20 Jun 2018 Wangaratta Chronicle, Wangaratta VIC (General News) CREATIVE ideas to improve your community could become reality through a successful application to the State Governments $30 million Pick My Project fund. Jaclyn Symes (MLC, Northern Victoria) said she was concerned about the lack of applications from the Ovens Valley and urged residents to make a submission before the June 24 deadline. There are grants of between $20,000 and $200,000 which will be made available for ideas ranging from cultural events to community gardens anything that will make our local communities better places to live. In a Victorian-first, all residents aged 16 and over will be able to submit their idea for consideration and then vote for the projects they think are the most important. All theyll need is an idea that helps build a stronger community, and the backing of a local organisation, community group, school, local council, or other eligible group able to help deliver the project. Projects will need to be feasible and have land-owner consent, but there are no restrictive guidelines meaning many local priorities that fall between the cracks of other grant programs are now eligible for funding. Applications will remain open until Sunday, June 24, with winning projects to be announced in September 2018. To view the guidelines, register interest and to find out more, visit pickmyproject.vic.gov.au.