Local initiatives rewarded at Marinus Link community presentation evening

LOCAL community groups and clubs gathered at the Mirboo North Golf Course last week to celebrate the official presentation of Marinus Link’s 2026 Community Grants and Sponsorships program.

The presentation evening honoured 24 Gippsland community grant recipients and 15 sponsorship recipients. Each successful group was recognised for developing initiatives that actively strengthened and supported local communities along the project route.

The event featured key addresses from Marinus Link representatives, Cr Nathan Hersey Mayor of South Gippsland Shire and selected grant recipients. Formalities concluded with certificate presentations to the successful regional organisations.

The Marinus Link Community Grants program specifically targets non-profit organisations and grassroots initiatives operating along its 90-kilometre underground project alignment.

This transmission route runs directly through Mirboo North to the Hazelwood converter station. Because of its close proximity to the underground interconnector Mirboo North was explicitly designated within the project's regional focus group to ensure continuous local interaction and support.

The project's community investment structure is divided into two distinct opportunities, annual short-term community grants and sponsorships to fund urgent equipment, events and club upgrades, and a long-term fund governed by a newly drafted Community Benefits Sharing Framework.

Approximately $13 million of the long-term fund is earmarked specifically for communities across Gippsland, including the South Gippsland region. Round 1 applications for the long-term fund opened this month (July 2026).

Local clubs and non-profit entities within South Gippsland and the project alignment are encouraged to apply. Residents and groups looking to secure funding can track the rollout of application opportunities through the Marinus Link Facebook page.