The new initatives include a $10 million Community Development Investment Fund and a $2 million Social Innovation Grants Program, both due to commence on 1 January 2011.

The Fund will offer low-interest loans to eligible community sector organisations. The loans will be for capital purposes such as building an income-generating asset base through new or refurbished infrastructure, or purchasing property, vehicles and equipment, to deliver services more effectively and enable the organisation become financially sustainable over time.

The Grants Program will promote new and improved ways of delivering social and community services.

The Premier also announced the establishment of a new forum for overseeing the relationship between the public and community sectors, to commence in August 2010.

Premier Barnett said that the governement trusts the community sector and wants to give community sector organisations greater opportunities to pursue their core mission to provide high-quality services to people in need.

Emily Hollosy

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