Stanwell’s ability to generate electricity for Queensland businesses and industry is largely dependent on the support of the communities in which we operate – which is why it’s so important we invest in and support projects that help our communities to thrive.
Stanwell offers three types of financial support for community projects in the South Burnett, near our Tarong power stations and Meandu Mine – read more about them here.
We checked in with a number of the community projects that previously received support, and we’re glad to see the difference our investment in these projects is making in the South Burnett. Take a look at some of the community projects we visited and what they have achieved.
Swinging for the fences
Junior cricket is an activity that brings many local families in the South Burnett together, which is why Kingaroy Junior Cricket Association’s River Road Fence Project was a fantastic candidate for the Tarong Community Partnership Fund.
Kingaroy Junior Cricket Association Project Manager, Cameron Watson, said River Road Fence Project was intended to increase the safety of the cricket pitches by reducing the risk of traffic-related incidents. This was achieved by installing fencing on three sides of the grounds at River Road Park, greatly reducing the cricket balls from leaving the pitch and going onto the surrounding roads. by
“It’s all about providing kids with a safer venue to play cricket,” Cameron said.
“Kingaroy Junior Cricket has been using that park for upwards of 20 years, but we’ve grown the numbers of kids in the teams about fivefold over the last five years, so it’s very popular now.
“The new fences stop balls going out onto the road as much as possible.”,
The new fencing was part of a larger upgrade project that also included a new cricket pitch and two new practice nets. Cameron said the reaction from the community has been overwhelmingly positive.
“Part of our pitch for this project was that we would leave the park open to the public,” he said.
“We’ve already had a lot of feedback from parents saying they’re happier and more willing to allow their kids to play at the park now, because they’re not going to be able to run straight out onto the road. It’s been great to hear that.
“The added safety that the new fencing provides also makes the park more inviting and more usable for community events and tournaments that bring in teams from outside the South Burnett – it helps us to utilise the venue more, which is a fantastic result.”
Welcome to the club
When a longstanding clubhouse in Blackbutt was broken into and vandalised in 2021, the community came together to make things right – and the Timbertown Sporting and Community Hub now stands stronger than ever.
Local resident Tammy Kruger, who was heavily involved in the project, says the break-in gave the community “a big kick up the butt” to restore the club to its former glory.
The Tarong Community Partnership Fund provided the newly formed Timbertown Community and Sporting Hub Incorporated with much-needed funds to upgrade the clubhouse and kitchen.
“With the grant from Stanwell, we were able to get brand new flooring for the kitchen and the rest of the clubhouse. We had the club painted and fitted out the kitchen with brand new stainless steel benches and sinks, as well as two fridges,” Tammy said.
“We were able to accomplish more with the grant than we originally planned, which was largely because of the support we received from the community.
Everyone got involved in the working bee, and we had so many talented handymen and craftspeople who were willing to jump in and help us out with whatever we needed.”
After a period of inactivity prior to the break-in, junior rugby league and touch football competitions have now returned to the venue. Tammy said it’s been rewarding to see the clubhouse return to prominence.
“I think this project touched a lot of people’s hearts,” she said.
“It’s important for rural communities to have places like this. It’s my old clubhouse, too – I played football here when I was a little girl. We were there every afternoon kicking the footy around, and when there were games on the weekend, all the businesses would put up a sign on their door that said, ‘You’ll find us at the footy.’ All the kids were missing having something like that in the community.”
With the upgrades to the venue, Tammy said the club will be able to host more community events and fundraisers moving forward, and once more become a central meeting place for the community.
“I think it’s important to have a safe environment where kids can be kids, and adults have somewhere to have a chat and spend their time other than at home and at work,” she said.
“These are the things that build a community and make it stronger.
Tammy said Stanwell’s ongoing support, and working closely with their Stakeholder Engagement team, has been vital to the success of the project.
“The team are so friendly and helpful, and they’ve been there for us from start to finish, they’ve been fantastic,” she said.
Starry, starry night
Since opening in 2016, the Kingaroy Men’s Shed has played a vital role in the community, providing a space for men of all ages and abilities to take part in a variety of activities, from manual crafts to good old-fashioned conversation over coffee.
Kingaroy Men’s Shed president, Eric Ford, said 60 people attend the Shed each week, and each person benefits in their own way.
“Mental health, physical health, it’s all there. It’s good therapy,” Eric said.
“We’ve got one 89-year-old gentleman who comes along and he reckons it’s done wonders for him. He looks forward to coming to the Shed – he keeps his hands busy helping us make tables, chairs, bookshelves and so on, and when his hands are working, it stimulates his mind, too.”
Last year, the members of the Kingaroy Men’s Shed held their first ‘Dinner Under the Stars’ fundraiser for RACQ LifeFlight, an aeromedical service for seriously ill and critically injured patients with a particular focus on rapid response airlifts to hospital. For people living in rural and remote communities like those in the South Burnett, it’s an absolutely essential service.
The first Dinner Under the Stars event raised $6,630 for RACQ LifeFlight in 2021, which encouraged the members of the Kingaroy Men’s Shed to make it an annual fundraising event.
“We put on a camp oven dinner for 215 people this year, and it was a great night’s entertainment,” he said. We played a video that shared the experiences of four people who had flown with LifeFlight, and not a single person moved for the entire 20 minutes the video was playing.
When it was over, they opened up their purses and went and bought more raffle tickets to support LifeFlight.”
Stanwell supported the first Dinner Under the Stars fundraiser through the Tarong Corporate Sponsorship Program in 2021, and then doubled the funding in 2022. This helped pay for the costs of putting on the event and enabled every cent of the $8,500 raised on the night to go to RACQ LifeFlight.
“We’re going to take a bus down to LifeFlight’s headquarters on the Sunshine Coast this month to present the cheque to them and meet some of the people who have benefited from LifeFlight’s services,” he said.
“I think that’ll be a great experience for us all.”
Are you taking part in a project that’s enriching the community? Learn more about Stanwell’s Corporate Sponsorship Program and Community Partnership Fund here. Contact the Stakeholder Engagement team directly on (07) 4160 9165 (South Burnett) or (07) 4930 3634 (Central Queensland) or email sponsorship@stanwell.com.