A community-owned supermarket and educational play area are two projects that will share in $266,000 in funding from the ‘My Community Project’ program in the Wollongong electorate, Member for Wollongong, Paul Scully, announced today.

Local residents had an opportunity to directly vote on their favoured project between July and August 2019 with each project obtaining points on a preferential basis.

Projects with the highest number of points in each electorate have been funded.

The Old Dance Hall in Wentworth Street, Port Kembla, will be transformed into a new community-owned, not-for-profit supermarket selling affordable foods and include a Library of Things.  The project has attracted $175,000 in funding.

Green Connect Farm at Warrawong will develop an educational play area and provide hands-on activities for children to directly connect with plants and animals on its existing 11 acre farm.  This project attracted $90,891 in funding.

Member for Wollongong, Paul Scully, said he was pleased that two projects had been supported by the local community in the Wollongong electorate.

“I am pleased that two projects in the Wollongong electorate will be sharing in more than $266,000 of funding made available under the ‘My Community Project’ program.

“They are both quite exciting and ambitious projects and I hope they will both continue to be strongly supported by the local community”, he said.

Mr Scully said he was disappointed that more projects were not funded given another 20 community-based projects had also lodged applications in the Wollongong electorate.