BOORAL HALL UPGRADE

Booral Hall is set for a further upgrade thanks to the Federal Local Roads and Community Infrastructure program.

Federal member for Lyne Dr David Gillespie said $30,000 in funding would be allocated through the program towards new equipment.

“It was great to catch up with locals, Karen Hutchinson and Lyndell Davey, alongside MidCoast Council’s Amanda Hatton, to discuss making some improvements to the local hall. The hall is an invaluable piece of infrastructure for the community, with the nearby school using it frequently for assemblies,” Dr Gillespie said.

“As such, I’m very pleased to have been able to secure $30,000 to assist in the upgrades. The hall committee has identified a sound system, a new water tank, soft fall for the playground out the back and a fresh coat of paint as being some of their priorities.

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 roads are 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.