What links an internet connectivity upgrade, a bush tucker garden, junior sailing boats, and restoration of a 150-year-old bell? For ten bright and bustling years, the Mt Piper Community Grants Program has been fuelling dreams, igniting ideas, and lighting up the hearts of communities across the Lithgow region.
What began as a commitment to share benefits with the region surrounding the Mt Piper Power Station has blossomed into a thriving tapestry of local triumphs. Across the Lithgow area, the program has helped turn community ambition into action, supporting sustainable, grassroots projects that enrich local residents’ lives.
Ten Years. Countless Stories. One Connected Community.
Over the past decade, the Mt Piper Community Grants Program has empowered a colourful mosaic of projects, including hands-on STEM adventures, inclusive social initiatives, early learning programs, facility upgrades, and more. Some grants have placed books into eager young hands; others have focused on local ecological improvements, and others have helped preserve and pass on heritage and traditional knowledge.
“The Mt Piper Community Grant,” says Steve Fleischmann from Lithgow Oberon Landcare, “has helped increase revegetation along Farmers Creek at a scale that ensures lasting improvements for shade and bird watching opportunities along a popular pathway. It has also given our group the opportunity to purchase flags and signage to increase our visibility at events. And the Mt Piper team has been fantastic. They’ve jumped in as volunteers and helped us get plants in the ground.” Thanks to the hard work of the Landcare crew, the Farmers Creek pathway is already bursting with fresh new growth, a great reminder of how powerful community‑led projects can be.
Lithgow PCYC manager Chris Wade puts it simply: “We dreamed of turning some of our unused space into a proper Youth Hub. And thanks to an EnergyAustralia Community Grant, that dream’s now real. The place is alive with games, study sessions, training, and a welcoming spot where young people can hang out and access support. It’s amazing what a bit of help can make happen.”
Powering Lithgow Beyond Electricity
EnergyAustralia doesn’t just power homes, it energises the local community. Every year, the company contributes greatly to the Lithgow economy through employment and the use of local suppliers, helping shape the town’s identity as a long‑standing host community for energy generation.
And that kind of investment doesn’t just sit still. It ripples outward. It means busier shops, more teachers in classrooms, more tradies on the tools, and a community that feels the power station’s economic heartbeat in everyday life.
That’s also where the newly renamed Lithgow Area Community Grants step in. While the economic benefits build the foundations, the grants help support local groups, schools, and volunteers who turn good ideas into real community impacts: leadership and first aid training, STEM program support for local schools, protection of Wiradjuri heritage, and update of a bush fire brigade’s meeting room facilities. Together, it’s a powerful combination: big‑picture investment paired with grassroots support, all working to keep Lithgow and surrounds thriving.
“These grants are more than funding, they’re connections,” says Jono English, the Head of Mt Piper Power Station. “They’re a chance for us to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the people who have supported us for generations. Ten years of community grants represent ten years of shared stories, shared challenges and shared successes.”
Looking Toward the Next Chapter
As the region enters a new era of energy, EnergyAustralia’s commitment remains unmistakable. The company is supporting Lithgow not only through community funding, but through ongoing dialogue, major local investment and long-term planning to ensure the region continues to thrive.
And the story continues: community groups are invited to apply for the first 2026 round of grants, now open until 31 March. Although ten years is a milestone worth celebrating, EnergyAustralia is just getting started
