Moree Plains Shire Council will endorse four projects as part of its $1 million funding submission for the federal government’s Drought Communities Program Extension.
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The establishment of a Moree Military Museum, electrical upgrades to Pallamallawa Sport and Recreation Grounds, a bore installation and causeway upgrades will form council’s second submission to the Drought Communities Program, after their first proposal was rejected.
Moree Plains Shire is one of 81 councils eligible to apply for up to $1 million in funding to support local infrastructure and other projects for communities and businesses who have been impacted by drought.
The funding will deliver flexibility for councils to choose projects that will have the biggest impact. These can include:
- Employing local contractors to undertake repairs and maintenance
- Upgrading or building new community facilities
- Holding events and undertaking drought-relief activities
- Carting potable water into communities for drinking and bathing
In October, council proposed to use the Drought Communities funding for a local economic stimulus initiative inspired by the Why Leave Town campaign, where the $1m would be distributed to rural ratepayers via a gift card which can only be spent at eligible local businesses.
Initially, council was told its proposal was eligible for consideration, but it was ultimately rejected. The rejection followed the announcement of a $31m initiative to distribute $3,000 in vouchers via charities to farm households in drought impacted council areas, to pay for food, bills and other necessities.
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As a result of the rejection, council had to go back to the drawing board to reconsider projects for submission. Councils are required to submit their proposals to government by July next year, so due to the tight timeframe, a decision needed to be made by November 22.
At last Thursday’s council meeting, a number of projects were considered.
Councillor John Tramby put forward a notice of motion that council apply to fund the four unsuccessful applications endorsed by council in the last round of the Stronger Country Communities Fund. These included the Moree Town Hall Precinct upgrade, the Moree Boars clubhouse development, the Moree Military Museum upgrade, and the Pallamallawa Sportsground electrical upgrade.
“These projects have been fully costed, endorsed by council and are ‘shovel ready’,” Cr Tramby said.
“They meet the local community infrastructure/facilities criteria as outlined in the correspondence from the Department of Infrastructure, Regional Development and Cities.
“The vast majority of the expenditure will be spent locally using local workers and tradespersons. The end result will enhance the liveability and the culture of our shire.
“This town and our villages are hurting; people are leaving this town because they’re losing their jobs. We have to make this town more liveable.”
Cr Kerry Cassells backed Cr Tramby’s idea.
“All these projects were approved,” she said.
“I think we need to revisit those things because we did approve them in the first place. We’ve got to think about the whole community. Businesses in town our floundering. I think we need to support the whole town, not just five per cent of the community.”
Cr Sue Price reminded councillors that the funding was for drought relief and believed it should go to a project related to agriculture “in some way, shape or form”.
“There are people in our community who are doing it tough, namely because we have a drought,” she said.
Cr Greg Smith agreed, suggesting funding should go “out of town”, while Cr Mike Montgomery suggested the money be spent on shared pathways.
Mayor Katrina Humphries put forward a mayoral minute that council consider the allocation of $1m towards the gravel rural roads for the outcome of improving the bus routes for rural roads within the shire.
However, after being advised that it would cost $11m to upgrade all of the gravel bus routes, that idea was put on hold until Cr Price suggested council instead look at upgrading critical access causeways.
“That way we might be able to get benefits across a number of roads,” Cr Price said.
A bore project to boost the town’s water supply was also suggested.
Eventually, councillors resolved to endorse the Moree Regional Military Museum ($90,000); the Pallamallawa Sport and Recreation Grounds electricity upgrades ($155,000); bore installation at Ron Harborne Sporting Precinct ($100,000); with the remaining balance of the funding allocation to be spent on upgrading critical access causeways located along major school bus routes.