More than 100 community groups, schools and not-for-profit organisations from Cheltenham to Box Hill have been offered grants to deliver exciting local projects as part of the Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) Community Projects Fund.
The second round of the SRL Community Projects Fund (CPF) will help sporting clubs, schools, kindergartens and universities, and community, multicultural and First Nations organisations to deliver projects close to the 6 new SRL stations and other SRL facilities.
The grants of between $10,000 and $80,000 will be awarded later this year and will support the delivery of community-building initiatives,such as language programs, upgraded sporting equipment and facilities, local events, community gardens and more.
The CPF helps provide immediate benefits for communities along the SRL East route well before trains run in 2035.
The first round of CPF grants supported nearly 80 local projects, including a new multi-use netball court in Cheltenham, a community garden in Clayton, a multicultural food festival in Monash, educational programs in Glen Waverley, a tree planting day in Burwood and the preservation of historic photographs in Box Hill.
SRL is more than a train line – it will help deliver more homes within walking distance of the new stations, creating vibrant communities with more jobs, services, restaurants and shops.
SRL is powering ahead with major construction underway, more than 3300 people already working on the project and tunnelling to start this year.