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Grant to Help Protect Manilla War Memorial

Kevin Anderson, Member for Tamworth (left) with members of Manilla RSL Sub-Branch Bill Thurtell, Adrian Boyce, Janet Boyce, Duncan Ellem, Gary Kirk, Ian Bignall and Kevin McDowell.

The Manilla and District Soldiers Memorial Hall will be given an upgrade after Member for Tamworth, Kevin Anderson confirmed the Manilla RSL Sub Branch had secured a grant from the NSW Governmentís Community War Memorials Fund.

This fund supports projects which protect, conserve and repair war memorials and receiving this grant is phenomenal because applications were highly competitive with more submissions than usual,î Mr Anderson said.

The work that goes into organizing and funding a project which honours our veterans proves how determined our region is to recognize locals who dedicated their lives to protecting the community.

Upgrading the Manilla and District Soldiers memorial Hall is one of the successful projects awarded to memorials dating from between 1919 to 1949 that require improvements such as conservation assessments, cleaning, environmental advice, honour roll repair, or upkeeps to war memorial halls.

Conservation projects at existing war memorials throughout NSW are considered for a grant of up to $10,000 as part of the $250,000 Community War Memorials Fund.

Manilla RSL Sub-Branch spokesman, Ian Bignall said the funds would be used to install new security across the front of the Manilla Soldiers Memorial Hall. New electric roller shutters will be controlled remotely so the public can have daily access to the front of the Memorial Hall and honour rolls naming locals who have served their country in various theatres of war.

Over recent years, the existing gates were only opened on ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day due to difficulties associated with their age. Funding for the new shutters follows a $3,000 allocation last year towards the cost of a heritage architect to ensure the new fixtures would fit with the heritage value of the building, Mr Bignall said.

The region will have another opportunity to apply for funding when round two applications open on Remembrance Day ñ the 11th of November 2020. Acting Minister for Veterans, Geoff Lee, said the commitment to maintaining and conserving war memorials has been ongoing since the fund launched in 2008.

The NSW community has a proud history of military service but many war memorials are now decades or even a century old, making conservation projects large in scale and often expensive,î Mr Lee said.

We will continue to support communities to honour our defence personnel and their families by backing projects that recognize their service and sacrifice.

Applications to Round 2 will close at 5pm on 11 February 2021. For more information please visit: www.veterans.nsw.gov.au/

Photo: Kevin Anderson, Member for Tamworth (left) with members of Manilla RSL Sub-Branch Bill Thurtell, Adrian Boyce, Janet Boyce, Duncan Ellem, Gary Kirk, Ian Bignall and Kevin McDowell.