Yarra Ranges Council’s 2026 Annual Grants were approved at the Tuesday 28 October council meeting, set to fund arts, heritage, festivals, events and community development projects next year.
A total of $574,535.15 will be distributed to not-for-profit community groups from the pool of $150,000 allocated for festivals and events, $150,000 for arts and heritage and $275,000 for community development.
Lyster Ward councillor Peter McIlwain said in previous years, prior to becoming a councillor, he had been the recipient of several arts grants and is a strong believer in them.
“I made a sound installation down in Selby, it ended up now having been presented five times in different locations, one of which was the Yering Station, which won that year the Yering Sculpture Award, which at the time was a major art prize,” he said.
“We see this again and again and again throughout these kinds of projects, where the value coming back to Council is far exceeding what we spend…we’re getting return on investment, that’s easily four times what we’re putting in here, and probably greater in many respects.
“Particularly if you look at the kind of community outcomes that we get, some of which money can’t buy.”
A total of 100 grant applications were received, totalling over $935,000, and 75 of those were approved. The 75 approved applications requested just over $704,000 in total, so funding for some projects may be short of what was requested.
Walling Ward councillor Len Cox said the grants program enables people or groups who may not be able to afford to do something really useful in the community.
“It enables them, with some funding from Council, to achieve something which is a benefit to the rest of the community and if you ever look through this list we’ve got, there’s some great programs there that are going to be funded through this,” he said.
“The people and the groups that are doing these are doing something which they believe in, which they know something about, and which the Council wouldn’t do as well if it were left to the Council to do and in fact, they may not do it at all.
“I think this is one of the best programs Council runs, and I’m very, very proud to be able to support it.”
Here is a list of grants that will support projects for the Upper Yarra.
Roderick Price has received $10,000 for his Yarra Ranges Sound Ecology Project, a live electroacoustic project which will capture the soundscapes of 55 Yarra Ranges townships through hands-on audio workshops.
$10,000 for gama-dji / emerge from sleeping, led by Dalys Mithen, Mandy Nicholson and Gulsen Ozer, a collaborative music project will create a series of short part songs (rounds) in Woi Wurrung and English and teach them to community choirs around the Yarra Ranges.
$6000 has been provided to Each to support its Rural Rainbows social group for Yarra Ranges LGBTQIA+ young people and allies.
$7000 has been provided to the Warburton Valley Market, providing live music and art experiences, creating a vibrant platform for local musicians and artists to perform, sell their work, and deliver hands-on workshops.
$5000 has been allocated to the Warburton Primary School’s Night of Lights Lantern Festival and Bush Dance, a collaboration between Warburton and Millwarra Primary School where two inclusive events will be held.
$15,000 has been provided to Cire Services, to help fund a free two-day October event in Yarra Junction, which will bring together over 3000 people for art, cultural performances, workshops, and interactive experiences.
$10,000 has been provided to Yarra Valley ECOSS to go towards its Crops for Community, which is a free, inclusive gardening and food relief program where volunteers of all abilities grow organic produce for local initiatives like Koha Café and Oonah Indigenous Tuckerbag.
$7500 has been to the Upper Yarra Secondary College for its Indigenous@UYSC Art Project, which will fund the completion of a design that represents our schools Acknowledgement of Country.
$5500 has been provided to the Seville Community House Wellness Ways—a term-based health program for adults in the Yarra Ranges.
$5000 has been allocated to the Warburton Bowls Club’s 2026 Arts and Community Series—two evening events showcasing local artists, creators, and producers.
$1600 has been provided to the Little Yarra CFA for its Ready Together – Little Yarra CFA Community Awareness Project, which will increase awareness and fire preparedness through events at Gladysdale Primary School, Powelltown Market, and our Gladysdale Fire Station.
$7000 has been allocated to Yarra Junction Community Group for its Good Neighbour Month—a celebration of kindness and connection across Yarra Junction and surrounds.
$6740 has been allocated to Koha Community Cafe Inc to fund Monday Morsels, which offers nutritious breakfasts using surplus produce from Koha’s Free Food Pantry in an inclusive community setting.
$6000 has been allocated to Benwerren’s School Holiday Program, which welcomes families with young children who have attended during times of crisis, offering craft and adventure for kids, pampering for mums, and shared family activities.
$1500 has been allocated to Millgrove Residents Action Group’s Events and Information VMS Trailer, which will fund the purchase of a new Variable Messaging Sign (VMS) and trailer which will support timely information to the public about MRAG’s Millgrove community events
