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Community Benefit Sharing – Survey Questions – Cooba Solar Project

Community Benefit Fund


Venn Energy is committed to sharing the benefits of our projects with the local community. As the project progresses, we will engage with the community on benefit sharing initiatives.

Community benefit sharing is about creating a positive legacy in the local community.

Benefit sharing also needs to be tailored to local circumstance, culture and need. Benefit sharing programs are designed collaboratively with the target community to identify where the program can best meet local needs and priorities.

Some examples of broader community benefit funds could be:

  • additional or improved open spaces, public facilities or infrastructure such as upgrades to local parks, libraries, community centres, showgrounds, museums and transport infrastructure,
  • providing funding or works for neighbourhood community facilities (e.g. solar panels),
  • targeted legacy community benefit initiative for at-risk populations in the local community (this could have a medium to longterm scope to address particular social issues)
  • initiatives delivered in partnership with other local organisations including scholarship programs to enable local students to complete courses in specific fields (e.g. engineering and project management),
  • sponsorship of community events such as fundraising events, local produce markets,
  • nature walks, community clean-up events and gardening days,
  • sponsorship of local groups such as sporting clubs, biodiversity volunteering groups,
  • community gardens.

We’d like your ideas on the sorts of things you may like to see through Community Benefit Sharing for Cooba Solar Project, and we’ll present your initial feedback to the Community Reference Group at our next meeting in October.

From here, we will be gathering information, meeting with the working group and there will be more opportunities to share your ideas over the coming months.
1.Do you have a particular area/s of interest that you would like to see Community Benefit Funds used in the local area?
2.When you hear the term ‘Community Benefit Fund’ – what comes to mind? Is there something in particular you would like to see in your community?
3.We are working with members across the community who are part of the Community Reference Group (advocates for your community) – is there anything you would like them to know about or consider for community benefit sharing?

(a) what should CRG consider
(b) what values or principles are important (e.g., fairness, visibility, long-term legacy)
4.Do you have unanswered questions we can help clarify in upcoming newsletters and communications?
5.What’s the best way for us to keep you updated on how the fund is used? (e.g. newsletters, school noticeboards, local newspaper).