Safe space for homeless one step closer

Published: 19 Apr 2023

Mackay's Sleep Bus is one step closer thanks to a $30,000 Community Grant from council.

It was one of 27 Community Grants and Small Equipment Grants, to a total value of $221,000, approved this round.

Community Grant Committee chair Cr Laurence Bonaventura said council was happy to be able to contribute to Safe Sleep Mackay’s target of $100,000 to be able to place an order for a Sleep Bus.

“Sleepbus is a not-for-profit organisation based in Melbourne,” Cr Bonaventura explained.

“They provide a temporary accommodation service, getting people off the street by offering safe overnight accommodation in a bus with ten sleep pods for those who would otherwise be sleeping rough,” he said.

“The great part about this organisation is that Sleepbus takes care of all cleaning, vehicle maintenance, policies and procedures, volunteer rostering and ongoing funding and sponsorships once the initial $100,000 has been raised.”

Cr Bonaventura said it was also great to see the Mackay SES Group receive $3712 towards preparing a series of storm season and natural disaster preparation videos.

“The volunteers have been storyboarding, filming and acting in a series of informative videos about sandbagging, preparing your house for storms and other natural disaster tips,” he said.

“The videos have been well received and other SES group around Queensland have even been borrowing them to educate their regions.

“Up until now, the team have been using old, borrowed video equipment, but this grant will allow them to get some of their own recording equipment and continue to provide video messaging to the community to help with emergency preparedness and education.”

Also funded were:

  • Share the Dignity - $5000 for a women's health machine
  • Carinya Care Inc - $28,000 for the replacement of two cottage roofs
  • Leap Yakapari District Development - $700 for a walk-in greenhouse with shelving
  • Sarina Pony Club Inc - $21,600 to purchase a tractor and slasher
  • Mackay Society of Model Engineers Inc - $3811 for furniture and appliances
  • Mackay Rainbow Pride - $7500 towards the 'Mackay Rainbow Pride' event at the Bluewater Quay on June 17
  • City Brothers Football Club Inc - $4000 to upgrade canteen equipment
  • Mackay Woodturners Assoc Inc - $7500 to increase the size of the solar panel system currently installed to the Woodturners shed
  • Pioneer Potters - $23,800 to purchase a large front loading electric kiln
  • Souths Suburban Bowls Club Inc - $24,000 for the installation of large industrial fans over the covered green
  • Pioneer Catchment Landcare - $15,000 to purchase a zero-turn mower, trailer and accessories
  • Queensland PCYC Welfare Assoc - $20,000 towards roof replacement and maintenance from damage sustained during a recent large rainfall event
  • ASSI United Council - $6090 to purchase a ride-on mower
  • Mackay Netball Assoc - $3000 towards sending the boys representative netball team and coaching staff to compete at the Queensland Senior State Age Championships
  • Act for Kids - $5000 towards a two-day training seminar for local professionals working with young people and families to address adolescent-to-parent violence (APV)

Small Equipment Grants

  • Mackay Children's Contact Service Inc - $1500 towards an arcade machine and air hockey table
  • Norths Netball Club Inc - $1500 for training equipment such as balls, markers, bibs, medicine balls etc, and restocking of first aid kits
  • Mackay Hockey Assoc - $1500 for a fryer for the canteen
  • Care Kitchen Inc - $1043 for an iPad 10.2, WiFi and cell
  • The Golden Blocks - $1475 for program equipment
  • Mackay Veterans Support Group Inc - $798 for a TnT RCD portable appliance tester
  • North Mackay Athletics - $756 to purchase a portable PA system
  • Pioneer Toastmasters  - $1363 for a portable microphone, speaker and wide-angle camera
  • Sarina & District Community Kindergarten - $1007 for two ergonomic office chairs and a small pressure cleaner
  • Mackay Community Visitors Assoc - $1400 for a laptop and software