2020 AGL Financial Report - community funds for Crib Point

[cribpoint123]

Hello,

I would like to ask a few questions about the AGL FY20 Financial Report.

AGL have provided funds to various communities around Australia over recent years.

I live in Crib Point and noticed that in FY19 $232,057 was invested in Crib Point.

In FY20 $124,440 was invested in Crib Point.

Could you please provide details on where these funds have been spent over the past two years?

Which Crib Point community groups or individuals have received these funds?

Any assistance would be appreciated.

Kind Regards.

[-Nam-]

Hi cribpoint123!

We have information on the AGL Gas Import Jetty Project on our website, there is a community section with more information about the project. 

Kind regards, 

-Nam-
 

[cribpoint123]

Hello Nam,

Thank you for your message.

I have previously visited the AGL Gas Import Jetty Project website but I could not find specific details on the community funds already distributed in Crib Point. See AGL website information below.

Community Fund

If the AGL Gas Import Jetty Project proceeds, AGL will immediately put in place a $7.5 million Community Fund which would be managed by a panel of local community members.

While importing LNG would add more gas supply for Victoria, we recognise that we need to share some of the benefits with the local community. We don’t expect the community to support the project in return, we just hope that sharing the benefits will make it a fairer outcome for the local community.

How the funds would be distributed and on what community needs hasn’t been fully decided. We want the fund to be run and led by the local community to address concerns they themselves identify in their own communities.

Local residents who would like to express their interest in being part of the Community Fund panel should email us at AGLCommunity@agl.com.au or call 1800 039 600.

Could you please provide specific details as to where the funds identified in the 2020 AGL Annual Report have already been distributed around Crib Point (or elsewhere) as part of the Crib Point Community Fund?

Thank you.

[KellyP]

Hi @cribpoint123 

AGL is often approached by local groups who are looking for support when we start operating in a community. There is a strong expectation that we support the communities in which we operate.

For example, at AGL Loy Yang A power station in the Latrobe Valley, we invest $140,000 annually in a local community fund.  At our hydro generation sites and at the Macarthur windfarm, we spend approximately $100,000 per year at each of these assets via community funds and other local partnerships.

AGL sponsored several local community organisations that would have struggled to survive, and we also supported new events that would not have happened in the local area without our support.

For example, in the past, events held under the banner of the Peninsula Film Festival have only been held on the western side of the peninsula. With our support, a live music event was held at Hastings as part of the festival in 2019.

We also sponsored the inaugural Hasting Gift (a lead up race to the Stawell Gift) in 2018 which bought a new event to the town.

At no stage have we asked the festival organisers to support our proposed project or distribute information about the project at the festivals or sporting events.

Set out below is the list of community groups or events we have supported in Crib Point and the surrounding area during FY19 & FY20:

• Crib Point Football Netball Club - 2019 season and 2020 season
• Peninsula Athletics Association – 2018 & 2019 Hastings Gift
• Film Festivals Australia – 2019 & 2020 Peninsula Film Festival
• La Trobe University - Bryozoan reefs (in Western Port) research
• MP Schools Environment Week Committee – 2019 Mornington Peninsula Schools Environment Week

In addition, AGL has provided funding to the Westerport Fire Brigade FY19 upgrade of field operations vehicle and local command facility. This funding was part of AGL's broader bushfires response funding across Australia.

Kind regards

Kelly