Government funding to help Hervey Bay veteran organisations

Federal Member for Hinkler Keith Pitt has today announced funding for essential advocacy and welfare services for veterans, serving members and their families, war widows and widowers in the Hervey Bay region.

Mr Pitt congratulated the three successful organisations which would share in $145,661.89 through the Building Excellence in Support and Training (BEST) grants program.

“The BEST grants are an important part of the Coalition Government’s commitment to support ex-service organisations providing welfare advocates to support veterans and their families,” he said.

“The grants are used by local ex-service organisations to continue providing vital help and advice to the veteran community.

“The Returned and Services League of Australia Hervey Bay Sub-Branch, Veterans of Australia Association Inc and the Vietnam Veterans’ Association of Australia Hervey Bay City Sub-Branch, each make a real difference in the lives of our local veterans and ADF personnel by providing essential services from a source they can trust,” Mr Pitt said.

Veterans of Australia Association Inc president Daniel Spain said the funding recognises our ex-service organisation (ESO) as a bonafide organisation, and allows the association to continue the essential services it provides for veterans and their families.

“Our dedicated younger veteran members have significantly built up our organisation since we inaugurated in 2014. Over the last 18 months we have witnessed a significant influx of younger veterans and their families returning to the region.

“We are a community focused organisation specialising in assisting younger veterans and their families, this would not be possible without this funding,” Mr Spain said.

Mr Pitt said a total of five organisations in the Hinkler electorate were successful under the BEST program, with $202,435.59 in funding to benefit veterans in the region.

For more information about BEST grants head to: https://www.dva.gov.au/best

The successful organisations in Hinkler are:

HERVEY BAY
Returned and Services League of Australia Hervey Bay Sub-Branch	$49,552.88
Veterans of Australia Association Inc	$47,448.85
Vietnam Veterans’ Association of Australia Hervey Bay City Sub-Branch	$48,660.16
BUNDABERG
Returned and Services League of Australia Wide Bay and Burnett District	$53,685
Vietnam Veterans’ Association of Australia Bundaberg and District Sub-branch Inc	$3,088.70
TOTAL	$202,435.59