Council to apply for $4.2m in bushfire recovery funding on local projects – Tenterfield Star

Councillors will meet on Wednesday to rubber stamp which local projects will be put forward for $4.5m in bushfire recovery funding.

"We've come up with seven projects, totalling $4,234,000," Mayor Peter Petty said ahead of the meeting.

The rural areas of the shire were set to receive a lot of attention, with Drake the major beneficiary where $2.9m was allocated.

Councillors met for a workshop last week to discuss which projects to put forward for funds. That workshop happened after a debate at the July council meeting started to introduce new project ideas, which had not been discussed previously.

It prompted the general manager Daryl Buckingham to say he was concerned the council was making decisions on the run. While improvements to access at Bruxner Park had been included in discussions at last month's council meeting, last week's workshop decided to pursue tourism funding instead of using the bushfire grant.

And a plan to leave more than $2m unallocated so the Angry Bulls Trails development could apply for it was also scrapped, with the council coming up with a list to spend almost all the $4.5m.

The works proposed for Drake include alternative access road and associated drainage, pathways and open space along Bruxner Highway to Timbarra Street and parking and road crossings.

It will include bus stop parking and a highway crossing.

$344,000 has been proposed for dead tree removal across the shire and $220,000 for rural addressing.

The installation of industrial ceiling fans and emergency lighting at Memorial Hall, along with a switchboard upgrade was allocated $220,000. Mingoola Hall upgrades, including a stand-alone accessibility friendly disabled toilet, have been suggested for $120,000.

Other funding applications include $190,000 for Northern Border Walk Signage and $240,000 for Tenterfield Swimming Pool equipment.

Cr Petty said the selection of projects had tried to spread the funding right across the shire. "This is what council has always tried to do," Cr Petty said.

He said the northern border signage was a project that showed great initiate and others addressed infrastructure that needed attention.

"Drake has badly needed this work, with drainage and pathways, and a bit of work on the Bruxner.

"I'm really happy, the council has done a really good job with what they've worked through," he said.

The National Bushfire Recovery Fund was created by the federal government to support communities impacted by the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires.

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Council to apply for $4.2m in bushfire recovery funding on local projects - Tenterfield Star