Upgrades to facilities and enhancements to community spaces and improved tourism opportunities are on the way for the electorate of Indi, through more than $14 million in Local Economic Recovery projects announced this week.
State-wide, 24 bushfire recovery projects have been approved in this round of local community grants under the Local Economic Recovery program, which is jointly funded by the Australian and Victorian governments. With a focus on the delivery of key enabling infrastructure, these projects will enhance economic and social recovery, create jobs, bring in tourism, regenerate natural environments, and improve community resilience for future emergency events.
Nationals Senator for Victoria, Bridget McKenzie said all 12 projects had been put forward by the community, with funding focused on supporting local solutions to local needs.
“These projects have been identified by the local community and will make a big difference, creating spaces for us to build community cohesion, bring in visitors, and also to gather in times of crisis. Improvements to our local halls will increase economic and social benefits, improve community wellbeing and increase longer term resilience for future emergency events,” Senator McKenzie said.
Projects approved in the electorate of Indi include:
• $170,000 to replace the Cudgewa School Park and upgrade the playground with all-abilities play equipment.
• $850,000 to upgrade the Tawonga Community Memorial Hall, including allowing for group accommodation.
• $244,600 to replace a parched bowling green at the Corryong Bowls Club with synthetic grass to future-proof the facility.
• $500,000 to purchase agricultural equipment and engage employees to work with local farmers to implement natural composting and deliver an expanded community Market Gardens project through the Acres and Acres Co-op, which is a not-for-profit sustainable farming/food plant nursery business.
• $250,921 to upgrade the Tallangatta Memorial Hall facilities, including a first aid triage area for future emergency events.
• $536,875 to upgrade the Harrietville Community Hall to improve facility preparedness for future emergencies such as bushfires and floods.
• $247,800 for rehabilitation of fire affected drainage lines and gullies in the Upper Murray.
• $354,351 to refurbish the Corryong and District Memorial Public Hall, including improving accessibility.
• $150,000 to rebuild the much-loved water slide at Bright for use by locals and tourists.
• $1,500,000 to build a mountain bike park in the Mitta State Forest to increase health and wellbeing in the community and to attract tourists.
• $41,000 for a natural disaster recovery and climate adaption leadership program to be delivered across the region to participants from the primary production industry.
• $470,000 to provide new amenities at the Myrtleford Recreation Reserve.
These projects are the latest to be announced as part of a joint investment of $68.6 million in Local Economic Recovery, jointly funded by the Australian and Victorian governments to support locally led bushfire recovery initiatives.
This more than $14 million investment brings the total joint funding allocated so far in Victoria to $62 million.
Funding for LER projects is just one of the initiatives supported by the Australian Government’s National Bushfire Recovery Fund. To date, more than $2.3 billion in Australian Government support has been provided to help bushfire affected communities, including $1.6 billion spent so far from the National Bushfire Recovery Fund.
Details of successful local economic recovery projects in Victoria and across other states are available on the National Recovery and Resilience Agency website at http://www.recovery.gov.au/our-community/local-bushfire-recovery-projects
For information about future rounds of the Local Economic Recovery program in Victoria, visit www.vic.gov.au/local-economic-recovery-program-bushfire-affected-communities