Grant District Council has voted to approve seven community infrastructure projects across the Limestone Coast after the council was allocated more than $500,000 by the Federal Government. Council chief executive Darryl Whicker revealed Grant had been allocated the funding through the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure (LRCI) Program, a federal fund announced in 2020 to provide a range of economic stimulus measures to help communities battling the effects of COVID-19.
Through the 2020-21 Budget, the Australian Government announced a $1b extension of the LRCI program, with councils across Australia now able to access funding under phase two of the program since opening in January this year. Mr Whicker revealed at council’s March 15 meeting it had been allocated $507,946 through the program, which would go towards new projects that had not been previously outlined in the council’s current and 2021-22 budget.
During the meeting, the chief executive proposed allocating the funds to seven new projects, three of which include disability action and inclusion plan initiatives. The largest project proposed by Mr Whicker is for a shared path to be created from Tollner Road to Cafpirco Road at an estimated cost of $232,900.
Mr Whicker said the cost of this project would leverage from the body of work of Mount Gambier City Council and “provide direct benefit to residents of nearby and expanding sub-division”. It was proposed to be delivered over three stages with the first to be completed under the community infrastructure program. With Councillor Peter Duncan moving in favour of the report and Cr Megan Dukalskis seconding it, councillors voted in favour of the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program projects, with the works approved as identified.
Cr Duncan also moved to authorise Mr Whicker to undertake scoping and costings and to submit the work schedule information required by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development and to deliver the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure projects.
