Bingara and North Star share $44,500 stimulus package
Thursday 17th December 2009
Member for Northern Tablelands turns the first sod for the Bingara Riverscape project with David Young, Mayor John Coulton, Deputy Mayor Catherine Egan, President Vision 2020-Frances Young, Rick Hutton, Jill Herring, and Garry McDouall.
Gwydir Shire Council receives $20,000 towards its $60,000 Riverscape Project and the North Star Sporting Club receives $24,500 towards a $49,920 project to replace an old timber ring enclosure.
Member for Northern Tablelands Richard Torbay welcomed the announcement totalling $417,000 for 13 projects in the electorate which with support funding from local councils and organisations will equate to a total of $1.2 million in infrastructure upgrades.
The aim of the stimulus package is to generate jobs and business activity as well as upgrade local infrastructure.
“These projects will deliver significant benefits for local communities and it’s great to see them achieve this funding,” Mr Torbay said.
North Star Sporting Club is a community facility used for cricket, pony club, football and campdrafting. Its application for funding was to replace an old timber ring enclosure with a new steel fence.
Bingara’s Riverscape Project on the Gwydir River at the end of Maitland has been in the planning stages for 15 years. After extensive public consultation over the site and the design it has been pulled together by Brisbane landscape architect John Mongard.
The site also has historical relevance as it is where explorer Alan Cunningham crossed the Gwydir River on his way to discover the Darling Downs in Queensland.
The environmentally sensitive final plan involves diversion of storm water, stabilization of the river bank and native plantings and installing picnic tables, a covered barbecue area, a toilet block and a bird blind on the higher reaches of the bank.
The area will be reinforced with rocks displaying the geological development of the region.
“Gwydir Council and the Vision 20/20 group are working together on this great project which will attract tourists as well as being a popular local community asset, ” Mr Torbay said.