There was much deliberation at the last council meeting to secure the most ‘bang for the buck’ from an invitation for Tenterfield Shire Council to apply for up to $2.3 million in grants under the Stronger Country Communities Fund.
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Council will reapply for close to $600,000 of projects earlier identified but which didn’t receive funding in a prior round. These projects include streetscape improvements, gateway signage for all villages, open space embellishments and recreational facilities.
Of the remaining amount, half must be allocated to sporting infrastructure with the remainder earmarked for general community projects.
Due to the strict criteria that projects need to be a major renewal or restoration, many items on the community wishlists didn’t make the cut. These, however, have the potential to be funded under council’s community donations program, through other grants or in the council budget.
What did make the cut, however, are:
Community projects
- Tenterfield Town Centre Streetscape Improvements Stage II (High Street to Molesworth Street)
- Major refurbishment to Liston Hall
- Toilets in the villages of Jennings, Legume and Urbenville and in Tenterfield
- Playground equipment and park upgrades for Urbenville and Drake
Sporting projects
- Shirley Park Upgrades
- Archery Centre Facilities
Additionally, refurbishment of Tenterfield Memorial Hall has been split between both project streams, reflecting the work required on the premises both as a function centre and a sporting complex.
Council’s chief executive Terry Dodds had asked councillors to keep project management costs in mind, saying that it would be less drain on resources to manage one big project like the Memorial Hall upgrade than many smaller ones.
Community project applications will be assessed through choice modeling, asking the preference of a representative sample of the shire’s residents to quantify the community’s preference for each proposed project.
Sporting projects will be vetted by the NSW Office of Sport, and assessed to see if they align with council’s sport facilities plans and those of state sporting organisations. Successful applications will be announced in August.