Rural community organisations across Australia are invited to apply for funding to upgrade their local hall and community hub facilities through Rabobank’s Rural Community Hub Program.
The program has an overall pool of $100,000 available, providing the opportunity for 10 selected applicants to receive funding of $10,000 each to go towards improvements to their local rural hall or community hub.
The program is being funded by food and agribusiness banking specialist Rabobank’s Rabo Community Fund, which – since launching in 2021 – has invested into initiatives designed to support the vitality and sustainability of rural and regional communities.
To be eligible for consideration, the local hall or community hub must be: based in rural Australia, defined as a building or space that is open and accessible to the local community, where people come together to connect, participate and support each other through events, programs and shared activities.
Rabobank Australia CEO Caroline Oosterbaan said as a bank focused on agriculture and rural communities, Rabobank understood the vital role community hubs and halls play in regional Australia, often serving as the “heartbeat” of their communities.
“The Rabobank Community Fund is pleased to provide this funding to help local halls and community hubs remain important places for community participation and engagement in rural areas,” she said.
“These halls are often key meeting places for farming communities, offering trusted spaces for locals to gather, particularly in isolated areas. They can also provide refuge and support during emergencies and natural disasters, while hosting training sessions and workshops that give communities access to valuable education opportunities.”
Ms Oosterbaan said many halls and hubs are deeply rooted in their communities, often built by locals working together and pooling resources.
“As a bank which is a global cooperative, we recognise the value of working cooperatively in local communities,” she said.
“While these hubs and halls may be modest in size, their impact is significant – helping communities create memories, build resilience and strengthen local spirit.”
Ms Oosterbaan said the bank was delighted to continue to support the initiative following the success of last year's inaugural Rabobank Community Hub Program. “We received almost 300 applications from communities across the country last year, so we understand there’s a need to maintain and improve these important spaces,” she said.
In North West NSW, the Rowena Community Hall has been given a new lease on life, receiving funding for new reverse-cycle air conditioning in last year’s Rural Community Hub Program.
Vanessa Radford, a local farmer and member of the Rowena Community Association, said that the Rowena Hall is enjoyed by all, from the elderly through to toddlers, for ANZAC day services, school concerts and presentations, CWA Christmas trees and even local weddings.
“The hall had never had air conditioning except for one small room, and thanks to Rabobank’s Rural Community Hub Program there is now reverse cycle throughout, which makes it a lot more comfortable for everyone – as you can imagine it can get quite hot here in summer.”
Ms Radford described the hall as the “heart of the community” and was grateful to Rabobank for helping restore the hall, and rejuvenate the community.
“The hall had previously been condemned and not used for four years, so the Program funding kick-started a full community and local council campaign to restore the well-loved building,” she said.
“It was a very hard four years considering our community uses the hall for so many functions.
“It’s so important, everyone needs somewhere to go and it can hold so many events, I look back on all my beautiful memories that we’ve had at the hall here during my time at Rowena, and I think back on the four years that it wasn’t used – it left a huge hole in the community.”
The Rabobank Rural Community Hub Program funding may be used for any work that improves the interior or exterior of the nominated hub.
As part of the application process, applicants will need to detail how the building is currently used, what they would do with the funds, and how the proposed improvements would help increase the facility’s usage.
Applications for the Rabobank Rural Community Hub Program open on Monday, July 27, 2026, and close on Sunday, August 30, 2026. Funding recipients will be announced in early October 2026.
To apply, and for further information on the Rabobank Rural Community Hub Program, please visit the Rabobank website, or click here.
Media contacts:
Denise Shaw Will Banks
Media Relations Media Relations
Rabobank Australia & New Zealand Rabobank Australia
Phone: 02 8115 2744 or 0439 603 525 Phone: 0418 216 103
Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]
About us:
Rabobank Australia & New Zealand Group is a part of the international Rabobank Group, the world’s leading specialist in food and agribusiness banking. Rabobank has more than 125 years’ experience providing customised banking and finance solutions to businesses involved in all aspects of food and agribusiness. Rabobank is structured as a cooperative and operates in 38 countries, servicing the needs of more than nine million clients worldwide through a network of more than 1000 offices and branches. Rabobank Australia & New Zealand Group is one of Australasia’s leading agricultural lenders and a significant provider of business and corporate banking and financial services to the region’s food and agribusiness sector. The bank has 87 branches throughout Australia and New Zealand.
