Laughing yoga, trapeze and croquet among projects up for state government grant

Laughing yoga classes, trapeze and a croquet-club upgrade in one of Sydney’s wealthiest suburbs are among the projects which could benefit from $24.4 million in NSW Government funding.

Exclusive: A government website is asking NSW taxpayers to vote on how the Berejiklian administration should dole out millions in state funding to “community projects” with approved options including laughing yoga classes, a circus trapeze and a croquet-club upgrade in one of the city’s wealthiest suburbs.

The Daily Telegraph can also reveal the My Community Project website, which launched with great fanfare on Monday, was taken offline within just hours of going live due to inconsistencies in the voting process.

The site was offline for a full 24 hours after voters were blocked from the site for voting twice when they had only voted once. It’s understood there is ongoing testing of the site’s viability despite being reactivated on Tuesday morning.

David Lynch, Sylvia Grosslight, Eve Ross, Emma Diamond, Rod Richardson, Robert Ross and Margaret Kaspura at Sydney Croquet Club in Bellevue Hill. Picture: Tim Hunter.

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The State Government promised in the 2018 budget to give $24.4 million in funding to community groups via the popular online vote.

The projects, which have been pre-approved by the state government and now are open for the public to vote on, include $55,000 for a “petite” trapeze on wheels in Byron Bay, $128,000 to upgrade the Bellevue Hill croquet club, $39,000 for a ukulele festival in Byron Bay, and $78,000 for culture bingo in Broken Hill.

The Laughter Yoga project in Caringbah is asking for $55,000 to deliver the classes to people experiencing terminal illness.

In total, more than 1500 project ideas have been submitted.

When The Daily Telegraph asked Acting Treasurer Damien Tudehope if he believed these projects were suitable for taxpayer funding, he responded that it was a “community driven initiative”.

“This is grassroots democracy in action and I’d encourage everyone to go to the Service NSW website or visit their local Service NSW Centre to cast their vote.”

Mr Tudehope also pointed to other projects including the renovation of the Tintenbar Hall Community kitchen in Ballina and funding for a free community school bus service in Barwon.

The not-for-profit relationship service Interrelate is seeking $55,000 in funding for Laughter Yoga in Caringbah, in Sydney's south.

“The projects put forward reflect the diverse needs and interests of the NSW communities that nominated and gives communities the chance to decide what is important to them because we know every electorate is different.”

Each project listed on the website has already been assessed by a “grants panel” to ensure it meets “eligibility and viability” guidelines.

The guidelines include being legal, accessible to the wider community and aligning with one of six categories to make communities more liveable, cultural, accessible, safe, revitalised or healthy.

Labor argued the money could be better spent on a number of other important projects, particularly in rural and regional areas of the state.

For example, extra money could be contributed to help with drought.

Around $8 million in grants money could also have been used to help restore maternity services at the regional Yass and Parkes Hospitals.

Ryan Park. Picture: Hollie Adams

Parkes maternity service was closed recently due to a shortage of obstetricians, forcing mums to travel 30 minutes to Forbes to give birth.

Labor’s acting treasury spokesman Ryan Park said it showed the government’s priorities are “completely out of whack”.

“Why is public money going to projects like these when women in regional NSW have to travel long distances just to be able to give birth in a safe environment?” he said.

Melita Bate from the not-for-profit relationship service Interrelate said the funding will enable the group to employ staff two days each week to set up the laughter yoga groups.

“(They) promote social inclusion, health and wellbeing,” Ms Bate said.

Emma Diamond, 39, plays at Sydney Croquet Club Incorporated in Bellevue Hill every Sunday and says membership numbers have dwindled in recent years due to the poor condition of the lawn.

She said the $128,890 the club is seeking would go towards restoring the lawn and grounds surrounding the club house.

“It’s difficult to get new members in whey they come down. They think god, this is awful, they don’t even come back a second time,” Ms Diamond said.

She also argued the lawn restoration would open the sport up to a wide range of people.

“I think it will be a good use of taxpayer money … it’s a sport where a grandfather can play against his grandchild,” she said.

“The last time the lawn was restored to the same condition was when it was built in 1930 so it required very little maintenance.”

Rod Richardson, who also plays at the club, said it was anything but “ritzy”.

“Sydney Croquet would be classified as the doghouse or the garden shed,” he said.

“To get into Royal Sydney you’ve got to pay in the thousands to join and for membership whereas we’re flat out getting $200 a year from people.

“What you’ve described is the Carlton Ritz — what we are is the backpackers.”