Over the past year Lithgow City Council and the Australian Government have collaborated to deliver has completed a number of public infrastructure projects. This was achieved through a $1 million grant from the government's Drought Communities Program – Extension.
The Program delivers support to targeted drought-affected regions of Australia by funding local community infrastructure and other drought relief projects.
For Lithgow this has meant increased, improved economic activity and support for businesses. Residents benefit from improved services and facilities.
"Council has been able to compete a number of fantastic projects with this funding with great benefits to local communities for years to come," said Mayor Ray Thompson. "Wherever possible local businesses were engaged to complete the works, helping to ensure that the economic benefits of the works were delivered within our community".
Federal Member for Calare and Minister for Veterans' Affairs and Defence Personnel, Andrew Gee, said the completed projects will enhance community infrastructure across the Lithgow LGA.
"It's great to see that the ribbon has been cut on a number of projects around the Lithgow region thanks to the federal government's Drought Communities Programme - Extension," said Minister Gee.
"In recent years, Lithgow has been heavily impacted by drought, bushfires, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout these trials, the Lithgow community rallied, tackling the tough times together."
"That's why I'm glad the Australian government has been able to support these small improvements to community infrastructure, which make a big difference to local residents," said Mr Gee.
The completed projects include:
Shade sails and new accessible public toilets at Wallerawang and Portland Skateparks.
Users of these popular skateparks now have all-year-round sun protection. The installation of new toilets has also improved the amenity of both skateparks and adjoining children's playgrounds to create popular community hubs. These works will revitalise community recreation hubs and bring visitors and increased visitor spend into these rural centres.
Lithgow Union Theatre Upgrades
Major works were undertaken to this iconic and gracious theatre including painting, ceiling repairs, installation of an air conditioning system, floor re-polishing, new furnishings, accessible pathways and landscaping.
The upgrade works will attract visiting performances and other cultural programs to Lithgow creating jobs in theatre production, support and events management roles.
Additional employment will also be generated in the local night-time economy as well as increased opportunities for local creatives/business to promote their practices.
Community Hall Upgrades
Asbestos exterior cladding was removed and new cladding installed on both the Vale of Clywdd and Hermitage Community Halls, and in addition, the roof of the Hermitage Hall was also replaced.
Roofing and guttering repairs were undertaken at the Wallerawang Memorial Community Hall and a new covered shelter was installed.
The works have modernised the halls, and improved their suitability and safety for community use. The works also reduce the level of future costs for maintenance.
New Footpath in Wallerawang
620 metres of new footpath were constructed from Barton Street to James Street Wallerawang. The footpath provides a direct link between Lake Wallace recreation area and Wallerawang shopping precinct. Lake Wallace is a popular recreation, fishing, sailing and camping destination.
The completion of this footpath is expected to lead directly to increased visitor spend in the local shopping precinct.
Sporting Field Irrigation Systems
Automated irrigation systems were installed at the Tony Luchetti, Conran and Marjorie Jackson sporting fields. This improves the playing surface and reduces the staffing required to otherwise irrigate manually. The system waters at night reducing the amount of water used or lost to evaporation. As it is fully automated, it can be remotely controlled by a mobile app and during times of heavy rainfall the amount of water applied can be adjusted accordingly.
