The Teviot Valley Community Board approved the two community grants and one promotions grant applied for at its meeting in Roxburgh yesterday (September 7), after first playing musical chairs as board chair Norman Dalley declared an interest in the promotional grant application.

The board had $5,000 to distribute for community grants, in both the initial round yesterday and a scheduled second round of funding in the first half of 2024. Two community grant applications were received, requesting a total of $2,273.76.  

There was $2,000 to distribute for the two rounds of promotion grants, with one application received for $960.

The applicants for the community grants were the Roxburgh Pioneer Energy Brass Band, seeking a $2,000 contribution towards power, rates and insurance; and Dunstan Kāhui Ako, requesting $273.76 transportation costs to take Millers Flat School students to Alexandra for the Dunstan Kāhui Ako Festival of the Arts in October/November.

In the public forum at the start of the meeting, Roxburgh Pioneer Energy Brass Band member Doug Dance told the board the band had been playing since 1882, and had members from all over Central Otago and further afield.

“I’ve played 65 years of those," he said. “We are open for players, if anyone would like to learn to play.”

Dunstan Kāhui Ako leader Tracy Richmond also addressed the board by phone regarding the organisation’s request, explaining that the Vincent Community Board earlier in the week had approved a grant to cover transportation of students at the Omakau and Poolburn Schools.

Central Otago District Council (CODC) community development advisor Rebecca Williams recommended the grant for the brass band, but recommended declining the Kāhui Ako grant “because it could open the gates to other applications”.

She noted that the transportation costs for the Millers Flat children was noticeably less than for other schools.

Norman said it was more about looking to support youth than setting a precedent, as everything was considered case by case.

Board member Sally Feinerman also thought the application should be supported.

Both applications were approved, totalling $2,273.76 and leaving $2,726.24 available for the second round.

Norman withdrew from consideration of the promotions grants as he is a committee member of the sole applicant, Roxburgh Entertainment Centre and Promotions Inc, which requested $960 for new signage on the Roxburgh Cinema. With deputy chair Mark Jessop having sent his apologies, Sally took the chair temporarily and she and board members Gill Booth and Russell Read voted to approve the grant. 

That left $1,040 in the kitty for the second round of promotion grants early in 2024.