Walcha Council representatives joined Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall and the region’s mayors and general managers at a meeting last Thursday to develop a list of major infrastructure projects to submit for a share of the potential new $6 billion Regional Infrastructure Fund.
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The opportunity for the windfall funding for country NSW comes from the possible 49 per cent long-term lease of the largely metropolitan poles and wires networks, should the government be re-elected next year. The Essential Energy network will remain in 100pc public ownership and this will be enshrined in legislation.
The rural and regional fund will be created using 30pc of the proceeds from the asset transaction. It is estimated that the fund will be at least $6 billion.
The eight current Northern Tablelands councils, together with Moree Plains Shire and the New England County Council, were in unanimous agreement over the six regional projects to go forward on behalf of the Northern Tablelands area.
The projects are: construction of Apsley Dam (Walcha); expansion of Armidale Regional Airport’s runway and terminal; upgrade of Thunderbolts Way road sections and bridges; enhancement of Bellevue Oval to national multi-sport standard (Armidale, University of New England); redevelopment of upgrade of Armidale, Inverell and Glen Innes Hospitals; and major freight corridor upgrades on the Gwydir Highway (Moree, Warialda, Inverell and Glen Innes), North Star bridges and Mt Lindsay Road (Tenterfield).
