Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke today announced over $750,000 in funding for the Coolamon Shire Council as part of the NSW Government’s $200 million Stronger Country Communities Fund.
The following projects come under the $770,482 announcement:
- Community Halls and Cultural Centres – $291, 472 – The project includes upgrading community halls and cultural centres by conducting fire safety audits and equipment upgrades, installation of disabled toilets, air conditioning upgrades, storage area upgrades, general hall improvements and landscaping. The halls to be updated are Ardlethan Hall, Mullins Centre, Beckom Hall, Ganmain Hall, Marrar Hall and Coolamon Up-to-Date Store.
- Community Parks and Gardens – $479,010 – The project is to upgrade facilities for community parks and gardens across the areas of Coolamon, Ardlethan, Ganmain, Marrar, Beckom and Matong. This includes new and upgraded playgrounds, BBQ areas, toilets and landscaping.
Ms Cooke made the official announcement in Coolamon today, presenting two cheques to the Coolamon Shire mayor John Seymour which will see community participation and cohesion boosted by the modernization of existing facilities.
“Community halls and parks are so often the defining feature of a town or village,” Ms Cooke said, “It’s wonderful to have played a part in securing funding which will see these beautiful shared facilities upgraded and set for the future.”
The cheque presentation took place at Redgrave Park in Coolamon, one of the many spots earmarked for a facelift.
Coolamon mayor John Seymour said he was delighted to accept the cheques from Ms Cooke.
“Upgrading these parks will mean more people and groups will want to use them, locals and tourists alike,” he said.
“This money will travel far and wide, and the impact it will make in villages like Marrar and Matong can’t be understated.”
Mike O’Donnell, president of the Advance Marrar Committee said the funding is vital for the survival of his community, largely supported by volunteers.
“We’re extremely ecstatic we’ve got this funding, it will go a long way to updating our hall built back in the sixties, and also our parks and gardens… these are amenities very important to our local village and community and they’ll certainly be well used,” he said.
Bronwyn Hatty, secretary of the Advance Ganmain Committee said opportunities like this are essential to small communities.
“The Ganmain Hall has attracted some funding which is great because it’s a really important landmark in our main street used for a lot of community events,” she said.
“We’re also hoping to redevelop an old basketball site to provide a new sporting facility.”
The Stronger Country Communities fund is one of the six funds that make up the NSW Government’s $1.3 billion Regional Growth Fund, which is designed to improve economic growth and productivity through investment in regional communities.
Applications for Round Two opened on Monday, March 12 and close at 5pm on Friday, May 4, 2018.
Further details on Round 2 of the Stronger Country Communities Fund can be found at www.nsw.gov.au/strongercountrycommunities
MEDIA: Madeleine Clarke | Graham Springett | 6924 153
