IMPROVEMENTS FOR BARRINGTON HALL

Interior painting, a new roof and insulation will form part of a $100,000 upgrade to Barrington Hall thanks to funding provided under the Federal Local Roads and Community Infrastructure program.

Dr Gillespie said the Barrington Hall was an important space for meetings, activities and events in the community.

“I’ve been working with Council to address local community priorities through this important program and I’m delighted this assistance is being made available,” Dr Gillespie said.

Dr Gillespie said the program, which was created by the former Federal Coalition Government, had now become a critical program for regional councils in local infrastructure delivery.

“Despite Labor’s axing several regional programs, I am pleased that the government is going to retain the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure program.

“In my recent Vision 2030 Plan survey, of the 3,000 households that responded across the Lyne electorate, roads were the number one priority.

“This program will go some way towards getting more community and road projects on the agenda.

Dr Gillespie said that since the Federal election a year ago, he’d had several meetings with both the Minister and Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport & Regional Development.

“I’ve discussed the need to not only maintain existing levels of funding for infrastructure in regional areas like ours, but also further investment given the importance of roads to our region and the economy,” Dr Gillespie said.

“In government, The Nationals put in place a number of good programs for regional Australia. These programs, combined with the regionalisation agenda we took to the last election, should be embraced if Australia is not only to bring regional infrastructure up to standard, but also move the growth out of our major cities and into rural and regional towns,” he added.