Geraldton, Busselton and Mount Gambier in line for upgrades after government regional infrastructure funding round
Planned upgrades to the Kyneton saleyards and to airport facilities at Mount Gambier, Busselton and Geraldton are among the 136 regional projects set to receive Federal government funding.
The projects will share in the more than $208 million to be allocated to projects in regional Australia through the second round of the Building Better Regions Fund—Infrastructure Projects stream.
The government will commit $10 million to upgrade Geraldton Regional Airport and another $3.5 million to redevelop Mount Gambier airport to cater for larger aircraft, as well as spending $1.5 million on building seven fully serviced industrial lots at the Busselton Margaret River Airport.
Another $878,500 of the total $1.7 million cost for the first stage of scheduled upgrades to the Macedon Ranges Livestock Exchange and Truck Park will also be allocated in the funding round.
The Bega Valley Shire Council will be allocated $1.6 million to improve connectivity to and from the Port of Eden by upgrading key intersections and pedestrian links and building a dedicated freight route around the CBD.
And another $4.8 million will be allocated to the Export Council of Australia and its development of the Darwin International Airport Freight and Training Hub, for the construction of on-airport cold storage and vapour heat treatment facilities.
Regional Development minister John McVeigh says the projects will help ensure regional communities have the right infrastructure to create new jobs and boost economic potential.
“We are creating new sporting precincts for our young teams to play in, aged care facilities to keep our family members cared for and improved freight access to support our local businesses,” he says.
Applications for the third round of funding are expected to open in coming months, with the government committing a further $200 million in the 2018 Budget.