Guidelines: Public Safety Infrastructure Fund grants 2019-20

Grants overview

The Public Safety Infrastructure Fund grants are available to support Victorian councils to undertake the development and improvement of public safety and security infrastructure.

Infrastructure grants between $20,000 and $250,000 will support projects using good urban design and equipment, including Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) and lighting for example, to help improve community safety, security and confidence in public places.

Funding is available only for the costs of procuring and installing infrastructure. Co-contribution requirements apply.

Applications are closed for the 2019-20 grant round. 

Application and assessment process

1.  Applications must be submitted online via our website.

2.    Applications close 4.00pm Friday 2 August 2019.

3.  Applications are assessed for eligibility and against the assessment criteria.

4.  Applications are reviewed by an Assessment Panel including representatives from a range of government agencies, Victoria Police and the Municipal Association of Victoria.

5.  Recommendations for funding are made to the Minister for Police for approval.

6.  Applicants are advised of application outcomes within approximately three months of applications closing, subject to the number of applications received.

7.  The Department of Justice and Community Safety enters into funding agreements with successful applicants.

Why is the Victorian Government funding these grants?

The Victorian Government’s Community Safety Statement 2018–19 outlines its continued commitment to funding the Public Safety Infrastructure Fund grants to improve community safety, security and confidence in public places.

The grants support local government to implement projects that seek to reduce opportunities for crime through changing the physical environments in which crimes can occur. These types of projects are often referred to as situational or environmental crime prevention.

International and Australian evidence shows that situational and environmental crime prevention interventions can be successful in preventing crime and improving safety in a range of circumstances.

Grant objectives

The objectives of the Public Safety Infrastructure Fund grants are to:

•   support councils to improve local public safety and security infrastructure in local communities

•   increase community safety and confidence in public places

•   encourage local communities to apply innovative crime and community safety solutions to local areas

•   build the knowledge base about good practice public safety infrastructure solutions, and capture and share lessons learned

•   promote the development and delivery of integrated crime prevention initiatives as part of a strategic approach to local community safety

•   promote widespread engagement in community crime prevention initiatives across Victoria.

Organisation eligibility

Grant applications for the Public Safety Infrastructure Fund are only open to Victorian councils.

Community organisations wishing to propose applications for public safety security infrastructure should contact their local council to discuss their ideas. Local council contact details are available at knowyourcouncil.vic.gov.au/councils (External link)

Project eligibility

The program will fund the development of new infrastructure, or the redevelopment of existing infrastructure to help improve community safety, security and confidence in public places.  Grants between $20,000 and $250,000 are available to support initiatives that respond to identified crime prevention issues.

Projects must be completed by 30 November 2021.

Grant funds can be used for infrastructure costs only. For the purposes of this program, infrastructure refers to the costs of equipment, materials and the physical installation work involved with a project.

While multiple project locations may be included in one application, the assessment criteria must be addressed for each location and the budget relating to each site must be made clear. Where there are different project types across sites, such as lighting at one site and CCTV at another, separate applications should be submitted for each site.

Councils may apply for funding on behalf of community organisations that own or manage facilities that are widely used and are freely accessible to all members of the local community.

Please note however, that applications for CCTV will only be considered for public spaces and only where council confirms it is responsible for owning, managing and maintaining the CCTV system and that access to CCTV storage systems and footage is limited to council staff and/or Victoria Police.

Examples of eligible crime prevention projects include, but are not limited to:

•   streetscape and amenity improvements in public spaces designed to activate the area and/or minimise the risk of crime and support safe behaviour. For example, removing entrapment points, enhancing natural surveillance and encouraging increased and mixed use of public spaces

•   vandal-resistant lighting systems, or other physical security or safety measures, such as perimeter fencing, bollards, and security-grade door and window treatments for community facilities

•   any physical element of a public place CCTV system including signage. To be eligible for funding, the proposed CCTV system must be focused on a public place. For the purposes of these grants, this is defined as ‘any place to which the public has access as of right or by invitation, whether express or implied, and where no charge is made for admission to the place’. A public place does not include a private place. Note, grant funds are provided for the physical infrastructure only and will not be given for system design, monitoring, ongoing licensing or maintenance

•   any combination of the above.

In particular, the Department of Justice and Community Safety encourages projects that:

•   form part of an integrated mix of crime prevention activities

•   actively engage the community, including hard-to-reach groups, in the design and delivery of the project

•   include a commitment from council to support future activity within any new or upgraded space

•   support a collaborative planning and implementation approach across different areas of council.

What will not be funded?

Applications that are ineligible and will not be funded include:

•   projects that are not community crime prevention focused, such as road/traffic safety, water safety, fire safety, child safety or Occupational Health and Safety projects

•   activities that are the primary focus or responsibility of other government programs

•   applications for mobile CCTV systems

•   applications for security infrastructure for buildings that do not currently exist, or that require other major works to be completed first

•   applications that seek retrospective funding for projects which have already commenced

•   applications for less than $20,000

•   applications requesting more than $250,000

•   applications seeking Department of Justice and Community Safety grant funding (the Department of Justice and Community Safety contribution) for non-infrastructure costs, including but not limited to design costs, project management, community consultation, evaluation, legal and administrative costs, planning permits or fees, camera licences, audit services, maintenance or management costs

•   projects that cannot be completed by 30 November 2021.

