Injection of funding for regional towns, Holt
Author: Colin Holt
Published on: 22-June-2011
Nationals member for the South West Region Colin Holt has welcomed the recent announcement by Minister for Regional Development and Lands Brendon Grylls that 11 successful projects in the Great Southern will be sharing in over $3million as part of the new Great Southern Town Centre Enhancement Program.
All eleven Great Southern local governments were successful in bidding for GSTCEP funding, which was designed to help enhance town centres with better landscaping, roads, paths, gardens, lighting and signs.
The program, which is unique to the Great Southern, is a Royalties for Regions initiative through the Great Southern Development Commission (GSDC) and offers up to 50 per cent of design costs up to a maximum grant of $30,000 and/or up to 50 per cent of the cost of on-site works up to a maximum grant of $150,000.
Mr Holt said the GSTCEP was an exciting new opportunity for local government to complement existing projects that are helping to build communities in the region.
“It is great to see communities around Albany benefiting from this great program, through this program communities are more attractive to visitors and improve the local pride of residents,” said Mr Holt.
Elleker was a major beneficiary of this recent announcement with over $40,000 allocated to construct a duel use pathway through the Elleker townsite as well as streetscaping and wider improvements to Lower Denmark Road.
“Elleker is a growing community with a number of young children the construction of a duel use pathway is a welcome way of making this part of Lower Denmark Road safer for all road users and pedestrians.”
The Shire’s of both Plantagenet and Cranbrook, also received considerable funding of over $125,000 to make vast improvements to the local path networks and streetscaping in both Mount Barker and Cranbrook.
“This is a very good example of State Government working in partnership with local government to bring to fruition their town centre revitalisation plans to make them even more attractive and safer places to live, visit and invest,” Mr Holt said.
The full list of successful Great Southern Town Centre Enhancement Program projects is available from www.gsdc.wa.gov.au.
