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68 Business View Australia - July 2015
decided to partner with Woolworths as
they offered thebest terms. Thebuilding
was then designed in conjunction with
them. Auniqueaspect of theprojectwas
thatwhiletheinternalareaof thebuilding
was at the disposal of Woolworths,
the external part was constructed
according
to
Council’s
design.
The aesthetically designed building is
located adjacent to the town centre and
has becomea focal point in thearea. It is a
major attraction for the people of Tuncurry
andhasalsobeenagreatfinancialsuccess
for Council and the local retail businesses.
In fact, income from the development
is helping to fund roadworks and other
entrepreneurial activities of Council.
Speaking about the plans for the
coming years, Council’s General
Manager, Glenn Handford says, “In the
next ten years we hope to eliminate our
backlogof roads and improveour overall
financial sustainability. We also hope to
continue our environmental program
and provide some aspirational services
and facilities for our community.
“We will move away from being a
Council that just looks after roads and
rates and bridges to one that provides
other community facilities. Over the
last five years we could easily have put
$10 million into building a new library
or some other facility as many Councils
in New South Wales have, but we have
chosentoputall of thatmoney intoroads
becausewewanttogetridofourbacklog.
“Nowwe are at a stage, where because
we have got our infrastructure well
under control, we are starting to look at
upgrading our other facilities by putting
in more walkways and upgrading some
of our aged community facilities.”
In the last year Council has bought
several sites in the town centre of
Forster. One of these sites measures
about two hectares and it is planned
to establish a library there. There
is also a proposal to enter into a
joint venture with a private sector
company to put up a hundred to a
Glenn Handford
INFRASTRUCTUR