News that Bourke Shire has received funding of $8,564,000 from the NSW Government’s $110 million Regional Water and Waste Water Backlog Program to construct a water treatment plant and associate sludge lagoons was very well received.

The council has previously been allocated $175,000 from the Aboriginal Communities Water and Sewer Program and when the two amounts are combined it will mean a total of $8,739,000 which is the total anticipated cost of the project.

The Regional Water and Waste Water Backlog Program enables local water utilities to construct modern water and sewage infrastructure and associated works to provide safe, secure and reliable water and sewer services for their towns.

The council is very excited to have received funding that will provide a “state of the art” facility capable of meeting council’s and the communities current requirements for filtered water as well the ability to cater for any anticipated growth in the future.

The current water treatment plant is somewhat aged and the availability of funding very timely.

Over the next few weeks the council will finalise funding agreements and look to call tenders for the works. Plans have already been prepared for much of the work as part of the strategic planning process.

Cenotaph. Council has received advice from Federal Parkes MP Mark Coulton that it has been successful in obtaining a grant for $3,336 under the heritage focused grant programme “Saluting Their Service” for restoration works on the Cenotaph in Central Park.

It will be used for the replacement works required on the lead infill on some of the names on the Cenotaph which are showing signs of deterioration. I believe it is incumbent on all community members to ensure the preservation of these important monuments and the sacrifices they represent.

President of the local RSL sub-branch Victor Bartley has expressed his delight in the availability of the funding which will see a continuation of the improvements in the Cenotaph precinct undertaken over the past few years.