David Gillespie (Lyne, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

One of the biggest residential and commercial developments ever undertaken in the Manning Valley will now proceed, courtesy of a multimillion dollar investment by the federal coalition government. Earlier this year I announced that the coalition government will commit $8½ million in federal funding towards the construction of new public infrastructure that will trigger Bushland Health Group, a not-for-profit, community based aged-care and retirement provider, to deliver their new vertical retirement living complex. This will trigger a huge public infrastructure development, including upgrading and construction of new roads, culverts, raised boardwalks, a pedestrian cycle bridge, drainage retention, a river stage and viewing platforms and children's play and public art areas.

It will also trigger the development of Bushland Health's $25 million new development and create at least 180 jobs during construction and subsequent long-term jobs. It will also trigger other developments in The Figtrees project area, which is a master planned area that has been sitting on the board, ready to go, for almost a decade. I am so pleased that the coalition government is making it all come to fruition.

There will be a mix of land uses and it will ensure that there are connections to the Taree CBD, which, as a regional centre, is the hub of commerce and development in the Manning and Great Lakes areas. It will be a delightful public domain. It will make adaptive re-use of old historic buildings—the old dairy factory, the old mill factory and the old railway site. It will put a unique flavour on the mighty Manning River precinct in the heart of the Taree CBD. Heritage qualities won't be lost through the redevelopment, but will really give it another touch.

There is space in the development for a dairy and maritime history museum. On the weekend I visited the Cundletown Museum, which has a huge repository of old dairy memorabilia and pieces of cutting-edge dairy development from over 100 years. They've run out of space, so I'm sure they'll find room for more historical bits of dairy equipment and for the history of the Manning. The Manning was the site of major boatbuilding for almost 100 years.

The Manning Valley and the river complex is a huge, untapped area. This is one of the most longed for developments in Taree's history. (Time expired)

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