Three community organisations in the Tumbarumba region have been selected by the Hyne Community Trust for the 2020 round of grants following the assessment of all applications. The successful applicants are the Tumbarumba Golf Club, Cycle Tumbarumba and the Tumbarumba to Rosewood [Rail Trail] Steering Committee.

Observing that the three organisations were very strong and can demonstrate lasting benefits to the community, Hyne Community Trust director Bruce Wright said:

“The Tumbarumba Golf Club has a lot of potential and is an integral part of the community.

“Managed entirely by volunteers for over 100 years, not only does the course add to the town’s sport and recreational opportunities, but the clubhouse is widely used as community space.

“Whether football clubs, senior citizens groups, Rotary Club events, weddings, and much more, this facility adds value to our town.

“This grant of $40,000 will assist the club to commence a staged approach to a range of renovations and upgrades to improve the overall standard of the facility and what it can offer for years to come.”

Golf Club president Stephen Morrison said the support couldn’t have been better timed, with the devastating bushfires having closed the club down for the busiest part of the year, followed by the COVID-19 pandemic, which continues to hurt their ability to host larger gatherings.

“The Hyne Community Trust brings welcome news, enabling us to renew our clubhouse roof, which is in a poor state of repair and currently leaks.

“Once we get this fixed and the club waterproofed, we will be enabled to undertake further, minor renovations internally to spruce the place up ready for larger community functions and events.

“We are also planning on installing solar panels to the new roof to improve our environmental footprint and potentially sell power back to the community.

“It is great to have this kind of support from our town’s largest employer, Hyne Timber and we look forward to continuing to work with them through the Trust,” Morrison said.

As a trail blazer, Cycle Tumbarumba continues to realise their strategy for the town as a mountain biker’s destination of choice. The club has received almost $13,000 from the Hyne Community Trust to establish a brand-new mountain bike trail in addition to a shelter and picnic table for both tourists and locals to enjoy at an existing trailhead.

While many sporting activities have ground to a halt due to COVID-19, mountain biking in the Tumbarumba region has experienced a spike, says club president Peter Marshall.

“We are experiencing increasing numbers of people including ‘out-of-towners’ using the trails, encompassing an age range of 10 – 68 years of age.

“COVID has further highlighted the benefits of exercising amongst the great outdoors, having fun, getting some fresh air, challenging yourself while staying socially distanced.

“Mountain biking can offer all this and there is room for a more challenging, new trail, which we are really pleased the Hyne Community Trust can fund.”

The third grant of over $15,000 has been awarded to the Tumbarumba to Rosewood Steering Committee to purchase and install two bike repair stations along the new, very popular rail trail.

The rail trail is attracting locals and visitors with their bikes from across the region, passing the Hyne Tumbarumba Mill, including over a small timber footbridge, manufactured, designed and installed by Hyne Timber.

Progress updates on the three successful partnerships will be provided in due course.

Image: Janet Anderson, Stephen Morrison, Bernadette Alleyn, Bill McLellan, Bruce Wright at Tumbarumba Golf Club