Project co-contributions

Applications require a minimum co-contribution to the project, excluding future ongoing or maintenance costs. The co-contribution towards delivery of the project may include, but is not limited to, the cost of:

•   specific infrastructure associated with the project

•   community consultation, evaluation, permit, design, legal and other administrative costs

•   project management (commensurate to the size of the project and up to 7.5 per cent of the total project cost). If project management costs are higher, this should be justified within the application and will be considered when determining value for money.

The minimum project co-contribution must exclude funding from other State Government agencies. A maximum of 50 per cent of the co-contribution can be in-kind.

Applications should clearly specify how the Department of Justice and Regulation grant funds will be used and differentiate this from other funding sources.

Applications which do not meet the co-contribution requirements may be deemed ineligible.

*Regional Victoria is defined as the 48 municipal councils set out in the Regional Growth Fund Act 2011.

Assessment criteria

The Public Safety Infrastructure Fund grants are competitive. Eligible applications will be assessed using the following criteria. Weightings are provided as a guide to the relative importance of each criterion in the assessment.

Additional assessment considerations

In determining the recommended successful applications, the Department of Justice and Community Safety will also consider:

•   prioritising funding to identified areas of high need

•   priorities emerging from Regional Crime Prevention Reference Groups or similar regional structures

•   the level of council co-contribution

•   promoting diversity in project types and locations across Victoria

•   innovation and/or testing of new approaches to crime prevention and community safety

•   whether council has previously received a Community Crime Prevention Program grant

•   non-compliance with previous Department of Justice and Community Safety or other Victorian Government funding. This may include councils with outstanding final reports for previously funded Community Crime Prevention Program grants, or previous issues managing projects within agreed timeframes.

Providing evidence with your application

Providing supporting evidence is an important way of demonstrating the crime prevention issue or problem you are trying to address. This evidence also helps to provide baseline information to support evaluation activity if
your project is funded.

Evidence may include, but is not limited to:

•   community safety audits, such as Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) audits

•   survey or community engagement results

•   feasibility studies or consultancy reports

•   local demographic information relating to an emerging issue

•   council information (for example, the number of complaints about a particular issue, work logs or maintenance records)

•   photographs

•   information from Victoria Police and the Crime Statistics Agency.

Further guidance on obtaining information from Victoria Police and the Crime Statistics Agency to support your application is available on our website. 

Additional information about CCTV applications

The Guide to Developing CCTV for Public Safety in Victoria is designed to assist councils considering a Public Safety Infrastructure Fund grant application for a CCTV system. This document is available on our website at crimeprevention.vic.gov.au/resources/cctv alongside other specific CCTV resources.

Councils should note that it will be a condition of any funding agreement relating to CCTV, and prior to a payment under the agreement being made, that they must lodge several documents with the Department of Justice and Community Safety, and have these approved as adequate by the department.

These documents include:

•   evidence of community consultation undertaken (including information from your application)

•   standard operating procedures

•   public code of practice

•   detailed evaluation plan.

All councils funded to deliver CCTV systems will be required to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with Victoria Police to inform the management and operation of the system and access to footage. 

Grant management responsibilities

Funding agreement

Once a project has been approved for funding by the Minister for Police, the Department of Justice and Community Safety will prepare a funding agreement that includes a standard set of terms and conditions, and project-specific obligations for funding and reporting requirements.

Grant recipient responsibilities

Grant recipients will be responsible for:

•   entering into a funding agreement with the Department of Justice and Regulation within no more than four weeks of the date of the funding offer, and complying with the funding agreement. The funding agreement will be tailored to each successful application based on the project information provided by the applicant, any additional information that is sought and any amendments negotiated. 

•   ensuring appropriate arrangements are in place to sustain the project and its outcomes

•   ensuring the project adheres to all Occupational Health and Safety regulations and other applicable laws.

Evaluation

All projects must be evaluated and successful applicants will be required to submit a detailed evaluation plan. An evaluation report must be submitted one year after completion and acquittal of the project. 

Applicants must also cooperate with any external evaluation commissioned by the Department of Justice and Regulation.

The department reserves the right to publish evaluation reports of funded projects.

Resources

Additional resources that may assist you in applying for a grant are available on our website.

Further information

If you have any questions after reading the resources, either phone the Grants Information Line on 1300 221 249 from 8:30am to 5:00pm weekdays, for the cost of a local call, or email the Department of Justice and Community Safety's Community Crime Prevention Unit at psifgrants@justice.vic.gov.au (External link)

If you experience technical difficulties while writing, saving or submitting your application, please contact Smarty Grants Support by phone on (03) 9320 6888 or email: service@smartygrants.com.au (External link)