APPLICATIONS will be open in a week for most of the $20 million being made available by the state government for infrastructure projects in communities affected by the delayed Cobbora Coal Project (CCP).
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Selection criteria and the closing date for applications will also be revealed next Friday, November 1.
The state government has committed an equal share of $4 million of the $20 million Restart NSW Cobbora Transition Fund to the Dubbo, Warrumbungle, Mid-Western Regional and Wellington councils.
The remaining $16 million will go to projects within the council areas, with the four councils, community groups, industry and business groups, non-government organisations, educational institutions and government agencies able to apply.
At a community forum in Dunedoo on October 9, Infrastructure NSW (INSW) advised that the fund aimed to deliver new and diverse economic opportunities in the region and improve transport links for communities and industries.
Examples of "eligible" projects covered road and rail, vocational training facilities, workplaces for frontline staff such as police, teachers and nurses, tourism and childcare.
INSW reported that projects would be assessed against criteria which included the condition of existing public infrastructure and "value for money and implementation approach, including potential for private-public partnerships".
The community forum was told that after the close of applications, the Cobbora Transition Committee and representatives of INSW, NSW Treasury and NSW Trade and Investment would begin assessing them.
Committee members are Barwon MP Kevin Humphries, Orange MP Andrew Gee, and Dubbo MP Troy Grant, who is chairman.
Community input on recommended projects will be sought before INSW advises the government on which should get the cash.
Successful projects will be announced in the 2014-2015 budget.
Mr Grant has confirmed that the four councils have been briefed by INSW on their individual $1 million allocations and are "currently developing their own plans for using and releasing the funding for local projects".
He said the councils had to abide by the same criteria in securing their individual $1million as applicants seeking a share of the $16 million. But the money set aside for the councils was in the current budget and ready to be distributed, he said.
INSW is promising community consultation. The e government aims to sell or lease the CCP, initiated by its predecessor.
It chose not to build the mine or take it to production after learning that the exercise would cost NSW taxpayers $1.5 billion.
