Council & Business
11 July, 2022
Council commits to delivering community facility upgrades
Upgrade works at pools and community facilities across the shire will be completed in the next year, with the Central Goldfields Shire Council signing off on more than $1.5 million worth of projects. At last month’s ordinary council meeting...
Upgrade works at pools and community facilities across the shire will be completed in the next year, with the Central Goldfields Shire Council signing off on more than $1.5 million worth of projects.
At last month’s ordinary council meeting, councillors moved to endorse the project nominations for phase three of the Federal Government’s Local Roads and Community Infrastructure program, which will see $1.57 million spent on local community assets.
According to the report tabled during the meeting, council will spend $1.1 million on upgrades at the indoor pool in Maryborough as well as pool facilities in Talbot and Dunolly, while $440,000 will go towards Talbot Town Hall toilets, the Betley Hall shelter, Dunach school upgrade, Dunolly wayfinder signage and repairs to Maryborough’s Worsley Cottage.
It follows the first and second phases of the program, which funded initiatives like playground improvements across the shire, shade structures, tree planting and fencing and other community infrastructure upgrades.
Speaking during the meeting, councillor Liesbeth Long said the projects funded through the Local Road and Community Infrastructure grants will support the community to bounce back from the pandemic.
“I’m delighted to note the progress update on the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Funding phases one and two and further endorse project nominations for phase three,” she said.
“Council allocated this funding across a range of local community infrastructure projects based on priorities identified in the eight community plans.
“These projects will deliver priority local road and community infrastructure projects in order to support jobs and the resilience of local economies as our community bounces back from the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Cr Long said the funding program has made a significant difference in communities throughout the shire.
“As a councillor, I’ve seen first hand what these rounds of funding have done for the shire and my local ward, the Flynn Ward,” she said.
“There’s been a renewed sense of optimism and engagement and especially in the smaller townships, residents have felt they have not been forgotten about.
“It’s great the majority of phases one and two of the program have now been completed, there are still some projects which were committed but were unable to be undertaken with the funding allocated in phases one and two and these projects have been reallocated in the phase three funding.”
Also speaking during the meeting, mayor Chris Meddows-Taylor said he hoped the funding program would continue moving forward following the result of the recent federal election.
“The last budget of the previous Federal Government had a continuation of this program for 2023-24 and 2024-25 financial years, now the future of that of course is uncertain,” he said.
“Certainly council will maintain its advocacy and has already been working with regional partners to try and convince the new government to continue that program in some way because it has been a God send to us.”