House debates

Thursday, 23 October 2014

Statements by Members

Cootamundra Shire Council

1:31 pm

Photo of Angus TaylorAngus Taylor (Hume, Liberal Party) Share this | | Hansard source

Congratulations to Cootamundra Shire Council on winning the rural category of the AR Bluett Memorial Award for local government. Winners were announced at the Local Government NSW conference earlier this week. Cootamundra council has been praised for its planned progress over a number of years and strong engagement with the community. Council's recent achievements have included the completion of a regional arts centre and theatre, which I was delighted to open in March this year. The federal government committed $93,000 to the project and council contributed $163,000.

Council has also overseen the completion of a new indoor heated swimming pool, public toilet upgrades, subdivision developments, a joint soil decontamination venture, as well as the gasworks rehabilitation and the protection of a World War II aircraft fuel depot. Special mention goes to Mayor Jim Slattery, Deputy Mayor Dennis Palmer and General Manager Ken Trethewey for their leadership.

I look forward to working closely and collaboratively with council to push for federal support for further infrastructure projects. The federal government has recently announced just under $2 million—in fact, $1.857 million—in Roads to Recovery funding for Cootamundra through to 2018-19, and $326,000 of that will be allocated this financial year. Roads to Recovery payments to councils, including Cootamundra, double next year, which is a tremendous windfall to all councils.