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Tom McIntosh honours veterans through RSL Halls and Memorials upgrades across South Gippsland

The Allan Labor government is supporting local veterans by funding upgrades to RSL halls and memorials, ensuring their legacy endures through improved, welcoming community spaces across South Gippsland and Victoria.

By news@gippsland - 19th May 2025 - Back to News

The Allan Labor government is honouring the service and sacrifice of veterans by investing in projects that preserve their legacy and strengthen their communities. Member for Eastern Victoria Tom McIntosh today announced multiple local successful recipients of two grant programs; funding local government, ex-service organisations and community groups to upgrade their facilities, and create welcoming, accessible places to commemorate and support Victoria's veterans.

Tom McIntosh announced funding for local groups through two grant programs to upgrade veteran facilities and create inclusive, accessible spaces honouring Victoria's veteran community and their families

Investing in remembrance

The Veterans Capital Works 2024-25 grant program is providing 26 recipients with a share in more than $780,000 to upgrade or develop facilities for veterans and their families. The Mirboo North RSL Sub-Branch will receive $47,137 to replace windows which are currently either boarded, broken, or with damaged frames.

Meantime, the Korumburra RSL Sub-Branch is receiving $15,565 for three projects; repainting inside, temporarily sealing three walls containing asbestos, and re-sanding and polishing timber floors that date back to the building's opening in 1959. Also funded in this round of grants in the Restoring Community War Memorials and Avenues of Honour Grant Program is the Kongwak Community Group - receiving $10,000 for planning works prior to improvements to two Avenues of Honour in Kongwak.

The Restoring Community War Memorials and Avenues of Honour 2024-25 grant program is delivering 16 grants of up to $30,000, providing more than $320,000 to restore, preserve, and update war memorials, honour rolls, and avenues of honour.

Honouring veteran legacy

Minister for Veterans Natalie Suleyman said, "These local volunteer-led projects preserve the legacy of our veterans by improving the places where they are honoured, and their stories and remembered. By investing in community projects across the state, we're paying tribute to our veterans and creating inclusive, welcoming spaces for future generations to gather and reflect on Victoria's history."

Member for Eastern Victoria Tom McIntosh said, "I've first-hand seen the great work the Korumburra RSL Sub-Branch does in preserving local veterans' history and providing a wonderful meeting place for residents."

"By preserving these South Gippsland memorials and upgrading veterans' facilities, we're helping future generations understand the legacy of service. All three local projects make sure the stories of our veterans live on, not just in memory, but also in the communities they helped shape," he said.

Revitalising veterans spaces

Korumburra RSL Sub-Branch Vice President Tony Moon said, "We are very grateful for the Veterans Capital Work Program and those who believed our application was worthy of a successful application. The grant money provided to us will go towards a long overdue "spruce up" of our RSL Hall's interior. We have already engaged a local painter, and he is hot at work painting our walls and ceiling. It looks great. We will also use the funds to strip and resurface our floor."

"Our hall was built way back in 1958 and to be honest, the floor hasn't received a lot of attention in all that time. So, we are more than happy to "put a shine" on the old floorboards. We have, amongst other users, the local Tai-chi class, Taekwondo and ballroom dancing classes using our hall. So, we know they will also be grateful for a new floor to help with their waltzing, stretching, or competing on!" Tony said.

Pictures from Tom McIntosh MP website.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com