July-August 2016 Oceania Edition

street furniture, footpaths and shade structures. Such improvements are expected to pave the way for all kinds of social activities, support local businesses and promote Bridgewater as a great place to stop, rest or stay. This will not only have an impact on the local population but also on the tourism sector as one of the project’s aims is to attract more tourists to the Loddon River. Finally, the last major project, or more correctly program of interest to the Council involves the strategic use of the Federal Government’s Road to Recovery (R2R) funding. Currently, the Council invests approximately $8 million of its budget per annum to the maintenance and operation of the local road network. Recent changes to fuel excise arrangements has seen the R2R program offer an additional $5 million in funding over two years, bringing council’s investment in local roads up to $11 million per annum, 35 percent of the Council’s entire budget. There are many plans for the best use of this funding such as the ongoing renewal and upgrade of many high-traffic roads to ensure the safety of the drivers, efficiency of the freight network and support for local business and industry. Facilitating growth According to Ian, the Council wishes to facilitate the growth of the region by supporting local businesses, investing in infrastructure, and developing the area as much as possible. “Certainly from a regional development perspective we recognize the importance of providing quality infrastructure and services which support growth within specific businesses sectors such as intensive animal husbandry. We have a lot of land which is good value so we can facilitate that kind of business. We are open to these types of industries and we are trying to facilitate the development and growth of such businesses in the Shire. And from another infrastructure perspective, our focus has always been on the sustainable maintenance and upgrade of our road network too”, says Ian. Creating and maintaining community assets is a great way of solidifying the future of the region as well as facilitating social interactions between all members of the community. By investing in all the major economic industries as well as the recreation facilities of the region, the Council is able to take care of the local population across every setting. Supporting Partners Mitchell Water mitchellwater.com.au Integrity Testing integritytesting.com.au BLR Provincial Construction blrconstruction.com.au