MEMBER for Monaro, John Barilaro visited the area last week, spending time with the Bombala Council and the Bombala Public School as he made funding announcements, as well as dropping in on Dongwha Timbers.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Council was the first cab off the rank, with Mr Barilaro meeting with Mayor Bob Stewart and other Council representatives at the water works.
Here he announced that the NSW Government has granted the Council $495,580 from the Water Security for Regions program to support essential upgrades to the local water treatment plant.
Mr Barilaro said the funding would be invested in improvements to electrical control systems at the plant.
“The water treatment plant has experienced a number of issues related to system failure so this investment is great news for Council and for the community,” the visiting MP said.
“This funding will support essential work to ensure a consistent supply of potable water of good quality and reduce wastage at the plant.
“The project will improve water quality as well as security of supply, contributing to confidence and productivity, while improving the performance and extending the life of the water treatment plant for the community.”
Within the Water Security For Regions program, successful projects like this are selected by a Regional Independent Assessment Panel, with preference given to those with the best and most timely impact on water security.
Next up the group moved onto the Parsonage Creek Bridge on Delegate Road where Mr Barilaro congratulated Council on its successful Fixing Country Roads funding applications, which will receive a total of $1,232,200 from the NSW Government.
“There’s nothing worse for a local economy than roads and bridges not being up to the task of carrying freight in an efficient and cost effective manner,” Mr Barilaro said.
“Bombala Council will receive $854,000 for Lower Bendoc Road Pavement Rehabilitation works designed to improve access for heavy vehicles and the timber business, where annual volumes are expected to double over the next year.
“Council will also receive $247,500 for work to strengthen and widen Parsonage Creek Bridge, maintaining access for heavy vehicles to the Monaro Highway on an important timber route.
“And $130,700 will be made available for Council to carry out load assessments of 51 local bridges.”
Mr Barilaro said he was incredibly proud of the hard work carried out by Bombala Council to secure funding for three major road projects in the region.
“Bombala Council must also be congratulated for contributing $99,300 towards these projects, representing a genuine working partnership with the NSW Government,” said Mr Barilaro.
“With funding available from the NSW and Australian Governments, these projects can now start this year.
“Today’s announcement is yet another example of the NSW Government working closely with local government to improve freight productivity in the Monaro electorate.”
Projects funded under Fixing Country Roads were selected purely on merit by an independent Assessment Panel made up of representatives from the NSW Farmers Association, Livestock and Bulk Carriers Association of NSW, Local Government NSW, Infrastructure NSW and senior officials from Transport for NSW Freight and Regional Development and the Office of Local Government.
After a site visit at Dongwha, Mr Barilaro then moved onto the Bombala Public School, which is set to benefit from a variety of upgrades and maintenance projects.
Mr Barilaro explained that NSW Government funding will be made available for a toilet upgrade with an estimated of up to $500,000, with over $10,000 already having been spent on school maintenance projects completed during the Christmas holiday period.
“While students and teachers were away from school during the holiday period, a number of important projects have been completed at Bombala Public School,” said Mr Barilaro.
“While many of these projects are small, they make a big difference to the appearance and amenity of our local schools.
“The school has received $8,920.59 to build new entry stairs at the administration demountable block and $1,400 on concrete replacement works. Funding has also been set aside to upgrade the school’s toilet block.
“The NSW Government is determined to provide the best learning environments possible in our schools.”