RHealth, through the Western Downs Communities Network (WDCN), has begun a study into professional development opportunities for the Western Downs’ community services sector.
The project, which has been made possible with support from QGC, will ultimately deliver tailored professional development workshops that help local community workers improve their ability to prepare successful funding proposals and manage community development projects.
RHealth Manager, Trish Leddington-Hill, said the first step of the project would involve conducting a training needs assessment of Western Downs’ community services workers, including paid and unpaid people working in education and childcare, health and aged care, community support, sport and recreation, community groups and emergency services.
“With a number of major resource companies beginning operations in the Western Downs area, we expect there will be more funding opportunities available to the community,” she said.
“It will become increasingly important for community organisations to understand how to access funding from a broad range of organisations”.
WDCN is an established network of organisations across the Western Downs that work together to improve the liveability of the region. Lead agencies include RHealth, Western Downs Regional Council, Queensland Government and Spiritus.
WDCN Co-ordinator, Natalie Drake-Brockman, said the training needs assessment supported by QGC will value-add to information gathered previously by WDCN.
“WDCN’s connection with community service providers across the Western Downs means it is well placed to conduct the training needs assessment,” she said.
“The information gathered through this consultation will be very important in building an accurate snapshot of the needs, skills and capacity of our community groups.”
QGC Social Performance Gas Fields Manager, Tony Heidrich, said QGC was pleased to be supporting the study.
“This is an important first step in understanding how QGC can best assist the community services sector to make full use of funding opportunities offered by the development of the coal seam gas industry in the Western Downs region,” he said.
(QGC Limited (ACN: 089 642 553) is a leading Australian coal seam gas explorer and producer focused on supplying cleaner hydrocarbon energy to growing domestic and international markets. QGC is establishing one of Australia’s largest capital infrastructure projects to turn world-class reserves of coal seam gas into liquefied natural gas (LNG). Queensland Curtis LNG, a priority project for QGC, involves expanding exploration and development in southern and central Queensland and transporting gas via a 380km buried pipeline to Curtis Island near Gladstone, where it will be liquefied. For further information visit: www.qgc.com.au)
For information on how you can take part in the training needs assessment, please contact Natalie Drake-Brockman at westerndownscn@gmail.com or on 0401 293 841.