Society received funding to build small grand stand seating at the Longreach Show Grounds.

“It now means there will be more seats available for show patrons, in particular the aged,” said Margie Webb, President of the Longreach Show Society.

“Also the football, cricket, camp draft, team penning and rodeo associations and clubs will be able to provide their patrons with this much needed seating.”

The Community Benefit Fund is run by Longreach Airport’s parent company, Queensland Airports Limited (QAL), which also operates Gold Coast, Townsville and Mount Isa airports.

The 2017 Community Benefit Fund contributed close to $50,000 to 44 organisations across QAL’s four airports.

QAL also contributes approximately $650,000 each year in support of local community, business, environmental and tourism events in each of its regions and across Queensland.

The 2018 Community Benefit Fund will be launched early next year. Organisations interested in applying should stay tuned to Longreach Airport’s website for further updates.

Contact: media@qldairports.com.au.

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