Lithgow City Council endorsed multiple projects in phase one of their funding from the Bushfire Community Resilience and Economic Recovery fund on Monday night, March 9.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
With $250,000 available, phase one funding is meant to be spent quickly in order to meet the immediate recovery needs of communities.
Community Groups and Projects that received funding included:
- Lithgow Show Society: $30,000 for entry into the show
- Ironfest: $75,000 for discounted ticket prices
- Lithgow Business Chamber: $20,000 for year one funding of the Shop Local gift card program
- Nigel Truslove: $20,000 for contribution to the thank you breakfast and acknowledgement event 'When the Smoke Clears' for RFS volunteers at The Foundations.
- Bushfire Expo: $50,000 budget
- Clarence/Dargan and Wolgan Valley Community Resilience Events and Activities: $15,000
- Tourism marketing into Western Sydney: $40,000
Council were asked to make sure all funding fit under two categories; Economic recovery with events or initiatives to support local business and industry recovery and community resilience with events or initiatives to support community recovery and well-being.
Councils are asked to complete funded projects by June, 30 2020.
Deputy mayor Steve Ring said he believed the recommended projects and activities would benefit the local community.
"Lithgow Show has had good years and bad years so this might help it grow, Ironfest is a great event and Nigel's 'Smoke Clears' event is important," he said.
"The bushfire expo getting $50,000 means we will get a good one and it is well worth supporting."
Cr Ring said that this first round of $250,000 wasn't a lot of money.
"A lot of people want other things but we can't spend it on roads as there are constraints," he said.
Cr Stephen Lesslie said he believed spending $50,000 on a bushfire expo seemed excessive.
"People would pay to put their exhibit at the expo, they would want to come, the state government would want to be involved," he said.
"We shouldn't pay people to come...I think it's a great idea but I just think there is a better way to go about it."
Cr Cass Coleman said overall the phase one criteria "disappointed" her.
"We need more money for water infrastructure damaged in the fires, that is the conversation I want to be having," she said.
"If were were able to allocated $125,000 to infrastructure, that would be helpful, so I think we need to provide feedback to the state government about phase two."
Cr Darryl Goodwin, put an amendment forward, that recommended cutting money from the Ironfest budget to bump up a professional tourism campaign for $90,000.
"It would benefit all the local businesses in the entire area for years, we need to attract people and embrace tourism and get them to spend in our town," he said.
"We would see the economic benefit for years to come."
Unfortunately, despite being backed by Cr Joe Smith, the vote wasn't in their favour.
Applications for the fund are open until March, 31.
What do you think?
Ciara Bastow
Hi! I'm Ciara and I've been working as a journalist for a number of years now, covering everything ranging from council, human interest stories, community news and sport. Got a story? Email me at ciara.bastow@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Hi! I'm Ciara and I've been working as a journalist for a number of years now, covering everything ranging from council, human interest stories, community news and sport. Got a story? Email me at ciara.bastow@austcommunitymedia.com.au
