WORK on a $16 million upgrade of the Bucketts Way will finally commence in May after the federal government signed off on the first lot of funding.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
It is nearly three years since then Lyne MP Rob Oakeshott first announced the funding to be jointly shared by the Gloucester and Greater Taree councils.
Technical services director Gil Gendron said council had called for tenders to complete the $8 million worth of work in the Gloucester Shire with the successful contractor to be announced in April.
The first project will be the upgrade of the section of the Bucketts Way near Gloucester Soldiers Memorial Hospital between Philip and Onslow streets.
Other projects include:
- Craven Fire Shed to Woods Rd at Craven.
- Cemetery Rd to Onslow St at Gloucester.
- Wallanbah Rd to Titaatee Creek rest area at Gangat.
- Gangat Fire Shed to Merewether Lane at Gangat.
-Stratford village to 700m north of the railway underpass.
Federal Member for Lyne Dr David Gillespie said the works program for the upgrade included resurfacing 14km of the Bucketts Way between Purfleet and Craven.
“Works will involve laying a new road surface, improving drainage and installing safety barriers which will rehabilitate the local road network for the community,” he said.
“Importantly, the Bucketts Way is a corridor for freight and tourism access as well as a major Mid North Coast transport link, including to the port of Newcastle.
“Statistics indicate that on average 3000 vehicles per day travel this passage of road.”
Construction on the upgrade of the Bucketts Way is expected to commence in April 2015 and be completed by May 2016.
Meanwhile, Gloucester Shire Council will receive a third quarter payment of $554,808 from the federal government as part of the Commonwealth’s annual FAG (Financial Assistant Grant) program.
Lyne MP David Gillespie said Gloucester would receive $2.22 million in federal assistance funding for the 2014-15 financial year.
Council’s general manager Danny Green said a freeze on indexing the grants for the next four years would impact Gloucester to the tune of $565,000.
“The Australian government announced last May it would not be raising the grants in line with the CPI (consumer price index) or population increases,” he said.
Mr Green was quick to point out the funding was not a new income source for council, nor was it additional funding for the service provider.
“FAG grants have always been routinely included in our annual revenues and projected into long term financial plans,” Mr Green said.
Since 1974, all councils Australia-wide have received funding from the federal government in the form of FAGs.