Infrastructure development in the Parkes Shire received a big boost with government funding aimed at community-led recovery from COVID-19.
Almost 4,000 votes were cast online by the Parkes community last year to vote for projects in the Local Road and Community Infrastructure (LRCI) Program.
The LRCI Program is funded by the Australian Government and aims to assist a community-led recovery from COVID-19 by supporting local jobs, firms and procurement.
Parkes Shire Mayor Cr Ken Keith OAM said: “We were overwhelmed with the response and community contribution during the consultation period. The project page was viewed over 7,900 times with 1,746 registered participants casting 3,665 votes across the identified projects during the voting period which closed on 31st July 2020.”
Parkes Shire was allocated $1.3 million to support Council in the delivery of local road improvements and community infrastructure projects. The following projects were approved with completion expected by June:
Woodward Oval tennis courts – resurfacing of six tennis courts $175,000; Spicer Oval – installation of new LED lights $400,000; Upgrades at Parkes East School carpark area including a new shared pathway $250,000; Works near the International Motel and Rawson Street to address flooding concerns with new drainage, extension of the footpath network with pram ramps $66,000; CCTV units in the Peak Hill main street to be fed to the Parkes Police Station $20,000; New furniture and carpet for Parkes Coventry Room to reflect the upgrades made to the Parkes Library & Cultural Centre for the hosting of art exhibitions $100,000; Create a Wiradjuri Keeping Place & preservation of artefacts display area adjacent to the Parkes Library $35,000;Install banner system across the new smart poles in lower Clarinda Street to use as advertising opportunities for events, Parkes Shire and Elvis $30,000; Upgrades to the Henry Parkes Centre’s air conditioning system and sealing to protect the collections $50,000; Construct 100m of 4m wide shared pathway in Rose Street to mitigate current storm water damage to the walking areas $35,000; Upgrades to storm-water and drainage in and around Cooke Park as well as irrigation work in the park to ensure the park is accessible to the community $80,000.
Council is in the process of applying for round two of the program with projects again prioritised based on the community’s feedback received during the consultation last year.