RAA grants to boost regional safety

The RAA Regional Safety Grants allocated a total $50,000, which will go towards a series of projects to improve bushfire preparedness, road safety and more.

RAA Insurance spokesperson Shaun Ryan said the grants have supported more that 100 regional community groups since 2013.

"AS well as supporting many deserving bushfire safety projects over the years, RAA has also funded grassroot projects for road safety, security, medical equipment and children's education," he said.

"In 2017 the maximum value for individual grants was doubled to $10,000 to better support bushfire prevention and other safety initiatives our communities told us mattered to them.

"Hundreds of thousands of dollars have been distributed to community projects through previous grants, from Big Swamp on Eyre Peninsula to Millicent in the state's South East."

Mr Ryan said more than 30 per cent of RAA members lived in regional SA and these grants were aimed at supporting them directly by addressing the safety risks in their communities.

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Among the last grant recipients was the Country Fire Service brigade at Truro.

Brigade captain Matt Saegenschnitter said the grant was used to buy a defibrillator.

"We are often the first on the scene at a car crash and the defibrillator could be a life saver," he said.

"I'd definitely encourage community groups to look at taking advantage of these grants because it was a pretty easy process to apply."

Other successful applications in the last round of grants including funding to Centacare to boost suicide intervention support in drought-affected regions through the EP, Mid North and Far North, while Renmark West Primary received funding to install new security cameras on school grounds.

Nominations for RAA Regional Safety Grants opened today and close on Monday, December 2.