An open letter from General Michael Crane DSC and Bar, AM (Retd) Dear fellow gunners and supporters of the Australian artillery community, On behalf of the Regimental Committee, many thanks again for your contribution to the Royal Australian Artillery National Memorial extension project. With the new year now under way, I write to provide a brief update on our progress. In retrospect, 2025 was a very good year for us. We began with an agreed concept for an extended Memorial but not much beyond that. We now have: a group of eminent Australians including two former Governors General, an Australian Senator, and the President of RSL Australia, who have agreed to lend their names and support to the project; a network of working level supporters from Army and the corporate sector; a developing understanding of regulatory requirements; a maturing suite of drawings and technical specifications; a more refined order of magnitude fundraising target of $600,000; a good understanding of the DVA grants process under the Saluting Their Service program; and a growing bank balance that is approaching the level we need to apply for a DVA grant. Our next steps include: finalising our document suite; securing necessary regulatory approvals; going to tender to identify a preferred builder and confirm a price for the works; and finalising fundraising including applying for a DVA grant. While there is still much to do, we are hopeful that we’ll be able to commence construction in late 2026 or early 2027 and plan to rededicate the Memorial in 2027, the 50th year since its original opening. As the project has unfolded, we have been greatly encouraged by the support of the gunner community and some extraordinary generosity from several private and corporate benefactors. That said, we’re not there yet on fundraising, and we’d very much welcome any further tax-deductible donations you might be able to make. We’d also greatly appreciate you continuing to talk about the project and encouraging other donors. To remind, the best way to donate is to go to our website raanm2027.com and click on the Donate Now button or follow the EFT instructions. May I also acknowledge the efforts and achievements of our very hard-working project team. They have done a great job to get us to this point, and they still have a lot to do, so please continue to assist if they reach out to ask. I will write with a further update later in the year. Many thanks again for your support and warm regards, Mick
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