PORT Macquarie-Hastings Council has locked in $84.89 million worth of capital works across the region for the 2020-2021 financial year.
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Major infrastructure projects include repairs to Kindee Bridge, the replacement of Pappinbarra Bridge, numerous timber bridges renewals, the Kew main street upgrade, the rehabilitation of Bago Road, the reconstruction of The Ruins Way and upgrades to Boundary Street.
Sporting and recreation activity includes upgrading the Vince Inmon sporting fields, delivering the recreational walkway replacement program, development of the Sancrox/Thrumster sporting fields, Hastings Regional Sporting Complex and Rainbow Beach sports fields, upgrading the Port Macquarie Town Green West reserve, and working on the Lake Cathie foreshore reserve master plan.
Finalising the Small Towns Sewerage Scheme, expansion of the Cairncross Waste Facility, finalising the design of the Port Macquarie Aquatic Facility, and investing $33.7 million in water and sewer projects will also be a focus.
General manager, Craig Swift-McNair said that there is no doubt that impacts of the drought, bushfires and the COVID-19 pandemic have been a major challenge for the community.
"Council staff's direct involvement in responding to these unplanned events was necessary to support the immediate needs of our community, and as a result some projects in the current year's plan have been delayed, and this has been considered in finalising the projects that we will deliver in 2020/21," Mr Swift-McNair said.
"We fully understand that the recovery process from the events that we've experienced can take many years, and we can assure the community that during 2020/21 and in the years beyond, we will continue to work with and for our community throughout this recovery process.
"In saying this we want the community to have confidence that council can continue to deliver what it says it will, including maintaining $2 billion of existing assets on behalf of the community and planning for the future growth of our region."
There is a $676,730 budget shortfall which will be reviewed quarterly.
Council will enter into total borrowings of $1.5 million for the Hastings Regional Sporting Complex construction, and $1.2 million for timber bridges - renewals and repairs.
Cr Sharon Griffiths successfully moved that if there are residual funds from the COVID-19 relief reserve and net savings identified in the 2019-20 and 2020-21 program they be redirected to fund the deficit.
On top of its capital works investment, council will also deliver:
- $42 million in the maintenance and upgrade of sealed and unsealed roads, bridges and
- roadside vegetation
- $24 million in sewerage services
- $31 million in water supply and related services
- $25 million in waste services
- $12 million in the maintenance and upgrade of playgrounds, sporting fields, aquatic and
- open recreation spaces
- $3 million in stormwater maintenance and monitoring
- $1 million in shared footpaths and cycleways
Mayor Peta Pinson said that community has a high interest in council's plans, with more than 1,000 visits to Council's website, and 173 formal submissions received during the public exhibition period.
"Due to COVID-19, engagement could not take place in the usual face-to-face way, and we changed our focus to online engagement, and for the first time held a Facebook Q&A forum which proved extremely popular," Cr Pinson said.
"It is great to see that the number of our community engaging with us has increased, and there is a real interest in how and where Council are focusing our efforts, allocating resources and spending ratepayer's money.
"It is also encouraging to know that our community are an integral part of our ongoing planning process and we continue to ask our community to get involved, and to have your say at any time."
Where are your rates being invested?
LAURIETON, CAMDEN HAVEN AND SURROUNDS
- Vince Inmon Sporting Fields - sports facility upgrade - $530,000
- Vince Inmon Sporting Fields - amenities upgrade - $70,000
- Playground replacement - Bonny Hills Community Hall reserve - $84,103
- Lake Cathie Foreshore Reserve - master plan implementation - construction of skate facility - $290,000
- Rainbow Beach Sports Fields - finalise designs and commence construction of district facilities - $700,000
- Rainbow Beach Reserve - reserve upgrade - $30,620
- Undertake preparatory work for new stormwater system at Illaroo Road - $150,000
- Continue design and construction for Black Swan Terrace - stormwater detention facility - $200,000
- Continue investigation, design and construction of Kew Sewer Treatment Plant (STP) upgrade - $400,000
- Camden Haven waste water treatment membrane replacements - $420,000
- Beach to Beach - shared path project at Camden Haven - $600,000
- Lorne Road sealing - investigations and concept design - $120,000
- School to Schools share pathway project - detailed design and planning approvals for highest priority sections - $300,000
- Kew main street upgrade - construction - $1,540,000
PORT MACQUARIE
- Finalise development planning for the Port Macquarie Airport Business and Technology Park - $100,000
- Undertake the public amenities program including Blair Reserve, Port Macquarie - construct new amenities - $90,000
- Port Macquarie Regional Sports Stadium - upgrade - $150,000
- Playground equipment replacement program including - John Dick Reserve, Port Macquarie - $84,900
- Deliver recreational walkway replacement program across the local government area - Town Beach to Town Beach North - $653,310
- Town Green West - reserve upgrade - $2,000,000
- Port Macquarie Pool - design finalisation - $1,233,000
- Port Macquarie Airport parallel taxiway Stage 1 and General Aviation (GA) pavement renewal - finalise detailed design - $60,000
- Operate and maintain Port Macquarie Airport in accordance with regulatory, safety and security requirements - $435,000
- Thrumster Recycled Water Interim Supply - rising main to Thrumster reservoir /booster pumping station and interim reservoir - $7,800,000
- Inlet works replacement for Port Macquarie Sewerage Treatment Plant - $700,000
- Commence construction of the Port Macquarie sewer rising main (Sewer Pump Station 71) - $1,700,000
- Preconstruction works for upgrade of Lake Innes Sewerage Pump Station #71 - $100,000
- Pedestrian refuge - Horton Street - Clarence Street and William Street - detailed design - $ 60,000
- Gordon Street upgrade - road resurfacing, stormwater flood mitigation and water main renewal works - $3,000,000
- Boundary Street upgrade - commence detailed design and environmental approvals - $1,000,000
- Finalise detailed business case for Ocean Drive duplication - Matthew Flinders Drive to Greenmeadows - $100,000
WAUCHOPE, RURAL AND SURROUNDS
- Lank Bain Sports Ground - upgrade - $76,550
- Playground replacement - Narran Park, King Creek - $88,750
- Sancrox/Thrumster Sports Fields - detailed design and approvals - $600,000
- Hastings Regional Sporting Complex commence construction - $2,000,000
- Cairncross Waste Management Facility (WMF) expansion/Improvements - $5,750,000
- Cairncross Recycling Industrial Zone Improvements - concrete processing facility establishment Stage 1 - $100,000
- Construction of a water main between Sancrox Reservoir and Wauchope - $4,000,000
- Continuation of Bago Road rehabilitation Stage 2 (Milligans Rd to Bluewater Cres) - $1,400,000
- Pembrooke Road, Stoney Creek Bridge upgrade - detailed design - $300,000
- Scrubby Creek Bridge replacement - $710,000
- Kindee Bridge upgrade - detailed design - $50,000
- Kindee Bridge structural repairs - $861,176
- Bago Road rehabilitation of Stage 3 - Bluewater Crescent to Cameron Street - $2,700,000
- Thompsons Bridge replacement - $458,000
- Bril-Bril Road sealing - Investigations and concept design - $450,000
- Design and construction of the Pappinbarra Bridge replacement - $3,158,140
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