Council seeks three Building Better Regions funding grants to boost local projects
February 28, 2017
Councillors have endorsed plans for Colac Otway Shire Council to make submissions to the federal government’s Building Better Regions Fund.
Three Council initiatives have been identified for funding applications:
• Lake Colac Master Plan Implementation
• Colac Otway Economic Development Strategy
• Colac Otway Tourism Parking and Traffic Strategy.
The Building Better Regions Fund is administered by the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development and offers funding via two streams: Infrastructure Projects and the Community Investments.
At its February Ordinary Council meeting, Council endorsed a $250,000 grant be sought from the Infrastructure Projects stream for the Lake Colac Masterplan Implementation to assist with priority plans for years one to five of the 20 year plan endorsed by Council in June 2016.
This funding would assist with seating, tables, barbeques, security and safety lighting and car parking. Council would match its funding request with $50,000 from the existing budget and $200,000 allocated from savings in the 2016-17 Council mid-year review process.
Twenty-five thousand dollars will be sought to match Council’s contribution from the 2017-18 budget for the preparation of an Economic Development Strategy, which will identify opportunities where Council can support the future prosperity of the shire.
Council will also apply for $75,000 of funding from the same stream to conduct the Colac Otway Tourism Parking and Traffic Strategy. In the 2016-17 Annual Strategic Road Improvement Program budget, Council has set aside the same amount for the strategy, for a total project value of $150,000.
Council has identified a need for this strategy following rapid growth in the popularity of the Great Ocean Road, particularly with regard to the management of tourist buses, campervans and those towing caravans.
“In assessing the initiatives we put forward for funding from the Building Better Regions Fund, Council officers and Councillors considered projects that best met the assessment funding criteria. These projects would benefit the residents of Colac Otway Shire enormously, and that’s what we’re hopeful of achieving,” Cr Potter said.
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