LOCAL LIFE
Free grant search tool now available to Hills residents
Mayor Dr Michelle Byrne with the winners of the Australia Day Awards.
... acknowledging the remarkable volunteer spirit that underpins the community.
families and underrepresented students.
The Australia Day Awards Ceremony forms part of Council’ s broader Australia Day celebrations.
Other events scheduled for Monday, 26 January include the Australia Day Citizenship Ceremony, flag raising ceremonies, a pool party at Waves Fitness and Aquatic Centre and an evening celebration at Bella Vista Farm headlined by Australian Idol winner Marshall Hamburger as well as an appearance from some of your favourite Sesame Street characters and a fireworks finale.
To learn more about Council’ s Australia Day celebrations, visit www. thehills. nsw. gov. au and search‘ Australia Day 2026’
Hills businesses, community groups, not-for-profit organisations, and individuals can now secure vital grant funding opportunities from across Australia with the launch of The Hills Grant Guru Hub.
The Hills Shire Council has partnered with Grant Guru to provide residents with a free, centralised search platform that brings together government, private, and philanthropic grants in one convenient location.
Mayor of The Hills Shire Council, Dr Michelle Byrne said the platform is designed to ensure the community never misses a grant or program opportunity.
“ Council’ s partnership with Grant Guru means that the Hills community can easily access a range of current and upcoming grant funding programs from across the nation,” Mayor Byrne said.
“ Whether you are a community group running programs or a small business looking to innovate, The Hills Grant Guru makes it simpler to obtain and secure funding.
“ The Hub offers advanced filtering tools, the ability to favourite and save grants for future reference, search functionality for current and upcoming funding programs, as well as email alerts notifying users to relevant new grants.”
The Hills Grant Guru Hub is available now and free for all to use.
For more information, visit www. thehills. nsw. gov. au and search for‘ The Hills Grant Guru Hub’
THE HILLS INDEPENDENT theindependentmagazine. com. au ISSUE 128 // FEBRUARY 2026 5